Tyrone to face either Armagh or Donegal in first game without former All-Star
Tyrone forward Cathal McShane informed team management and teammates of his decision to quit the Tyrone panel last night, following struggles for form and fitness in recent seasons.
He last appeared in a Tyrone jersey last month, scoring a brace of points against Cavan in their Ulster Championship quarter-final win, but was absent from the match-day squad for the subsequent semi-final loss to All-Ireland champions Armagh.
McShane has been a key man for the Red Hands since making his debut against Donegal in the 2015 Ulster Championship, making 106 senior appearances for Tyrone. His best form came in 2019, where he was the leading goal scorer, winning an All-Star, and leading Tyrone to the All-Ireland semi-finals where they lost narrowly to Kerry.
He suffered a serious ankle injury in 2020 away to Galway in the National League. Despite struggles for game time in the following season, he played a key role off the bench for Tyrone by scoring a crucial 1-3 in a semi final win over Kerry, which led to Tyrone winning a fourth All-Ireland senior title in 2021.
McShane has since struggled to command a regular starting place, with emergence of new talent from Tyrone’s All-Ireland U20 winning teams of 2022 and 2024 increasing competition. He has decided to step away from the panel for the remainder of this campaign at least.
Tyrone have been drawn in Group 1 of the All-Ireland series alongside Mayo, Cavan and the winners of Saturday’s Ulster final between Donegal and Armagh. Their opening match will commence on the weekend of May 24/25.
