McGinley 'in awe' of Gormley after cancer diagnosis

Trillick boss Jody Gormley and Errigal Ciaran manager Enda McGinley went head to head in the Tyrone SFC final on October 25

Enda McGinley says he is "awestruck" and full of admiration for fellow Tyrone club manager Jody Gormley, who has revealed he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Eight short days since the pair battled it out on the sideline in the Tyrone SFC final, McGinley was back in Healy Park leading Errigal Ciaran to a narrow 0-12 to 0-10 win over St Eunan’s in the preliminary round of the Ulster club championship on Saturday night.

But Errigal’s continued success, football in general and indeed life in general, has been firmly put in perspective, McGinley says, by Gormley’s candidness and calmness in the face of what he is dealing with.

"For him to handle it the way he has just sets a very high bar for everybody else and challenges everybody else to enjoy life, appreciate life and not to sweat the small stuff, or even the medium-sized stuff like this here," said McGinley.

"Perspective is never a bad thing to have, but that’s about as extreme as you can get.

"Within Tyrone there is just awe in terms of how he’s coping, disbelief that somebody so fit and strong can be hit like that, and just massive respect for him."

McGinley believes there is a "brilliant lesson" to take from Gormley's response to his diagnosis.

"He’s facing his biggest challenge now there is no doubt, but people are just awestruck by the way he’s dealing with it.

"I think that’s a brilliant lesson to learn and everybody will take wee lessons from that and take wee bits back into their own lives."

Tyrone's Jody Gormley battles with Down's Mickey Linden during the 1996 Ulster Final

Gormley said on The GAA Social that he has no fear of dying, having first delivered the shocking news of his diagnosis to the Trillick players in the aftermath of their 0-12 to 1-8 county final defeat by Errigal.

"I was embarrassed to tell you the truth, having stood after the match and been asked about the pressures of managing your own club and the pressure you put yourself under," McGinley said.

"Then when that news starts filtering through late on Friday night, talk about putting things in perspective.

"We were in the middle of the celebrations so it made you think. Yes, you still wanted to enjoy the night, but you realised there is a hell of a lot more to life."

Both former Tyrone midfielders who graced the county jersey with distinction, and also both former Antrim managers, Gormley and McGinley also share the common bond of returning to where it all started by managing their own home club.

Gormley led Trillick to the Tyrone title in 2023 in his first year in charge and McGinley did the same with Errigal in 2024.

"I took huge pride in the way that (2024) final was played between ourselves and Trillick because what Jody has done with that team and instilled in those boys is remarkable," Gormley added.

"It was because of that we knew we had to hit such a peak against them."

McGinley said the Trillick boss had long been highly regarded before news of his illness came last week.

"Jody would have been admired anyway for how he conducted his business.

"He had some brilliant days in the Tyrone jersey and as a manager he’s graced the Tyrone club scene as well.

"With Trillick he has stamped his authority within Tyrone club football as well and raised the bar significantly, one we had struggled to match up to previously, and it took every bit of us to get over the line.

"Everybody is thinking about him, everybody is admiring him to be honest, and everyone in Errigal is acutely aware of what the Trillick club are looking at. Please God he is dealing with it fantastically well and we send him every best wish."