More than a wing and a prayer for Tyrone

Tyrone’s Ronan McNamee I WAS astonished to discover that the Tyrone footballers recite the Rosary two hours before every Championship game and in the macho sports world it is not something that you will find too many players talking about.

But Ronan McNamee, their fullback, seemed quite open about discussing it this week, although reading between the lines it appears that ultimately they are doing it to comply with the wishes of Mickey Harte.

There is nothing wrong with that and Mickey has a deep faith, and given what his family has endured it has served him well.

I don’t mean to cheapen the act, but it is something that also serves a footballing need as well as a spiritual one.

One of the biggest challenges in management is to ensure that a strong bond develops. I recall when Páidí was with Westmeath he had this brooch which he gave to the players with an Irish saying, roughly translating as ‘You can’t hit oak with your fist’.

The idea was to propagate that they were stronger than just flesh and bone as a group.

But the intimacy of saying prayers (the Rosary was a mainstay evening ritual in most homes in rural Ireland – our own included) together is something that really cements the notion of being more than a team.

It is saying this is family and that’s the ultimate bond.