Is there a hotter property in Gaelic football than Rian O’Neill?

O’Neill is one of these stellar talents that cannot be hemmed into a positional straight-jacket. It appears that manager Kieran McGeeney allows him the license to roam

CENTRE OF ATTENTION: Rian O'Neill of Armagh after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Armagh and Tyrone at Athletic Grounds in Armagh.

ONE of the most gripping scenes in the 2016 Thomas Niblock documentary on Crossmaglen Rangers; ‘Field of Dreams’, came in the dressing room just prior to the Rangers leaving the dressing room to play a big game.

Standing up, amid the tension and emotional arousal is Oisín McConville. He and John McEntee were joint managers of the club at the time. McConville is getting his players into a highly-focussed state when suddenly his voice climbs through the octaves and he lets a scream out; “We were born for this! Born for this!” In the middle of a successful team, it’s not hard to convince your players that they are, indeed, born to play in big games and win.