By Michael McMullan

WHEN you delve into Cargin’s consistency, Kevin O’Boyle is a walking example. He picked up his ninth county medal after Sunday’s extra-time win over Portglenone sealed Cargin’s eighth title in a decade.

His other one came in 2006. It was his first year of senior football. They needed extra-time to get over Lámh Dhearg that day too.

He is one of four survivors. He chuckles at Sunday’s match programme suggesting he was a 32-year-old firefighter.

As a defender, he helps put out fires in the Cargin defence. The Holy Trinity, Cookstown teacher is five years older than that. So is Justin Crozier and Tomás McCann. Mick McCann is two years older again.

O’Boyle’s early memory of Cargin’s county final experience was Martin McAuley lifting the cup in 1999, of beating Carrickmore and going toe to toe with All-Ireland giants Crossmaglen in Clones.

“Coming back from that day, you realise that the people in our own community aren’t that far away either from competing at a high level,” said O’Boyle.

“That was my memory, that if we get our house in order in terms of a club, in terms of a team, we can be as good as anybody else that’s out there as well.”

It’s all glory now, but O’Boyle’s 2006 medal was one time in a 14-year window St Gall’s didn’t etch their name on the McNamee Cup.

Sunday was Cargin’s elder quartet’s 13th time in a county final including the draw and replay win over Lámh Dhearg.

“We’ve lost plenty,” O’Boyle said, referring to the eight years between his first and second county medal.

“Whenever we won it in 2006, you thought this was going to happen every year and it didn’t.

“Cargin were damn good at that time too, but they (St Gall’s) just knew how to win and get over the line and they always took it further as well.”

With hindsight, O’Boyle asks himself if Cargin were really close but takes his hat off to St Gall’s.

Now it’s Cargin’s time. They’ve made a habit of getting themselves on the right side of the scorelines.

The collective heads around the tables at Monday’s celebrations came up with eight periods of extra time they’ve pulled though. They never do it easy.

Two years ago, Aghagallon were nine points up at half-time before Cargin reeled them in. They had to contend with Eunan Quinn’s sending off last year.

It was the same this year when Portglenone came with a tactical game that forced Cargin to walk all the way to the well again.

While they want to have a regular walk to glory some of these days, there is satisfaction in staring defeat head on before taking a step to glory.

“It lets you see that no matter what’s thrown at you, you can come out the right side of it,” O’Boyle points out.

They are thankful for a four-week window to prepare for their latest title at Ulster. They asked as many questions of Glen who edged them out on the way to their two All-Ireland finals.

It took Danny Tallon’s late penalty in 2022 semi-final after Cargin had hung tough to beat an arduous Naomh Conaill. Last year, they were left distraught after Tomás McCann’s controversial red card. Where would 15 men have taken them against the Watties?

For O’Boyle, giving their all and coming off second best can be accepted. The years they’ve not competed in Ulster are the ones that hurt.

The Cargin eyes will have an interest in the Tyrone county final this weekend and the winners’ tussle with St Eunan’s in the preliminary round.

Can they compete? O’Boyle’s answer to his own question – absolutely. It’s winter football and it’s about minimising the mistakes. They know Sunday’s performance against Portglenone won’t be good enough.

“We’re appreciative that we’ve now got four weeks to get our house in order, get ourselves fixed up physically because it was a tough battle we were in,” he admits.

“We have to get our heads right so we can give this a good charge because we know we can compete at it. We’ll wait for the Donegal and Tyrone champions to see who comes out of it.”