Tyrone manager Malachy O’Rourke says that Peter Harte is ‘probably not going to commit’ to the Tyrone cause ahead of the 2026 season, while Rian O’Neill looks set to sit out the 2026 campaign for Armagh.
O’Rourke was speaking after the Red Hands opened their campaign in the Dr McKenna Cup with a 2-13 to 0-17 win away at Armagh.
Mattie Donnelly who was also a part of the 2008 All-Ireland minor winning side with Harte, contributed 1-2 on the night.
“I think Peter, at this stage, is probably not going to be able to commit, unfortunately. Peter has given so much service to the county, he’s a brilliant role model for all the boys, he’ll be missed greatly,” O’Rourke told BBC Sport NI.
“We’re never going to close the door on him, and I definitely don’t want to close the door on him.
“So, if it was the case that he got a wee bit of breathing space later on in the year and he was able to come back, well, then the door will always be open for him.
“But, at this stage, he’s not able to give the commitment. So, we’ll just have to move on in the short term without him, and we’ll see how things go.”
With the conveyor belt of underage success coming through in Tyrone at the minute, including last year’s U20 and minor All-Ireland winning sides, the experience of the 35-year-old would be beneficial for the county.
“Both on the field and off the field, just the way he conducts himself, the way he trains, the way he prepares for training, and everything about him is just what you want in a panel,” O’Rourke continued.
“And it’s great. We’ve so many young lads coming through who, I suppose, in many ways, are learning to trade at this level.
“And the more fellas like Peter that they can learn from, the better. Maybe there will be some chance that he’ll be back to us later on in the year. But, at this stage, I’m not sure that’s going to be the way it turns out.
“But, Peter certainly owes nobody anything. He’s had a tremendous career. Even last year when he was in with us, he was brilliant to work with.”
O’Rourke also confirmed that Darragh Canavan should be available for selection ahead of Tyrone’s National Football League opener at home to Kildare on 24 January.
“All the boys that weren’t involved tonight were all training earlier on today, and Darragh included,” the Tyrone boss confirmed.
“They were all out in the field. So, everybody was training. Everyone was at different stages.
“But, no, we’d be hoping that they’ll all be back and be in contention for the start of the National League.”