When Derry ended their long wait for an Ulster title back in 2022, Eoin McEvoy watched on as his Magherafelt clubmates Odhran Lynch and Conor McCluskey held the Anglo Celt Cup aloft for the first time since 1998.
Fast forward 12 months and McEvoy, an All-Ireland winning minor with the Oak Leaf County in 2020, was stationed in beside Lynch and McCluskey as Derry retained their Ulster title via a penalty shootout win over Armagh.
McEvoy manned the edge of Derry’s defensive square and kept Armagh dangerman Andrew Murnin scoreless and that was just one of a number of eye-catching performances in a standout breakthrough season.
McEvoy, along with his Derry teammate and eventual winner Ethan Doherty, was nominated for Young Footballer of the Year and an All-Star for his displays in helping Derry reach the last four in the race for Sam Maguire.
This year, having moved out to centre half back, McEvoy crashed home two goals as Derry once again held the upper hand in penalties as they beat Dublin to capture the Division One league title.
McEvoy was rewarded with his efforts as he picked up the PWC GAA/GPA Footballer of the Month for March after his exceptional performances in the league.
PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for March in football, Eoin McEvoy of Derry, with his award at PwC offices in Dublin today.
That success didn’t count for much as Donegal dashed their hopes of three provincial crowns in a row but during that league run, Mickey Harte did blood through another Magherafelt man in Cormac Murphy.
“It's great to have them. They've been around the block for a few years now,” said McEvoy of his Magherafelt colleagues. “They give you advice every now and again and it's definitely good to have them boys on board.
“It's funny, me, Cormac and Clucky (McCluskey) all live in the same estate, so we do spend a good bit of time together. Even the days off, you're down watching the club trainings, you're all there together. There's a real good connection there and a good bond which is great.
“Odhran and Conor are a couple of years older than me, so we didn't really get to play that much underage together but when you're in the car together, you can talk about stuff, just what works best for each other and what works best for us, we're all very, very close in the same part of the pitch.”
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In last year’s Ulster decider, Chrissy McKaigue was the intruder in an otherwise all-Magherafelt back four and the Slaughtneil defender has been a leading light in Derry’s recent upturn in fortunes.
McKaigue, an All-Star himself in 2022, is the wise old head in that defence. He has been there and done it, helping Derry rise from Division Four to Division One is such a short period of time.
“He's had a good role in my career,” added McEvoy of McKaigue’s influence. “He's been there, he's done that. He's probably marked every player under the sun at this stage. He's marked different types, left foot, right foot, both feet.
“He just gives you a wee bit of experience, even just watching him probably. At a certain stage of the play, he accepts sometimes you're not going to win every ball.
“You have to just deal with it. You have to deal with the situation in the hands, he's very good and definitely helps us all the time.”
