HUGH Pat McGeary didn’t think he would ever be making the drive up to Garvaghey again.
For years, he and younger brother Kieran travelled together from Pomeroy in pursuit of the same dream – one realised in unforgettable fashion when Tyrone were crowned All-Ireland champions.
That was September 2021. And while Kieran was named Player of the Year for his exploits in bringing Sam Maguire back to the Red Hand County, Hugh Pat knew the time had come.
Not because he had only played here and there, or because other panel members were considering their future too having achieved the ultimate. More that it was a natural end.
He and Danielle were getting married the following summer, plans were already afoot to build a house in Rostrevor, then there was the travelling that would come off that. Inter-county football, representing Tyrone, had been a joy,
Now it was time to come off the treadmill; breathe a little easier.
Fast forward three-and-a-half years, and Hugh Pat McGeary is out the other side of another pre-season – this time in the colours of another county. It’s funny the things life throws up, though that is only the half of it.
Earlier this month the McGearys welcomed baby Rían into the world.
“Danielle’s taken it all in her stride,” beams the proud father, “it’s flat out, but the wee man’s flying.”
And, around the same time, Hugh Pat found himself in familiar territory, taking a right at the Ballygawley roundabout, then the turn off he could have found with his eyes closed. January 2025, Down v Tyrone in a challenge game, and a McGeary on either side.
“He tried to do me one time but he missed. We’ll say no more about it…
“Naw, it was actually an enjoyable experience - I wouldn’t say strange. It was good to get in amongst the lads again, and the craic was good.”
Knowing a new baby was on the way when first sounded out by Down boss Conor Laverty in October, it wasn’t an easy decision to make. There were plenty of conversations with Danielle, with family, with Kieran, before the green light was finally given.
So what swung it? The fact that, at 32, opportunities like these don’t often come around.
“It took me a few weeks to get my head around it.
“The reality is, at my age, you never know when you might get that chance again to try, if you even would. I was thinking my Tyrone days were my last ones, and here I am back out again, going at it.
“After a while, after a few chats with Danielle, we decided we were happy enough for me to give it another rattle – it’d be nice for the wee lad, please God, hopefully I get a photo some time in the future after playing for Down. That would be a nice thing to have.
“Being out of the county scene for a couple of years probably made it easier. I’m living down in Rostrevor, I’ve been there for a while, I’m playing with the club… I had a chat with the family and everything went well.
“I’m glad I said yes, they’re a great bunch of lads, great management set-up and I’m looking forward to what we can do this year… it’s good to be back at it.”
He told Laverty he would give whatever he had, whether than meant on the field, or off it, as a young, fresh panel prepares for the challenge of Division Two – starting at the home of promotion favourites Roscommon on Sunday.
“Me, Caolan Mooney and Shay Millar are the oldest at 32… this experience in Division Two will be invaluable.”
Half an hour takes him to the training base in Ballykinlar, even less if moved to somewhere around the Newry area. So far, so good – though the nights after the December 7 return occasionally left him wondering what he had done.
“Aye, there was a few times… ah it wasn’t pretty now, but the lads have been really good. I’m no spring chicken any more but I’ve been managed really well and, look, I’ve got fitter than I have been in this last two or three years.
“The management of the body’s been really good, the guys know there’s no point sending you out to blow the tank out too early, because then you risk picking up injuries.
“With the new rules, the only way you’re going to learn them quickly is if you’re playing them on the field; we’re a step ahead on that end of it, and we’re enjoying it too.”
Defenders will no longer enjoy the same kind of protection as in McGeary’s previous crack at inter-county football, with the new rules guaranteeing more space for forwards, and more man-to-man battles than before.
It could be a daunting proposition, but that physical battle is something he has always relished.
“Oh God aye, that’d suit me down to the ground… until I get a roasting somewhere, then I might have to look at playing corner-forward! That’s where all the limelight’s at.
“The reality is if you give the ball away easy, you’re going to get punished. That’s the way the game’s going now. When a team turns you over, if they have the head up, they’re not seeing a blanket of men in front of them any more – they’re going to see targets to kick the ball to straight away.
“I could see a lot of games being very high-scoring, teams will get back in shape but you won’t be able to go gung-ho from start to finish… it could get messy at times, but I’ve no major qualms against it.
“It changes defending, you just do not have that cover you had, so it makes it more intense where you have that one-v-one direct battle with men. If a forward knows he has space around him, he will try and take you on and put the ball over the bar or into the back of the net.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved again - we know the challenge ahead, not just in the Roscommon game but for the full League campaign. It’s a blank page for everybody, the days of15 men behind the ball are long gone… it’s a completely different game now.”
