The Ulster Championship carries huge significance for Tyrone, who are eager to claim a third provincial title on the spin in 2018.

This afternoon's Quarter-Final at Healy Park against Monaghan promises to be an interesting affair, but Ronan McNamee is adamant about the importance of the Anglo Celt Cup in Tyrone.

"It’s all about retaining the Ulster title. We don’t want to give it up, we’re going for three-in-a-row up here after a long time when we couldn’t win it at all.

"It’s going to be a big one against Monaghan, both teams want to win to go forward in Ulster and neither wants to be faced with what might be a very difficult back-door route.

"Nobody ever wants to lose an Ulster Championship match, but this year the penalty for doing so could be very severe."

With the new All Ireland series format Tyrone want to make an impact with McNamee highlighting their intent to carve out victories on home turf in Omagh.

"Of course, everyone this year will want to get to the Super 8’s and it would be wonderful to have that, and to have a county like Dublin or Kerry or Mayo or whoever coming to Omagh in late July or early August," McNamee admits. "To have that potentially there for us would be brilliant.

"We play those teams at home in the League in winter, but it would be something else to have a game like that in our county with a lot on the line. You’d have to treat it like any other game, but without a doubt there would be huge hype about a big Championship game in Omagh in August.

"Omagh hasn’t been a great ground for us, in terms of results, over the previous two or three years, but this year, we were strong there in the League, so hopefully that is an omen.

"Fingers crossed for us that it happens, but you can’t really dwell on it for now, the immediate challenge is beating Monaghan."