'They Replaced The IRA With The GAA': Joe Brolly On Why Tyrone Are Unique

Tyrone find themselves in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship after a few lean years since their famed 2021 success.

A Gaelic football force in the noughties, Tyrone sprung a surprise to win their first Sam Maguire Cup in 13 years with victory against Kerry almost four years ago.

Old foes Dublin stand between them and a place in the quarter-finals this time around, The Dubs also looking to find success after the departure of a golden generation.

Dublin will be favourites for the win but Tyrone remain a threat to repeat their heist of 2021, despite form not being in their favour.

Former All-Ireland winner and prominent pundit Joe Brolly has delved into what makes the county unique from its rivals from a psychological and cultural standpoint.

Speaking on a brilliant episode of the Free State podcast, which you can access here, Brolly recalled an old quote from his brother when assessing the obsessive and devout mindset of the county from a Gaelic football perspective.

Tyrone are always loyal, together and capable of surprising anyone because in Tyrone they are fundamentalists when it comes to Gaelic football," he said.

"It is not a cliché when they say 'we are representing the people of Tyrone'. They mean it.

"Their culture of Gaelic football could not be more embedded in the Tyrone psyché and the Tyrone psyché during the Troubles was of absolutely implacable resistance to the British. Implacable resistance.

"As my brother Prionsias said to me... they replaced the IRA with the GAA.

"This is their identity and who they are. A brilliant, brilliant GAA county. They don't have any distractions. Soccer? No. Hurling? No. This is like the All Blacks in rugby or Kilkenny in hurling.

"Tyrone are always capable even though they are well below par from the previous great Tyrone teams.

"But in this new rules system, they have a chance for definite."

As highlighted by Brolly, the new Gaelic football tactical format should give Tyrone hope that they can dust off their recent failures and going into the knockout rounds with optimism.