Tyrone's Kieran McGeary pictured with his PwC GAA/GPA All-Stars Footballer of the Year award.
By John Harrington
Kieran McGeary has joined illustrious company by following in the footsteps of Tyrone legends Peter Canavan, Stephen O'Neill, and Seán Canavan to crowned PwC All-Stars Footballer of the Year for 2021.
A very well-deserved honour it is too for the Pomeroy club-man who produced a series of turbo-charged performances for the Red Hand County on their way to All-Ireland glory.
GAA.ie caught up with McGeary this week to find out how much the honour meant to him, and why he believes he and his Tyrone team-mates will build on this year's triumph rather than rest on their laurels.
GAA.ie: Congratulations on your PwC All-Star and Player of the Year award, Kieran. You must be very pleased?
Kieran McGeary: I'm absolutely delighted. I can't believe it. It just tops off the year that we've had as a team.
GAA.ie: Winning an All-Star and Player of the Year award probably isn't something you think about at the start of a year. But at the end of the year when you get those awards, what does it feel like?
KM: You know what, I'm not a big person for individual awards at all, I'm all about the collective ethos of the group, but it's a great way to top off the year I've had and I'm absolutely delighted. I've a massive amount of people to thank and if I started naming them all out here I'd only end up forgetting someone.
But, you know yourself, my family, friends, girlfriend, my team-mates, and the management and backroom plus my own club back in Pomeroy. They've all played their part in me getting to where I am today. It just tops it all off and I've so many people to thank for getting there.
GAA.ie: An All-Star is obviously an individual award but it means an awful lot as well to everyone involved with the club of a player who wins one...
KM: I'd imagine I'll be getting a message or two from managers letting on that they taught me everything I know! Ah no, I've a lot of people to be very thankful for and the support that I've gotten from eveyrone in the club. Whenever you meet anyone, be it in the local shop or wherever, they're always full of praise and congratulations for whatevery you do in life.
GAA.ie: I'm sure you've had some tough days as an inter-county footballer, but presumably all the sacrifices are worthwhile when you finally win an All-Ireland medal?
KM: Funnily enough I was chatting to my girlfriend on the way here in the car and we passed a street outside Croke Park and she remembers walking back along it to the apartment we were staying in after the 2019 All-Ireland Final semi-final against Kerry when I gave that ball away and Stephen O'Brien went up the field and crushed our hearts and stopped us making it to back to back All-Ireland Finals.
Memories like that would stay with you and that was one of the tougher days I've had, including a number of other ones where you're knocked out first round of the championship or you go off injured in a big game or sometimes you don't start as well.
Look, this year has just fallen into place so well. Everything that has happened, new managment in, new players on board. I suppose then when Covid entered the camp it was difficult so we've just had a roller-coaster of a year, but it takes a lot to knock a Tyrone man over.
Kieran McGeary of Tyrone celebrates at the final whistle of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Kerry and Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin.
GAA.ie: I'd imagine there was great excitment and celebrations after winning the All-Ireland Final. Have you had the opportunity yet to really take a time-out and look back at some of the matches or even think about what this really means to you?
KM: Yeah, I've looked back at it several times and watched it a few times over and I've seen different clips and videos and whatnot. I was on a talk-show the other night in Cargin in Antrim and Joe Brolly was at it as well and you know the character he is.
He sat beside me and that was one of the questions that was asked of me, whether I've really had a chance to look back on it. Before I could answer it he answered for me and said you'll never realise what it means until another 20 years down the line. That some day it'll hit home, but not at the age I'm at when I'm still playing and competing and everything is still abuzz. So I believe I'm going to have to wait for a good few more years to understand what it means!
GAA.ie: You're there today with Limerick hurler Cian Lynch who has won three All-Irelands in four years and now a second Player of the Year award. He's part of a Limerick team that's voracious for success. Presumably this Tyrone group of players will also have the ambition to build on this All-Ireland win?
KM: You're right. I met Cian for five minutes this morning and I can understand why he's a three-time All-Ireland winner and two-time Player of the Year. He's a very modest lad who knows exactly where he's going and what he wants to do in life. If we could follow in the footsteps of even the Dublin team and even approach what they've done in the past in terms of getting back to back, it would be great.
But next year we'll have to very vigilant because there's a target on us now as the reigning champions. I know that's how it works because I remember when we would play Dublin everything would change that week in preparation for them. Your diet, your sleep, your attitude, your training, because you knew who you were facing.
So I know exactly how every other team will approach us next year and we have to be ready for it and be vigilant of it as well.
Kieran McGeary of Tyrone with the Sam Maguire cup after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Mayo and Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin.
GAA.ie: The flip side of that is that this Tyrone team should take an awful lot of confidence from winning an All-Ireland title. You looked like a team that gained confidence with every match you won this year. And when you see the likes of Cathal McShane and Darragh Canavan coming off the bench and other players like Lee Brennan, Mark Bradley, and Paul Donaghy not playing that much in the championship, there's a huge depth of talent in this Tyrone panel, isn't there?
KM: A massive amount of talent. But if you want to be a team that wins All-Irelands you need that talent on the bench beacuse injuries kick in and different things happen and them boys are always needed. The 15-30 on our panel this year was as good as the 1-15 and that's honestly the truth. But, as you say, when you start winning confidence grows and it's hard to take lads out of the team when that's happening.
Personally myself I felt my confidence grow this year. I'm on the team now six years and I probably would have seen myself as a middle-table, mediocre, inter-county footballer. The years are going quick, to be quite honest, so I needed to get my backside into gear and do something.
GAA.IE: Are you looking forward to having a good cut off it again next year?
KM: Ah yeah. I'm buzzing to get going. The McKenna Cup is back up and running and we have a full National League schedule of fixtures to fulfil over seven or eight weeks and then we're straight into the Championship so you're talking loads of football coming thick and fast. You have 35 boys who are very, very eager to get going again. This year has been incredible for the county of Tyrone, but we'll not rest on our laurels just yet.
