Kieran McKeever says Derry football fell into “a bad place,” and they had no choice but to pull themselves out of it.
1993 All-Ireland winner, McKeever has given a lifetime of service to the Oak Leaf County as a hurler and footballer.
He also spent six years as Dungiven Club Chairman, before taking over as Vice-Chairman of the County Board.
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The 54 year old, who was nominated for an All Star in both codes in 2000 - and won a long overdue football award that year - points out that “nothing is won yet,” but that Derry are “as happy as Larry” to be back in an Ulster final.
Derry’s last Anglo-Celt decider appearance was back in 2011 under John Brennan, while McKeever was playing the last time they won an Ulster title, 24 years ago (1998) with Brian Mullins in charge.
Donegal were their opponents in ‘98 with their current manager, Declan Bonner in charge back then too.
That afternoon McKeever’s colourful Dungiven club mates Geoffrey McGonigle and Joe Brolly combined for a last-gasp winning goal to break Donegal hearts: “You don’t want to be reminiscing about all that,” smiles McKeever.
“I see a few things about it. The reality is, nothing is won.
“When the team is out in Owenbeg, and you are around that, you try and keep focused.
“You don’t want to be talking about things that are fairy tales that could happen on Sunday and happened, what is it, 24 years ago?”
Derry went as low as Division 4, after being relegated in 2018, but their rise has been a rapid one.
“Nobody was happy about it (Division 4),” said McKeever.
“I felt, ‘We have to help out here, see if there is a way we can get ourselves back on our feet again.
“Because, you know, it was embarrassing. There is no other way of saying that.
“For proud Derry people, we were embarrassed that we were down there.
“I suppose I started to get involved in things that were happening and then I was challenged by different people around the county to get involved.
“I decided to put my name forward and try to help as best I can.
“I was a wee bit worried about the time it takes to be involved in it, and I wasn’t wrong.
“I ended up Chairman of the CCCC and was lucky it was one of Stephen Barker’s hobbies - that whole fixtures thing. He is involved in the master fixtures in Croke Park.
“So that eased the path for me a good lot.”
Senior manager, Rory Gallagher has been a huge part of Derry’s rise.
Gallagher brought Derry to within one victory of Division 1 football this year and masterminded the upset Ulster Championship wins over All-Ireland champions, Tyrone and Monaghan.
“Thankfully Rory had the same standard and the same vision we had,” said McKeever.
“He was able to bring that across to the players and show them what winning was about and what standard you need to reach to be able to achieve.
“They have given him full backing.
“Rory had a great reputation as a coach, but until you see it yourself and how he goes about things, it’s very hard to believe.
“I must say, he’s one of the best coaches ever I seen. Unbelievable, the intensity and motivation that he brings to it and the organisational aspect he brings.
“He drives the players to such an extent that the players now drive themselves and he has never given up on his standards - no matter what has happened.
“I think that has helped drive the team on.
“He has a good backroom team - Ciaran Meenagh, Enda Muldoon, Ann-Marie Mulholland, Peter Hughes.
“And he even used the minor management to help to a certain extent, which is a great crossover.”
Gallagher’s critics have gone quiet in recent times.
“I think there was a general concern among people that it would be totally blanket defence,” says McKeever.
“But Rory said from the start that wasn’t the aim and Derry had players to expand the game.
He took his time.
“It took him a year to get to know his panel and once he got to know the players, what their capabilities were and where he could take them, he cut his panel down to those he thought were best suited to what he wanted to do.
“And it has worked. Those who were committed and wanted to give everything for Derry.
“He goes defensive at the back when he needs to and they can break out at speed. It’s been working for us. We have the players.”
With Derry also in the Ulster minor final on Sunday, St. Mary’s Magherafelt winning the MacRory Cup and Steelstown Brian Ogs landing the All-Ireland intermediate title, the wheels are starting to turn in Derry football.
“It’s 11 years ago (since Derry’s last Ulster final) and then before that it was ‘98,” said McKeever. “It’s a long time.
“It is hard to believe because Derry had a great tradition of winning or getting to finals.
“One of those Championship teams that has a bit of tradition and you expected them to be there or thereabouts every year.
“It has been disappointing. I suppose we went into a bad place and we had to pull ourselves out of it basically and thankfully we are getting there.
“Stephen Barker came in as Chairman and I came in with him. John Keenan has come back in and is leading an ambitious committee.
“We said if we want to get Derry back to where we need to go, we need to start at the top.
“That’s County Board level, and we have to set the standards and let that filter down through the sub committees, the senior team and down into under-20, minor and development squads.
“If we can do that, then maybe we can turn things around. It’s happened quicker than we thought it would happen.
“We are still not there. Yes, we are challenging, but we still have an awful lot of work to do to keep us at the top on a consistent basis.
“The schools have always been performing well, always challenging for something, but we could never take that through to senior county level.
“We were getting there or thereabouts at minors, but bridging that gap was our biggest obstacle. It’s a challenge for every county.
“I think we have always done well at underage, from when Adrian McGuckin was in (St. Patrick’s) Maghera (early 1980s).
“We have people with a bit of vision who want to set the standards at a very high level.
“The reality is we have nothing to lose going into Sunday. We are in bonus territory whatever happens.
“I think the players realise that as well - just go out and give it our all.
“Donegal are a well seasoned team with a lot of experience of playing in Ulster finals and Derry are sort of fresh to it.
“Tyrone people have been asking me, do we know the way to Clones?
“But we are going there looking for the double (minor and senior) - no doubt about it.”
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