Tyrone U20 coach Stephen O'Neill has praised his team's "character" after they secured a remarkable third consecutive Ulster title, extending their dominance in the provincial under-20 championship.

The Red Hands' journey to glory was far from straightforward. After a sluggish start to the campaign, defeats against Cavan and Armagh left them languishing in third place in Group B. However, the young Tyrone side showed their mettle when it mattered most, storming through the knockout stages with impressive wins over Derry and Donegal before capping it all off with a commanding performance against Monaghan in Wednesday's final.

This victory marks the fourth Ulster U20 title in just five years for Paul Devlin's squad—a dynasty that has also claimed the last two All-Ireland crowns at this level. O'Neill, a three-time All-Ireland winner during his own playing days, took immense pride in how his charges navigated the highs and lows of the season.

"It's been some journey, and the learnings we've had, the ups and downs—the boys have responded brilliantly," O'Neill told BBC Sport NI. "It's great for their character. They faced knock-backs and learned from their defeats. All that hard work paid off with two massive results in the quarter-final and semi-final, and then tonight they put on a really good performance."

For team captain Conor Devlin, this Ulster medal carries extra weight—it's his third at this level. The young star contributed 1-2 in the final victory over Monaghan, joking that he "doesn't think I've scored as much in a game in my life." But Devlin was quick to highlight the collective effort, noting that the team made key "tweaks" to their game plan after dropping two of their three group matches, adjustments that clearly paid dividends.

With the Ulster title now safely secured, Tyrone's focus shifts to the All-Ireland semi-final on 13 May, where they will face the Leinster champions—either Kildare or Louth. Devlin, who earned man of the match honors, struck a cautious but confident tone: "We've ticked off eight games, so they are in the past and we'll move on to the Leinster champions. We played a few of them in challenge matches and they were brilliant sides, so it's not going to be easy."

For Tyrone fans, the message is clear: this team has the character, the talent, and the hunger to add another All-Ireland title to their growing collection.