MICKEY HARTE HAS been impressed by Donegal’s infusion of youth, but the veteran Tyrone manager doesn’t want another July to go by without getting his mitts on the Anglo Celt Cup.
It’s been six years now since Tyrone’s last appearance in the Ulster final, when they won the last of Harte’s four provincial crowns.
Harte, who masterminded All-Ireland wins in 2003, 2005 and 2008, is now in his 14th season as Red Hands boss, but has lost none of his magic or enthusiasm.
Harte is glad to have ended the finals famine after enduring a watching brief for the previous five years.
“We felt that it was challenging for us,” Harte told Donegal Sport Hub.
“We weren’t far away, but we didn’t get to the finals. We’ve missed that. We were in quite a few in the noughties. We were used to them.
“It was very disappointing watching other teams get those big days in Clones.
“We have been unfortunate enough to come across the people who were getting to the finals in those years. We were playing against the best teams in the province so it’s understandable.”
Donegal have won the last four meetings of the counties in the Championship, including semi-finals in 2011 and 2012.
Donegal will line out with plenty of survivors from those games, but Harte says the talk about Donegal’s age profile is nonsense.
He said: “People generalise too easily. Because some of the senior players are still there, people think that they’re all senior, but they have a whole influx of new lads who have come in and are really busy, talented, skilful players.
“They’ve blended well and they have a great mix.”
After losing first round games to Donegal in 2013 and 2015, Tyrone reached the All-Ireland semi-finals. Harte intends to go the direct route this time, via winning what he considers easily the GAA’s most difficult province.
He said: “The evidence is there. If the good teams in Ulster don’t meet each other they’ll end up in the last eight. It’s a very hard province.
“The fact that we ended up in the semi-finals in 2013 and 2015 after losing in the first round is evidence of that.”
[adrotate group=”76″]Tyrone have already won the Dr McKenna Cup and Allianz Football League Division 2 titles this year.
After hammering Derry at Celtic Park in their opening game, they needed a replay to see off Cavan. Harte added: “We have to get the consistency of the better sides of our performance over a longer period of time. We have to produce that ability when it matters.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/mickey-harte-pre-ulster-final
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