Coach prays with his team before every match
In an era when Ireland is reverting to its pagan roots, a football coach in Co. Tyrone somehow manages to keep his team praying together before every match, either with a rosary or sometimes by heading to mass together. Mickey Harte, considered as one of the best tacticians in the sport, has preserved this practice to the present day.
Harte is a practicing Catholic and has been a staunch defender of Catholic teaching in the past. Most notably, he proudly announced that he would be voting to retain the 8th Amendment leading up to the referendum earlier this year.
When Ronan McNamee was asked about the team’s tradition of praying before every match, he responded: "[Mickey Harte] has a strong faith and naturally enough if you’re asked to do something, you do it," the full back said.
"Everybody pulls the same way, whether it’s saying the rosary or going to Mass.
"[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."
Perhaps this is one tactic that opposing teams overlook. But Harte, for his part, puts his Faith before everything else, and tries to instill the same in his football team. If he manages to help them gain the incorruptible crown, what better win could he hope for?
