John McAreavy shared a heartwarming tribute to his former father-in-law, and Tyrone manager, Mickey Harte.
John shared a piercing black and white photo of Mickey on social media Saturday, with the simple but strong caption: “Legend”.
The touching tribute was made after his former father-in-law the day announced he was stepping down as manager of Tyrone after 18 years, reports RSVP LIVE.
John and Mickey have had a close and unbreakable bond since the tragic murder of John’s wife, and Mickey’s daughter, Michaela McAreavey while the couple were on their honeymoon in Mauritius in 2011. Michaela was only 27 when she was killed in the hotel room of their luxurious resort after she disrupted a robbery.
After the announcement was made last night, Mickey said he was “happy” that he did his “best for Tyrone over those 30 years” at the helm of the Tyrone inter-county teams.
However this morning he admitted he was “disappointed” to not be given the opportunity to lead Tyrone for one more season after the county’s management committee turned down his request.
In a statement released through Tyrone county board, Mikey said he wanted to lead the team for one more year to “compensate” for the miss 2020 season that was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Accordingly I requested to continue for another season to compensate for this missed opportunity to complete my final term in more normal circumstances. Unfortunately this request was not granted by the Tyrone management committee," said Harte.
"Although I am disappointed, this feeling is far outweighed by one of immense gratitude for having had the privilege of managing Tyrone at minor, U21 and senior level for the last thirty years.
"I will be forever indebted to the fantastic people of Tyrone, and indeed Gaels across the entire globe. Through the various highs and lows, my family and I have been supported by so many good people from all backgrounds and communities."
