IT hasn't been hard to detect the rumblings in Tyrone over the past year. Not only were they edged out by Dublin in last September's All Ireland final but they also fell victim to some ready in seconds historical categorising.

The weakest team to have emerged from Ulster since the province resumed winning All Irelands was the most innocuous of the opinions. One commentator whose swingeing opinions tend to have more stamina than substance is still remembered for decrying Tyrone as "the worst team to get to an All Ireland final in the last 30 years".

That they were a weaker side than Down, Derry or Donegal in championship years is probably true but then Dublin in 95 were also better than any of the teams that had lost finals to northern opposition earlier this decade. Yet Tyrone lost by only a disputed one point margin. This year, they're back looking stronger.

Whereas their northern predecessors Donegal won their All Ireland as the team was reaching the end of the road and Derry won theirs at an early stage, but failed to maintain their edge and Down have been mysteriously inconsistent, Tyrone have made steady organic progress.

Based on Danny Ball's successful under 21 sides of 1990-92, the team needed much time and patience to piece together. The joint management team of Art McRory and Eugene McKenna took over at what was in some ways a bad time.

Expectations were high after the two under 21 All Irelands. An early prototype, blended between younger and older players, had reached the NEL final only to lose to Derry. Championship progress, however. proved elusive and that year, 1992. John Donnelly stepped down as manager amidst suspicions that for all the new talent, the players simply weren't sufficiently big or physical.

"My reading of it. says McRory. "was that there were certainly very promising young talents and that it would be interesting and rewarding to work with them. I think it must have been a factor that Ulster had begun to win All Irelands. When Down won in 91, I honestly felt that Tyrone could have beaten them. I felt that then but it's four or five years ago and still no All Ireland."

The new management combination took over that autumn. McRory was well known. As manager of the county in the 1980s, he had taken Tyrone to three Ulster titles and as well as the memorable All Ireland final where they lost a seven point lead to Mick O'Dwyer's Kerry. McKenna was, in the words of Meath's All Ireland medallist Colm O'Rourke, "as good a footballer as I ever played against". He had also been McRory's on field lieutenant and his agreement to get involved was vital.

"He brings youth and enthusiasm," says McRory of his partner, "and the shrewdest football brain that has been in Tyrone for God knows how long. It would have been impossible for me. I couldn't have kept going because I knew what was involved and I wasn't prepared to go solo. I got involved because there were other shoulders."

Their initial efforts appeared to be directed at beefing up the team but after recognising that good players and big players were categories with virtually no intersection, the management decided to develop what was there and devise game plans which would compensate for lack of height.

Progress then took off apace. First. in 1994, there was a surprise qualification for an Ulster final where they lost to Down. Next, they won Ulster and lost the All Ireland final. Now they have become the first team in 29 years to retain an Ulster championship and face into tomorrow's semi final with Meath, hoping once mote to improve slightly on their previous year's performance.

When asked in what ways he feels Tyrone have improved this year, McRory begins his reply with a rebuke.

"Firstly, you're making the assumption that there is an improvement. That has yet to be proved. If there's any improvement, it's experience. Last year, there were five players in their first year of county football. It was inevitable they would improve.

"Maybe there's an improvement in attitude as well. Having lost a final so narrowly with a young team, they found out exactly what it takes to get there and to win it and they probably felt they had what it takes and were prepared to give it a good go.

Has it really yet to be proved to him that the team is improved this year?

Long pause. "No, it hasn't."

Despite their disappointment at the All Ireland setback, Tyrone responded positively.

"The first priority that was set," says McRory, "was to stay in Division One of the League, to give as many people football as we could, during the League campaign. We would then see what developed out of that. It really wasn't hard for the reason that we had Derry in the first game.

"All last year. Fay Devlin laboured with a bad back and we wanted a full investigation of the back to see the problem if there was a problem. Fay's attitude was, well, I'll play Derry and then get the back looked at. That got us off the ground and once the League gets off the ground it goes on automatic pilot.

CRITICISMS of Tyrone last year principally involved the over reliance on Peter Canavan in attack. In glum affirmation of this, Canavan in the process of racking a record 11 points was the Tyrone forward who registered the attack's only score from play during last year's All Ireland. This yet, with an entirely new hall forward line, the threat is fat more varied.

The defence was also unsteady at times, particularly down the middle. This year there are no additional personnel but the covering and understanding between the defenders has been exceptional.

The team's all round development is based on a combination of new faces, enhanced cohesion and improved form on the part of some established players. McRory is philosophical about the mechanics of team building.

"The standard team manager's response is that anything that worked out well was a `tactic'. There was a natural development process. Some players got injured, some lost form. You obviously start to play the play us who are playing well and that's where the development comes in.

"You know we couldn't foresee that the team captain from last year Ciaran Corr was going to lose form completely and suffer particularly badly the hangover of losing. But neither could we foresee that he was going to change his job, that he was going to move house, that he was going to get married, do you understand. All of these were external factors which came into play and affected his football.

"He had too much to cope with to expect him to maintain top form. And if you had said last year you're going to go to an All Ireland semi final, you're going to win an Ulster championship without your captain, you'd have said there's a big hole left to fill. How are we going to cope? But you don't foresee these things and you have to run with the tide. At least I don't forsee them, Eugene probably does.

Performances are the most reliable, indicator of progress. Last year's displays against both Fermanagh and Derry have been improved upon and last month's Ulster final was against better opposition than last year's. Cavan.

"The players themselves would not have been as happy with the Ulster final as with the Derry performance. In Tyrone, the pinnacle of your ambition is to beat Derry really, not to reach the Ulster final.

Down were very hard to play against. Whether or not it was the weather conditions, we found it hard. Put it this way, we just couldn't put them away. I'm not sure why that was but I've no doubt that Down are going to be a force to reckon with. It wouldn't take very many players to turn Down in to a very good team.

By the time they played Down. Tyrone's course was set. In as much as anything has defined this season, it is the same patch as last year the provincial semi final against Derry. Having been defeated their neighbours a year ago in a sulphurous atmosphere which saw three players sent off, Derry had been well built up as likely to add the All Ireland to the National League they had won in May.

On June 30th, Tyrone wrecked Derry's credentials and won by five points a match that was in reality theirs by much more. Eugene McKenna noted the week before the match that whereas a year previously there had been desperation in Tyrone's attitude towards winning. this ear they were composed and confident. How had the match been approached?

How, do you approach any match? says McRory. You try to win the bloody thing. Motivation's not a problem against Derry maybe the opposite. We had watched Derry on a number of occasions, seen them play the quarter final, semi final and final of the League. We had reviewed our own strengths and the perceived weaknesses in the Derry side, and set out to exploit both.

"They didn't have a half forward line that would murder you with scores. Their midfield lacked mobility. And to me the biggest weakness was that Derry wanted to beat us that badly that if things started going badly. they would tie up. They wanted to beat us too badly.

It. a year ago. Tyrone were a weaker although less developed is probably more accurate side than their Ulster predecessors, there is every chance they may end up as the best of the lot when the decade is reviewed in time to come.