THE same kind of unbreakable spirit that has seen St Mary’s University College become serial Sigerson contenders is also driving a group of lads in Liverpool as they prepare for an assault on the British Championship this weekend.
While the Ranch were busy dumping holders UCD out at the semi-final stage in Mallow three weeks ago, the Hope University footballers were making some noise of their own in county Cork as they laid claim to a second Corn na MacLéinn Higher Education Championship in-a-row with victory over IT Tallaght.
Star turns such as dynamic Tyrone forward Mark Bradley and Down’s Barry O’Hagan may have grabbed much of the headlines surrounding Hope, but it is the strength of the bonds forged on Merseyside that holds the key.
Similar to the St Mary’s students, the Hope panel largely live in each other’s pockets on a daily basis.
They enjoyed the celebrations after the Corn na MacLéinn success, but the party soon stopped once attention turned to this weekend’s British Championships in Birmingham.
Hope have been placed in Group A of the Division One competition, and will take on Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University and University of Nottingham at Páirc na hÉireann in a blitz format this weekend. The aim is to make it all the way to Sunday’s full length final.
Full-forward John Erskine - from the Eire Og club in Antrim - has been their top scorer throughout the campaign, and says the close-knit nature of the university has been a major factor.
“I would say there’s wee lads that I never met before September, but by now you’re like best friends with them all because you’re with them all the time,” said the 23-year-old.
“We have a large panel, there’s around 38 boys training three times a week, and playing with some of those boys who have been playing at that higher level, it’s bringing everybody else on.
“There’s boys there who, if they were back home, I’d be confident they would be in or around county panels.”
Erskine has a bit of sporting pedigree away from the football field too as his dad was a top class boxer with the Holy Trinity club. Indeed, St Patrick’s weekend will mark 30 years since John sr faced a 17-year-old American called Shane Mosley, competing in his first international amateur bout, in Las Vegas.
There is another connection between this Hope outfit and the Turf Lodge club, with Sarsfield’s clubman Alex O’Neill – son of former Holy Trinity boxer and current Corpus Christi coach Alex sr – also on the team.
Leading the charge from the line are the management duo of Conor Boyle and David Lowry, both of whom played in last year’s All-Ireland success.
And Newry native Boyle believes the class of 2019 is even stronger than last year.
“We have had a lot of experience and talent enter the squad this year to add to the already hard working and talented existing squad,” said the St John Bosco clubman.
“It always helps to have that extra bit of experience as it brings the whole squad together and ensures strength in depth, but that in no way means that we rely on these players.
"We have a lot of lads from lower league clubs who have been unbelievable for us this year. Corey Ranaghan from Bright in Down has been extremely sharp. Conor Pelan is one of two Aggies men from Belfast and he’s developed into a solid, strong leader and runner of the ball.
“It’s a team game and every member of the panel has put the work in. Even Seán Dillon from Enniskillen, who has been injured the entire season has barely missed a session and is always there to lend a hand despite being able to train or play.”
The side is led by joint captains Fiontan Eastwood, of St Enda’s in Belfast, and Peter Herron, part of the Coalisland side that landed the Tyrone title last year, while Mark Bradley leads the line alongside Erskine.
Unfortunately for Hope, O’Hagan as well as Antrim pair Matthew Fitzpatrick and Ryan McNulty are ineligible to play this weekend, but the management pair are more than confident they have the talent to overcome those losses.
“Regardless of who we are up against, we will always be confident,” said Craigbane native Lowry.
“That’s been one of our main focuses this year, confidence in our own ability. If you are not focused and confident and you waste your time worrying about others, you won’t get too far.
“We don’t have Barry O’Hagan, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Ryan McNulty as they are not eligible to play but with the size of our squad, we are still very capable of coming out with a win.
“It’s also the last weekend of football for all of our 2019 graduates, so as a squad and management team, we are all looking forward to it.”
HOPE UNIVERSITY 2019 PANEL
Eoghan Rua Lambert, Conor McEvoy, Ryan McNulty, Matthew Fitzpatrick (all St John’s, Antrim); James Gallagher, Ethan McGarry, Orrin McGarry (Glenavy); Conor Pelan, John Mulgrew (St Agnes’s); John Erskine (Éire Óg, Belfast); Fintoin Eastwood, Antoin McGinn (St Enda’s); Alex O’Neill (Sarsfield’s); Darragh Mussen (All Saints); Eamonn McLoughlin (Laochra Loch Lao); Matthew Megoran (Wolfe Tone's, Derrymacash); Liam Clarke (Steelstown); Luke Rush (Limavady); Tom Mooney (Derrytrasna); Caomhan Boyle, Lucas Rossiter, Oisin Carnegie (St John Bosco, Newry); Gerald Goodman (Mayobridge); Barry O’Hagan (Clonduff); Colm McEvoy (Saval); Jordan Fitzpatrick (Ballymartin); Corey Ranaghan (Bright); Eoin King (Kilclief); Donal Brennan (Dundrum); Paul Foy (Tempo); Shay Cadden (Donagh); Stephen McGullion (Derrygonnelly); Sean Dillon (Enniskillen Gaels); Shane Moran (Scotstown); Diarmuid Gallagher (St Molaise, Sligo); Peter Herron (Coalisland); Mark Bradley (Killyclogher); Eoin Fleming (Castledaly, Westmeath)
