RED HAND MEN RISING AGAIN

Serious underage Tyrone success usually translates into Sam glory

- By KARL O'KANE

WITH three All-Ireland under-20 titles in four years the Tyrone conveyor belt is rolling at a serious pace — and the others better watch out.

More Sam Maguires seem certain to follow.

It could even be this summer. The smart money would say it’s a year too soon, but don't rule out big Brian Kennedy climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand in eight weeks' time.

Emerging counties generally take at least two years (Donegal under Jim McGuinness in 2012) and usually more to make a big breakthrough.

Pat Gilroy did it in his third year with Dublin (2011).

But once you've won one in recent times, it doesn't take as much to stir that muscle memory again.

It's only four years since Kennedy and a raft of his team-mates won the All-Ireland - and that was a victory that nobody saw coming, just like Armagh's last year.

The starters from Tyrone's 2021 AllIreland final victory over Mayo that started the surprise win in Donegal last weekend were Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick, Niall Morgan, Mattie Donnelly, Darren McCurry, Michael McKernan, Kieran McGeary and Pádraig Hampsey.

Peter Harte and Frank Burns — starters in 2021 — came off the bench, while Conor Meyler was in the subs as he nears a return.

Rory Brennan and Mark Bradley -on the Tyrone panel in 2021 before leaving the squad - started against Donegal too.

That's a lot of experienced winners.

One of the other factors that makes Tyrone a clear and present danger is that last weekend's support cast at MacCumhaill Park, almost to a man, hold All-Ireland Under-20 medals, including Cormac Quinn, Niall Devlin, Ciarán Daly and Seánie O'Donnell,