'I've never seen as many Derry tops as the last few years' - Heron

Benny Heron became a cult hero for Derry fans during the summer of 2022

Two seasons ago, as Derry won their first Ulster title in 24 years and progressed to within one game of an All-Ireland final, Benny Heron's face was everywhere you looked.

In the stands, in the streets around the grounds, in the queue for the burger van...there he was.

The long-serving Ballinascreen man became a cult figure for the county's fans through that reinvigorating summer with matchday apparel for many supporters evolving to include a mask of the forward's visage.

Signs and banners christening 'Benny the Goat' - an acronym for greatest of all time - became commonplace too until the campaign ended abruptly with defeat to Galway in a last four meeting in Croke Park.

How did the now-retired Heron, described as having "an utterly selfless attitude" by Derry GAA in the statement announcing he was stepping away last November, feel being the centre of such attention?

"The irony of it wasn't lost on me, I'll put it that way," he laughed.

"If you look at that team, I was probably the last name on the team sheet. I wasn't getting ahead of myself, thinking I was the goat anyway.

"I could have done without it, but I took it with a pinch of salt.

"I wasn't going to kill the craic that the others were having. It was all part of that summer too, fans were enjoying themselves before and after the games. I was happy to let it go."

Derry won back-to-back Ulster titles in 2022 and 2023 for the first time in in 47 years

'That summer alone has ignited a fire'

There was an unwanted contrast in that 2022 season ending with a such a flat defeat to Galway, the performance that day featuring none of the vibrancy that had so characterised the Derry summer.

Heron, though, believes the campaign as a whole has had an unquantifiable impact on football in the county.

"We probably felt that we let ourselves down a bit that day against Galway," he said.

"We just didn't show up, and that was very disappointing, but whenever you look at it across the whole season, in terms of Derry's recent history, the little success that we'd had, it was just brilliant.

"To see the young people of Derry now, they're inspired for the future.

"I've never seen as many Derry tops as I have the last few years. Seeing how invested the young people of Derry are in the team, how mad they are about it, that to be honest has made it all worthwhile.

"For a few years, when you were down in Divisions Three or Four, we weren't inspiring people to want to play for Derry. That summer alone has ignited a fire in a lot of people.

"Everybody looks at success as winning All-Irelands and winning Ulster titles but to get that appetite back for Derry football and to put that pride back in Derry football, that's a massive success. That can't be taken for granted."

Benny Heron made 108 senior appearances for Derry over 11 seasons

'It's definitely hard to adjust'

Retiring last year after another All-Ireland semi-final defeat, this time at the hands of Kerry, Heron is already a regular spectator of what is now Mickey Harte's side, but admits his first season outside the senior panel in over a decade has been one of adjustment.

"It's been tricky, definitely," he said.

"I played for the senior team for 11 years so I haven't really known anything else.

"It's been hard to adjust."

While a desire to spend more time with his young family was one factor in his decision to step back, Heron cited the physical toll of the game too, saying he knew the time was right to hang up his boots.

Watching the team at such close quarters this year has only reinforced the notion, even if it took until the Allianz League final victory over Dublin for him to fully feel like a fan rather than player in the stands.

"You're at games spectating and ones be joking with you, 'ah did you not bring your boots?' You laugh and giggle at it but in your heart of hearts you know that you aren't at that level anymore.

"I've come to accept that now. I'm back playing with my club and probably if I sat down and analysed it, I haven't been setting the world alight there, either.

"County level is a massive step up so I definitely think the decision has been justified.

"I don't regret it at all but that hasn't made the transition any easier."

Nor for the aforementioned young family, with both Mary Grace, four, and James, two, huge supporters of the Derry side with or without their father in the panel.

"It was funny, the first Ballinascreen match I'd went to after I'd retired, I told Mary Grace I was going to play and she was wondering where the team bus was at. 

"You very easily get accustomed to things, but they're still Derry mad.

"It's nice to experience what they've been through too. I probably have a much greater appreciation for what my wife went through taking two young kids to games, and she was doing it on her own too."

Heron knew the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry in 2023 would be the end of his intercounty career

'That group of players will be seriously hurting'

Derry play Galway in the All-Ireland for the first time since that 2022 semi-final on Saturday, their first outing too since crushing defeat to Donegal in an Ulster quarter-final four weeks ago.

"There's no doubt about it, that group of players will be seriously hurting about that performance against Donegal and obviously losing their Ulster title," added Heron before the game in Salthill.

"They definitely underperformed, as good as Donegal were. That group will know themselves that they didn't perform to the best of their ability that day. I'm sure they'll be out to send a message this weekend.

"That wee bit of hurt, that wee bit of time to prepare and refocus, definitely can help the team.

"The Derry lads I'm sure will be thinking back to the performance of two years ago and would like to right the wrongs of that too."