George Hutton has a quare set of pipes on him.
When Derry and Tyrone meet, they don’t do things by half measures.
Official attendance at Owenbeg: 5179. #McKennaCup #GAA @UlsterGAA
— Derry GAA (@Doiregaa) January 10, 2016
Sunday’s clash in Owenbeg was witnessed by an unprecedented attendance out braving the January cold to run the rule over a rivalry that will once again come to a head on May 22.
Crowd? Yes.
Fights? Of course.
Goals? Plenty.
Drama? Tyrone edged it by a point.
And what better way to set up one of Ireland’s finest derbies than the passionate voice of a young Derry man blowing the hats off of the supporters and lifting the roof off of the stadium with a stirring rendition of Amhrán na bFhiann?
George Hutton, a native of Steelstown Brian Óg’s in Derry’s city, first let the Oak Leaf gaels hear his voice last summer during the club championship and, by God, it could not be silenced since.
An Irish tenor, Hutton has been rousing spectators in the county’s grounds with his spine-tingling version of the national anthem belted out passionately before games. And this weekend, he got the call-up to county.
@GeorgeandBand hitting all the right notes today again at Owenbeg with the @Doiregaa men behind him. pic.twitter.com/FGRDKdTQMO
— Mary K Burke (@MKBurke1) January 10, 2016
If you heard him once, you’d know straight away that he doesn’t take it lightly. This was a proud moment.
“I always remember the story of my Dad playing at the opening of the new Finglas Park in Dublin in the 1960s when he played with the Derry GAA under-16 Schoolboys,” George spoke with SportsJOE. “He played corner forward and scored 2-3 that day, and it was a win against the Dubs but he always talked about the national anthem, how proud he felt hearing it ring out across the park. How it made him feel invincible.
“Amhrán na bhFiann is a sacred song, written 100 years ago by Padear Kearney and any time I sing it I believe in it. I love Gaelic football, I love my country, I love my club Steelstown and my county Derry. As 30 men take to the field on a big day I want them to be inspired by the words, I want to help bring the occasion to life.
“The first time I sang it was for my club in the quarter final of the intermediate championship and it was the first time I felt nervous singing.
“On Sunday, I got to sing for my county, and when the crowd roared at the end, I looked up and saw my Dad’s face in the stands. When I went up to sit beside him again I thought back to that story at Finglas Park, his 2-3, beating the Dubs, hearing the anthem.
“Derry are playing Tyrone. It’s always a big day.”
And what a way to do the occasion, the song and the country justice. Here it is, captured absolutely brilliantly by Jerome Quinn at the Ulster GAA McKenna Cup.
Thanks to Jerome Quinn for sending this our way.
