Mickey McGee may be a small man from a small place but he’s proved himself well up to the task on the biggest stage. The Loughmacrory clubman rose to the occasion and played his part in Tyrone regaining the All-Ireland SFC from Kerry at Croke Park on Sunday. Indeed, as he did in the closing stages of the semi-final against Armagh, McGee made some vital late interceptions to deny the opposition. Modestly, he joked that his stature helped him snap up those crucial balls: “You have to keep going to the very end. Breaking ball like that, I’d like to think it’s my forte, because I’m not that big, I’m closer to the ground than most people.” Catching such a big ball was probably easy for him anyway. As he acknowledges, “Loughmacrory’s probably famous for handball but we’re actually a Division 1B team… “I’m proud to be representing Loughmacrory on the big stage. In 2003 the support they gave me was great and I wasn’t even playing that time; going back home on the Wednesday night after the match, the place was stuffed. I just wonder what it’s gonna be like this time.” Whenever he makes his return, he knows it will be enjoyable: “The best time I had in 2003 was back at my own club; there might only have been 10 people in the bar but it was unbelievable; hopefully it’ll be as good again.” There were many more people in the CityWest on Sunday, and again yesterday. Chatting in the car park as the Tyrone team gathered themselves up to return home in triumph, McGee hinted that the celebrations were only starting, saying of the post-match revelries “you still have to kinda behave yourself, you’re still representing your county, still on duty – but you’ll see this bus after a while, it’s gonna be upside-down.” McGee might enjoy his time off work more than others. The All-Ireland final programme might have said ‘occupation: plasterer’ but he explains “I’m a civil servant, work for the Child Support Agency in Belfast - people don’t really like that. I’ve a few days off, had to take my own holiday days, but I don’t mind.” Yet he claims the celebrations won’t go on too long – in fact for him they could end tomorrow…or the day after: “The club championship is on Saturday, Loughmacrory’s playing Edendork, so I’ll have to cut the celebrations short – well, when I say short, it’ll probably be Wednesday or Thursday,” he laughed. Tyrone undoubtedly have much to drink to, having dethroned the champions in style, as McGee agrees: “It’s unbelievable, hi, to beat Kerry, the aristocrats of football – and to beat them playing football as well. 2003 was unreal but personally to actually play in a final is something else.” Only 25 in November, many of his colleagues are as young or younger, but he insists they’ll enjoy this famous victory before turning their thoughts to more such successes: “We’ll not be worrying about back-to-backs yet, hi, we’ll worry about going into Omagh tonight because the place is going to be pandemonium. In January time there’ll be McKenna Cup, there’ll be trials and Mickey will be picking his panel, we’ll think about next season then.” Article Courtesy of Kenny Archer Sports Writer - The Irish News
