Sport

Playing for UU is like being part of a county team - Frank Burns

At Wednesday's launch of the EirGrid All-Ireland U21 Football Championship on Dollymount Strand were Tipperary's Jimmy Feehan, Eoin Murchan of Dublin, Tyrone's Frank Burns and Cathal Compton of Roscommon<br />Picture by Sportsfile
At Wednesday's launch of the EirGrid All-Ireland U21 Football Championship on Dollymount Strand were Tipperary's Jimmy Feehan, Eoin Murchan of Dublin, Tyrone's Frank Burns and Cathal Compton of Roscommon
Picture by Sportsfile
At Wednesday's launch of the EirGrid All-Ireland U21 Football Championship on Dollymount Strand were Tipperary's Jimmy Feehan, Eoin Murchan of Dublin, Tyrone's Frank Burns and Cathal Compton of Roscommon
Picture by Sportsfile

EirGrid All-Ireland U21 Football Championship

HE HASN'T yet made Mickey Harte’s Tyrone panel, but rising star Frank Burns has admitted playing for Sigerson Cup hopefuls Ulster University (UU) feels like already being in a senior county set-up.

Burns is targeting a huge few weeks ahead with the opportunity for All-Ireland triumphs at both college and county level if UU and the Tyrone U21s can play their cards right. Tyrone are the defending EirGrid U21 champions - a victory Burns was a key part of in 2015 - while UU compete in the Sigerson Cup semi-finals this weekend, which they will also host.

Martin McHugh’s student side face holders DCU on Friday and won’t be burdened by any inferiority complex with a galaxy of county stars in their line-up, including Donegal duo Paddy McBrearty and Ryan McHugh and Monaghan’s Kieran Hughes.

Asked if it feels like already being part of a senior county set-up, Pomeroy club man Burns, 20, nodded enthusiastically: “We are a really good side with a lot of good county players, I think there are something like 24 county players on it,” he said. 

“It’s very competitive for places and that’s what you want and, obviously then, it’s about gelling together if you want to go far. Martin McHugh and his son Ryan came from IT Sligo and they were a great addition, which has helped push the whole thing on and hopefully we can go further now this weekend. A Sigerson medal would be a great achievement, but it won’t be easily obtained.”

The second year civil engineering student said the initial target was to simply reach the finals weekend, with pressure on the team to do so as hosts: “It’d be nice now to go on and win it in Jordanstown,” said Burns. 

“DCU will be tough opponents. They put us out in the first round last year, so we obviously won’t look past them. We are focused on Friday.”

Burns is equally hopeful on the U21 front with Tyrone. The Red Hands begin the defence of their crown on March 16 with a tie against Cavan, the four in-a-row winners between 2011 and '14 who beat Tyrone in the 2011 and '12 finals.

“Cavan seemed to be the driving force in Ulster for the last number of years,” said Burns. 

“Last year, we had Fermanagh in the first round and we were focusing on them alone. Cavan never entered our heads, but when they got put out by Donegal that was a bit of a shock. We played them the year before in Breffni Park and they showed us how strong they were, they were definitely tough enough opponents, so this year we are looking at March 16 and absolutely nothing else.”

Burns said the Tyrone U21 setup is considerably different to the one that was victorious at Parnell Park last May, beating Tipperary in gutsy circumstances: “I wouldn’t be sure of how many it is in total, but we have definitely lost a lot of good players,” he said. 

“Some good young players are coming through to fill the gaps though, so we’re still confident. Definitely, the win last year is something that drives you on. It was great to win that competition out. We had a tough time against Tipp in the final and the weather didn’t help. I think we got off to a poor start and the break at half-time maybe suited us in a way but, in the second-half, we did the business.

“Five or six of the lads have been brought in since with the seniors and they seem to have brought more energy to the team.”