by Declan Rooney

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has ruled out a possible switch of inter-county allegiance for defender Cathal McCarron, who is poised to transfer clubs to Athy in Co Kildare.

McCarron indicated he would leave his home club Dromore following their recent defeat to Clonoe in the Tyrone county championship and a move to the Kildare club has been mooted.

As of yesterday (Wednesday) the club transfer had not been officially signed off by the GAA, but even if the switch does go through, Harte is confident that he will have the 29-year-old's talents at his disposal next season.

"There is talk that he is changing club - that's the story," said Harte, who recently signed up for three more years in charge of the Ulster champions.

"I don't think that switch has been sanctioned through on a transfer yet though. But regardless if he does move or not, he'll still be a Tyrone player, he won't be leaving the county."

Confirmation that corner-back McCarron will still be available to Tyrone for 2018 will be a relief to the county's supporters, who waved goodbye to their captain Sean Cavanagh after August's semi-final defeat to Dublin in his 16th season, while Justin McMahon and Joe McMahon also retired from the inter-county game in 2017.

With a combined six All-Ireland medals between them, there will be a large void in the Tyrone leadership team this season, but Harte says he is hopeful that the next generation can now take control of their futures.

"When the big men are there people look to them and let them do it. Maybe the fact that Sean is gone and the McMahon brothers are gone, they are really the last connection with the winning teams if you like.

"I think there is a number of people in the middle band of our team who have become leaders, maybe that's another chance for them to step up and maybe be more of a leader.

"Maybe now these people realise: 'hey, we're on our own now; we can make our own history here'. We'd hope and believe we'll have a lot more leaders emerging who will take up that mantle and maybe take the responsibility upon themselves to make a difference over and above their normal play."

And Harte, speaking in Loughrea at the launch of the Galway GAA Critical Incident Response Plan, also confirmed he has yet to decide who will captain the Red Hand county for the coming season after Cavanagh's retirement.

"The captaincy is yet to be decided. It's not announced yet, but in due course it will be announced."

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