Tyrone players say the Rosary before every game

[BennyCake]

Mickey Harte requests all the players to partake in saying the rosary before a game, the Tyrone Catholic Team?
Ronan McNamee
It (the rosary) can't do you any harm. I can't imagine it's going to cause anybody any upset. Whether we do it with Tyrone or not, I go to Mass every Sunday anyway. There is no reason why everybody can't go to Mass the odd time."
How about a reason being that a person is not a catholic?
What if a player is not of the catholic church and does not partake in the catholic rituals?
That's a bizarre backwoods religious culture in Tyrone.

Yes it is weird. Would an atheist or a Protestant be ousted, made to chant the meaningless mantra or be allowed to decline the invite to participate but not have their playing chances diminished?

It's a weird one alright. Didn't they ban prayers in the Dail a whole ago? Pray if you want to pray, but enforcing a team/group of differing beliefs (I'd imagine) to do so, is baffling.

Guys like you seem to be the ones who are pushing the line that players are forced to do it against their will.

No that's not what I'm getting at. I just think it's a bad call from someone in Harte's position to put people in a potentially awkward and embarrassing situation.

[BennyCake]

I mind watchin a film wan time it was based on a true story i think and there was a pile o priests on a plane and it was in trouble then wan said is there anythin could be said against havin a wee prayer and then sure didnt the plane be ok. I think the priests even landed the fcukin thing themselves hi

So sure yis never know

I think I seen that film hi. Apparently though two of those priests are still not talking to one another.

[seafoid]

the whole rosary shite has only been goin on for the past couple of seasons. cant believe this has been made public knowledge by harte and mc namee. embarressing stuff.

It was in McCarron's book as well.
I wonder how many players would put on a religious medal for luck during a match. More than a few probably.

[BennyHarp]

This praying thing doesn't bother me at all. Prayers are used as a form of bringing the team together to focus before a game in many American sports and Harte seems to read about and be influenced by a range of great coaches from America. The players could be shouting Buddhist chants for all I care if it helps them win a few matches. Mickey has always tried to promote something to bring togetherness before games, like the ritual of putting jerseys on together or learning the National Anthem and belting it out on the pitch. After 14 years trying to keep things fresh, he probably came up with this, consulted with a few lads who indicated that they'd give it a go, discussed it with the team and so far it's working. No big deal. If Tyrone win the All Ireland this year, sure yous will all be at it.

[6th sam]

the whole rosary shite has only been goin on for the past couple of seasons. cant believe this has been made public knowledge by harte and mc namee. embarressing stuff.

It was in McCarron's book as well.
I wonder how many players would put on a religious medal for luck during a match. More than a few probably.

I would imagine many Players have their individual religious /spiritual beliefs. E.g. Dedicating their performance or victory to God or to loved ones.
However I think linking a communal religious purpose with a football team's ethos is questionable. Within GAA teams I have been involved with , there have been players with varying beliefs and degrees of religious fervour. A combined spiritualism as in AA's higher power can be unifying and uplifting , but as a practicing catholic, Though understanding the biblical encouragement to profess religious beliefs, the alleged imposition of the traditions/practice of one particular religion does not sit easy with me.
Whereas individuAlly , many will dedicate their Employment , hobbies, Sporting pArticipAtion to a higher power, personally I would have difficulty with collectively linking sporting performance with religious practice- not only from a sporting but also from a religious perspective.
Some of the behaviour of players on many teams , including Tyrone, is in direct contrast to Christian beliefs and  I think that those who tie in sporting competition with religious practices run the risk of being accused of hypocrisy and self righteousness

[Fuzzman]

Would it be fair to assume that in the North, especially in rural areas most catholics would still go to mass every sunday, even young people just to keep the peace for their families so I would imagine there would be a high percentage of that young Tyrone team would go to mass anyway. I think when they move away from home that tends to change a bit.

Secondly, I would imagine Mickey, being quite a religious man anyway, would have decided one day when on the bus to a game or trip away "Sure we'll say the rosary for a safe trip" or something like that.
We all probably know someone of an older generation that got you to say the rosary, even if you weren't too keen.
I can't see Harte discussing it with any of the players and asking them do they think it's alright. It probably just happened on one bus trip and then he started doing it on all trips. I'd be surprised if it's done all the time like at training or for home games. It tends to be something holy people do when they are travelling and with the amount of deaths that have affected Mickey's Tyrone squads over the years you can see why he believes in it.
I agree though that it should have been kept private and I thought it was naive of McCarron to put it in his book but McCarron was trying to come clean with his whole life and lay everything on the table. His book impacted on a lot of people that were probably not to happy with it afterwards.

I would imagine most players don't see it as a big deal and completely trust in Mickey 100% so are happy to play along. From what I hear though Mickey has virtually no interaction or chat with most of the players and all that is left to Horse and Peter Donnelly. Mickey keeps his distance from the players and deals with them at a tactical level only by all accounts.

[BennyCake]

Would it be fair to assume that in the North, especially in rural areas most catholics would still go to mass every sunday, even young people just to keep the peace for their families so I would imagine there would be a high percentage of that young Tyrone team would go to mass anyway. I think when they move away from home that tends to change a bit.

Secondly, I would imagine Mickey, being quite a religious man anyway, would have decided one day when on the bus to a game or trip away "Sure we'll say the rosary for a safe trip" or something like that.
We all probably know someone of an older generation that got you to say the rosary, even if you weren't too keen.
I can't see Harte discussing it with any of the players and asking them do they think it's alright. It probably just happened on one bus trip and then he started doing it on all trips. I'd be surprised if it's done all the time like at training or for home games. It tends to be something holy people do when they are travelling and with the amount of deaths that have affected Mickey's Tyrone squads over the years you can see why he believes in it.
I agree though that it should have been kept private and I thought it was naive of McCarron to put it in his book but McCarron was trying to come clean with his whole life and lay everything on the table. His book impacted on a lot of people that were probably not to happy with it afterwards.

I would imagine most players don't see it as a big deal and completely trust in Mickey 100% so are happy to play along. From what I hear though Mickey has virtually no interaction or chat with most of the players and all that is left to Horse and Peter Donnelly. Mickey keeps his distance from the players and deals with them at a tactical level only by all accounts.

Aye going to mass to keep the peace when younger. I'd say this tends to drive many any from mass more. And when leaving home, probably never go back. So this is similar to that. Why not just have everyone stay quiet on the bus or changing room for 5 minutes, to focus or concentrate, breathe deeply etc. If some want to say the rosary during that time, that's their choice.

[tonto1888]

the whole rosary shite has only been goin on for the past couple of seasons. cant believe this has been made public knowledge by harte and mc namee. embarressing stuff.

What exactly is embarrassing? The fact they go to mass or that it has been made public?

[southtyronegael]

I never mentioned mass. The whole religious fundamentalist thing being brought into a changing room is bad enough, but for Harte and mc namee to be spoutin it all over the media is embarressing.

[Rossfan]

Tyrone management and players can do whatever suits them without having to get it approved by GAA Board agnostics.
Do any of ye cringe or get embarrassed when half the world's soccer players bless themselves coming on the pitch.

[ONeill]

What if they were divil worshipping?

[weareros]

Personally, I think they are just feeding the media some nonsense and the amadáns are falling for it hook, line and sinker. Does anyone remember when Tyrone were winning All-Irelands and Mickey said the secret was to do hardly any training. I didn't believe that then either.

[tonto1888]

I never mentioned mass. The whole religious fundamentalist thing being brought into a changing room is bad enough, but for Harte and mc namee to be spoutin it all over the media is embarressing.

McNamee mentioned mass.
Fair enough. I don't see why they needed to be public with it but I would t call it embarrassing

[sensethetone]

If club Tyrone start a novena to raise funds, I will support it faithfully and financially.

[Syferus]

Personally, I think they are just feeding the media some nonsense and the amadáns are falling for it hook, line and sinker. Does anyone remember when Tyrone were winning All-Irelands and Mickey said the secret was to do hardly any training. I didn't believe that then either.

This is not the first time it's been reported.