FERMANAGH'S Eoin Donnelly will skipper the Ulster football side in the Railway Cup this weekend, new provincial manager Pete McGrath has confirmed.
McGrath also happens to be the Coa clubman's county boss, but he is content he has made a great choice as captain for the inter-provincials, commenting: "He gets the job done in a very quiet way and he leads by example.
He has captained Fermanagh this last two years and has done a very good job. You select someone that you know has got the qualities necessary, with no disrespect to anyone else."
McGrath is also satisfied he will have a strong squad to take on reigning champions Connacht, who ended a 45-year wait for a 10th title by trouncing Ulster in last year's decider. The former Down boss is without several county captains, including Donegal's Michael Murphy and Monaghan's current Allstar Conor McManus.
The two Hughes brothers, Darren and Kieran, are also expected to miss out as they have a Monaghan league final on Sunday with their club Scotstown, after the disappointment of defeat in the Ulster Club final against Crossmaglen, when both were red-carded during extra time.
However, the Fermanagh manager hopes to be able to include Tyrone skipper Seán Cavanagh and his younger brother Colm, both Allstar nominees this year. Their Red Hand colleagues Niall Morgan, Peter Harte and 2015 Allstar Mattie Donnelly, all of whom recently represented Ireland in the International Rules, are also expected to be on the panel.
Ulster held a training match against a Fermanagh selection at the Tyrone training centre at Garvaghey last Thursday night. They will return there for a training session this Thursday, when McGrath should have his selected squad available to him, although even the attitude of some of the absentees impressed him: "The two Cavanaghs were in Manchester, but they're both very keen. Mattie Donnelly was working in England, tried to get home but couldn't, he's very keen, he'll be there Thursday night."
Other players set to be involved are Monaghan defender Dessie Mone, versatile Down man Kevin McKernan and Fermanagh's free-scoring full-forward Seán Quigley. The squad is still to be finalised, with McGrath explaining: "It's very hard to pull players together at this time of year - some of them are still involved with clubs or working away from home, or out because of injuries and all the rest of it…
"There are 22, 23 players in place, a couple of people who were in action over the weekend, I just have to check out their availability, I didn't want to be annoying them in the build-up to those matches."
Whatever panel he finally has, McGrath is confident they will play entertaining football, saying: "We will have a squad of players who will be very, very keen to represent the province.
"From what I saw on Thursday night, we'll be looking forward to a team playing with adventure - I wouldn't say total freedom but, certainly, we will not be getting bogged down in game-plans or defensive systems, that type of thing. This will be an occasion when people can express themselves.
"The game, games hopefully, will be in Armagh, in what will be a short, sharp affair."
Ulster are due to host champions Connacht in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh on Saturday evening (7pm), after Leinster meet Munster earlier that afternoon (4pm) at Páirc Esler in Newry, with the two winners meeting in the final, scheduled for Armagh's county ground on Sunday (2.30pm).
However, there may be a doubt over whether the Athletic Grounds can host two games in such a short time-frame, especially after holding the Ulster Club Senior and Junior finals on Sunday past.
