Dermot Carlin believes Tyrone can retain their All-Ireland U20 crown and claim a third title in four years.
And he’s hoping that reports that Eoin McElholm plans to remain at home despite interest in the exciting attacker from the AFL are accurate.
McElholm, who was a member of the Ulster squad that won the revived Inter-provincial series at Croke Park last month, is eligible to play at U20 level again next season.
He was one of five members of the All-Ireland winning team called into the Red Hand senior squad by Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher in the aftermath of this year’s triumph, and made his senior debut in the championship clash with Roscommon.
“Eoin is a special player, he’s one of these players you get every 10 years. If he’s about, that would be a massive help,” said Carlin.
“We even saw how highly he is rated when he was called up to the Ulster squad, at such a young age.
“The more he gets playing senior football and the more he beds in, he’s only going one way, and that’s better.
“The U20s played some super football this year, came through some big tests, and there’s a lot of them under-age again this year, defensively especially.
“I know Paul (Devlin, manager) has a panel of 36 that he’s looking at, and the potential is there to go all the way. There’s definitely potential there for something more in Tyrone.”
Carlin, a coach with the U20s for six years, won’t be involved in 2025, having stepped away from Devlin’s management team this year to concentrate on the establishment of a new business.
A director at Solasta Healthcare, a Banbridge-based eye clinic specialising in cataract surgery, he intends to retain his close links with the GAA.
“It’s going to take up a lot of time. I’ll still keep my coaching with the Under ten-and-a-halfs with the club, but there’s a time that comes when you have to focus and channel all your energy for work, and that’s what I’ll be doing for the next number of years.
“I’ll hopefully use existing relationships with good GAA people to try and help people, help them be able to see the matches better.”
Killyclogher clubman Carlin expects new senior manager Malachy O’Rourke to issue call-ups to more members of this year’s U20 team as he builds a squad capable of restoring Tyrone’s standing as a leading force.
“There could be more to step up from that team, and Malachy will be looking out for them, as we saw with Glen, when he brought a lot of young players through.
“Malachy will be keeping a close eye on these young players coming through, as will most of the county”, said Carlin, himself an early graduate to the senior set-up back in 2003, when he was teenage member of Tyrone’s first All-Ireland winning squad.
Already promoted are goalkeeper Conor McAneney, defenders Michael Rafferty and Shea O’Hare and attackers Eoin McElholm and Ronan Cassidy.
“Ronan Cassidy from Donaghmore is a super football, and we saw Michael Rafferty in the championship for Killyclogher this year he was superb, not only as an out-and-out corner back who can mark somebody, but whenever he’s on the front foot as well, he can really drive forward at pace and break lines, and he can kick scores.”
Tyrone’s slump in form since winning the Sam Maguire Cup in 2021 has been inexplicable, but Carlin is confident they can bounce back in 2025.
“We haven’t got bad overnight. I don’t know what it is, but with the fresh boys coming in, there’s great potential.
“Malachy knows Tyrone football too. I don’t know how many times I have seen Malachy O’Rourke at club games in Tyrone.
“They have got Chris Lawn in, who knows his football, and Colm McCullagh, I have heard great reports about him from the time he managed Dromore.
“So they have got a lot of good people in, who know Tyrone football, and we still have the players, we still have the talent, with the Canavans inside.
“And Mark Bradley coming back is going to be a massive addition to Tyrone, especially with the way the rules are going to be changed and tweaked to give inside forwards more space.
“If we can get the ball moved in early, we have the forwards to compete with anybody, and we have the defenders to man-mark.”
