Peter Harte Realizes Long-Held Dream of Ulster Final with Errigal

Tyrone All-Ireland victor Peter Harte, despite his extensive list of accomplishments, is set to experience a new milestone: his inaugural Ulster club final with Errigal Ciaran. Errigal secured their place in the final for the first time since 2002, the year they claimed their second and most recent Ulster title, following their 0-14 to 1-10 victory against Armagh champions Clann Eireann in Newry on Sunday. This upcoming match on 8 December will see a fresh cohort of Errigal players embrace the challenge, entering the contest as underdogs against the seasoned 2022 All-Ireland champions, Kilcoo. The two-time All Star commented, “We were lucky enough to growing up watching Errigal playing in Ulster club finals, and you always dreamt about being there and hopefully winning one.” He continued, “So look, we’ve put one more step on the ladder today but we are up against the best club team in Ireland the next day in Kilcoo.” Harte added, “Their record in the last five, ten years is maybe better than anybody’s so we are under no illusions.” On Sunday at Pairc Esler, Harte, along with other spectators, expressed admiration for the scoring prowess of his brother-in-law, Ruairi Canavan, who concluded the game with an impressive 0-9, five of which were from open play. Harte remarked, “They are serious scores for any man to get, we’ve all seen how good he has been for us and Tyrone and hopefully he can keep it going.” He further stated, “I’m sure he’s good for any neutral to watch as well.” Darragh Canavan contributed 0-2 to Errigal Ciaran’s victory against Clann Eireann in Newry. Errigal captain Darragh Canavan, certainly not a neutral observer, attributed his team’s narrow win to his younger brother when questioned about their success. He responded, “Ruairi, probably!” Darragh Canavan added, “He had a savage game there and we are buzzing. The defence too was unbelievable and has carried us over the line in many a game this year.” Ruairi Canavan was responsible for Errigal’s final four points, including two exceptional scores in stoppage time, one from each foot; however, he promptly downplayed his own stellar display. “The boys will tell you I miss plenty of them, some times they go over and sometimes they don’t,” he stated. He continued, “Semi-finals are for winning and Clann Eireann definitely made us work for it.” “A lot of us weren’t even born whenever they (Errigal) won it last in 2002 so it’s exciting times but our performance will have to go up I don’t know how many notches,” he noted. He concluded, “Along with Glen, Kilcoo have been the best team in Ulster or maybe Ireland this last few years so we have our work cut out.” Enda McGinley is currently in his inaugural year managing his local club, Errigal Ciaran. In contrast to Kilcoo’s comfortable progression to the final with a five-goal performance against Scotstown, Errigal faced a significant struggle. While pleased with his team’s resilience, Enda McGinley expressed a desire for an improved level of play. “We didn’t play well but the only thing that matters is we got over the line,” he stated. He added, “If winning ugly is a good habit, I think we’re addicted to it at this stage.” “I would love to be looking really impressive and the confidence of scoring five goals because then you know the boys are really clicking,” McGinley remarked. He elaborated, “We can build up how good it is to win ugly, we can build up that they have come through adversity but there are much more benefits to playing good football, so we still have that bridge to cross – but you can’t work on that if you’re out.” “It’s brilliant to have two weeks to try and get ready to play a team like Kilcoo,” he noted. McGinley continued, “When it’s a special team like Kilcoo it could bring the best out of you, that’s what you’re hoping to harness, without wanting to put any weight on their shoulders.” “It’s just a sense of opportunity and a great place to be so I don’t think we will have to build it up too much for them,” he concluded.