Family Ties: Carr brothers shine brightest in school's powerful rise to success

Before the MacLarnon Cup trophy was even lifted, or the fans invaded the field in the Athletic Grounds, there was no question on anyone’s mind what household the Man of the Match award would be going home to. The real difficulty was choosing which brother the award would go to.

In the end, the spoils were shared between the two Carr brothers, Seanán and Turlough, both of whom, for 60 minutes in Armagh showed that their talents on the field live up to their family name as they steamrolled past Our Lady & St Patrick’s College, Knock.  

Son of the legendary Donegal football Shane Carr, throughout their underage careers, no matter what performance they produced, it was a simple title that followed them, not that they were anyway bothered by it.  

But if ever there was a performance to break the shackles of that caveat and show that these two teenage mavericks were their own men, then Sunday’s MacLarnon Cup final was a fine example.  

Both their performances at the weekend radiated an addictive passion for the game and will to win, yet their post-match persona and calm attitude came with no more swagger than a librarian quietly shelving books.  

Older brother Seanán, who captained the Abbey Vocational School to Ulster victory, is already making a stamp for himself in the inter-county scene, having made his debut for Jim McGuinness’s senior squad over the winter.   

Ironically, he came on to replace the very man who managed him to MacLarnon victory at the weekend, Jamie Brennan.  

Such an incremental rise, that one might find it hard to believe that he rarely featured for his county minor team two years ago.  

Turlough on the other hand adds this Ulster medal to his growing collection of success, having captured the Ulster club minor championship on New Year’s Day, alongside his younger brother Tomás.  

No doubt, following their Ulster final win, the Carr boys would’ve liked nothing better than to quietly slip away unnoticed down the tunnel as another playing silhouette with the rest of their teammates.  

Unfortunately for them, performances like they produce don’t go unnoticed by well-wishers.   

A price worth paying for success no doubt.  

“To stand here and captain the team to the first MacLarnon Cup . . . it’s an absolute privilege to lead these boys,” said Seanán following his side’s 2-10 to 0-8 point victory.   

“Any one of these boys could’ve been captain, I’m just very lucky it was me and to be standing here with my brother as a joint Man of the Match, it really is an honour.  

“We know it’s a huge achievement. I think it’ll sink into us in the next few hours when we’re going home. We have an All-Ireland to look forward to now. That wasn’t on our minds, it was all about today, but now that we have conquered Ulster, we’ll push on now in Ireland hopefully.”  

And that’s their tenor, even on these historic days, they wheel away from the glint of their own success, praising their teammates off the field while leading the way on the pitch as they continuously put down sandbags to stop the opposition’s incoming tide.  

And while Conor McCahill’s goal in the first half was the real turning point, somehow you always sensed that the Abbey Vocational School would find one.  

“It was a cagey enough game. I don’t think we were playing too well in the first half even though we were ahead by a few points. I think the goal from Conor McCahill really settled us down and kicked us on to see the game out,” said Seanán.  

Turlough, who has been described by his father Shane as a Roy Keane character, put simply what the win meant to him as he stood beside his brother on the side of the Armagh pitch.  

“It’s a real privilege playing with Seanán, he’s leading me on all the time. Like the rest of the older boys, I’m learning a lot from them, they are keeping me going. It’s a great day.

“I think the pace we had was the difference. I thought it was going to be a one-point game, but as soon as we got the goal from Conor (McCahill), I knew we were going to kick on from there.  

“We never panicked, we were never in doubt. We had a few laps of concentration but nothing much. We always believed we were going to win.”  

The Abbey Vocational School will now face Dunmore in the All-Ireland semi-final in a few weeks, another historic step for the school. But so far, for opposition teams, this Abbey side appears to be the Rubix Cube that just won't turn.  

And while greater adulation comes with sharper scrutiny, it’s hard to imagine it’s an issue that will bother two brothers who flourished when it mattered most for their team, as they basked in the moment under the February sunshine in Armagh.