DANSKE BANK MACRORY CUP
Group A
Inis Eoghain
Cathair Dhoire
St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon
St Macartan’,s Monaghan
ST PATRICK’S ACADEMY, DUNGANNON
MacRory successes: 5 wins and 1 Hogan Cup. Last win: 2009
Management: Ciaran Gourley (Rock St Patrick’s) and Ciaran Sharkey (Cookstown Fr Rocks)
Captain: not selected
Fixtures
Thursday Nov 7, 1.30pm: Academy v St Macartan’s Monaghan
Thursday 14 and Friday Nov 15: Academy v Inis Eoghain
Saturday Nov 30: Academy v Cathair Dhoire
It has been a few years now since St Patrick’s Academy has been impacting at the latter stages of the MacRory Cup.
This year’s panel has not had too much to celebrate at underage level – but they do have a quite a few of last year’s panel available including Ciaran Begley, Michael O’Neill, Oisin McHugh, Ronan McHugh, Shane Donnelly and Shea Daly who played in the quarter-final exit to St Patrick’s Maghera in An Lúb
The two McHughs, Daly, Fintan Coney and Luke Donnelly were Tyrone minors while Shane Donnelly represented Armagh.
The Academy (and St Macartan’s) is in a Group with two teams that have little experience of MacRory Cup football and the winner of the opening game will have a good chance of securing an automatic qualification spot.
Management team view: “This particular Group has not achieved much in schools’ competitions, but they have reached semi-finals before and have shown glimpses of potential.
“As with any team we aim to make it to the quarter finals but our Group will be tricky. St Macartan’s are always difficult at this level and the two newcomers Inis Eoghain and Cathair Dhoire are unknown quantities.”
St Patrick’s Academy panel: Ciaran Begley, Brogan Mullan, Cormac Skeffington, Darragh Mallon, Eoghan Devlin, Eoghan Donnelly, Fintan Coney, Ger Teague, Harry Morgan, Liam McLaughlin, Luke Donnelly, Mark Lyttle, Matthew Duffy, Michael O’Neill, Niall McMurray, Oisin McHugh, Patrick McKearney, Ronan McHugh, Scott Donaghy, Ryan Conroy, Scott McCann, Seamus Glackin, Sean Casey, Sean Cowan, Sean McLaughlin, Shane Donnelly, Shane Mackle, Shea Daly, Stephen Muldoon, Tiarnan O’Neill
ST MACARTAN’S, MONAGHAN
MacRory successes: 9 titles (including 1925 shared). Last win: 1956
Managers/selectors: Mark Counihan (Truagh Gaels), Paddy Hughes (Tyholland), Conor McElvaney (Sean McDermotts), David Shevlin (Aughnamullen).
Captain: not selected yet
Order of fixtures:
Thursday Nov 7: 1.30pm: St Macartan’s v St Patrick's Academy
St Macartan’s v Cathair Dhoire
St Macartan’s v Inis Eoghain
St Macartan’s fell to Abbey CBS in a quarter-final play-off last January and they have quite a few of that panel still in situ including Aodhan Brennan, Chrissy Flood, Darragh Treanor, Lochlainn Power, Michael Meehan and Ronan Boyle all of whom played for Moanghan minors. Indeed there are as many as a dozen who have represented the Farney county at minor level.
This particular year Group collected a Corn na nÓg title back in 2015, although some of them have already left the Sem for Higher Education.
St Macartan’s should be competitive enough, although their path through the competition could well be influenced by the result of the very first game, a clash with the Academy.
Management team view: “This age Group has been particularly open with quite a few different winners emerging in the lower age competitions. We face into the unknown when playing the two new amalgamated teams (Inis Eoghain & Cathair Dhoire).
“We played the Academy in Emyvale last year before our play-off game and they beat us easily and that means that our first game is a key game for us.
“It is a long while since the Sem have been in the latter stages of the MacRory.
The coming weeks will be a great test to see where we are as a Group and what targets we can meet.”
St Macartan’s panel: Aodhan Brennan, Mikey Carville, Liam Conway, Daragh Croarkin, Conor Devlin, Dean Doherty, Chrissy Donnelly, Dylan Ballantine, Chrissy Flood, Tiarnan Kierans, Nathan Lavery, Cameron Liddle, Eoghan McGinnity, Joey McKenna, Niall McKenna, Tiarnan O'Rourke, Lochlainn Power, Ben Sherry, Ali Stewart, Darragh Treanor, Ronan Boyle, Karl Gallagher, Ben Ryan, Kevie Fitzpatrick, Conall McHugh, Michael Meehan, Patrick Keenan, Conor McCooey, Killian McKenna, Tristan Moyna, Darragh Murray, Ryan Woods, Michael Hamill
SCOILEANNA INIS EOGHAIN
MacRory success: first year in the competition
Manager: Paul Shields (Urris)
Selectors: Robert Farren (Malin), John Campbell (Buncrana), Damian McIntyre (Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin), Thomas Browne (Malin), Christopher McDaid (Carndonagh)
Captain: Not yet selected
Order of Group fixtures:
Scoileanna Inis Eoghain v Colaiste Dhoire
Scoileanna Inis Eoghain v St Patrick's Academy
Scoileanna Inis Eoghain v St Macartan’s
Although they failed to win the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup last season it has been decided to move up these players from the several school in the Inisowen peninsula to play at the top grade giving Donegal two MacRory competitors for the first time in four decades.
There have traditionally been logistical problems to overcome in fielding amalgamated teams at any level, club or school, but this one has been running for a few years at senior level as well as at underage level. Chief among the problems would be collective training which is a lot easier when the whole panel is on the one site.
A number of last year’s squad is still available including Donegal minors Caolan McColgan and Luke Doherty while players such as Josh Conlon, Brian Houghton, Ryan Hegarty, Oisin Crawford, Evan McCallion, Killian McCarron, Christopher McDaid and Eoin O Doherty did well last year in the MacLarnon.
They lost to Cathair Dhoire in the MacLarnon semi and therefore the meeting of the teams again in their first MacRory game will let both know where they stand in relation to the rest of the Group games.
Management team view: “The MacRory Cup will be a huge learning curve for everyone involved with Scoileanna Inis Eoghain. We are under no illusions as to the challenges ahead and cannot look further than the first game.”
“Players are getting the opportunity to play at the highest level, and we want them to believe in themselves and see where it takes them.”
Scoileanna Inis Eoghain panel: Conor O’Neill, Adam McGonagle, Niall Gallagher, Josh Conlon, Ben Curley, Darragh O’Connor, Darragh McGeoghan, Oran Doherty, Brian Houghton, Oran Raymond, Ryan Hegarty, Matthew Mullholland, Oisin Crawford, Evan McCallion, Kevin Jordan, John Lafferty, Sean Doherty, Oisin Devlin, Gavin McDaid, Jack Doherty, Killian McCarron, Luke Doherty, Caolan Harkin, Caolan McColgan, Paul Doherty, Drew McKinney, Darren Davenport, Anthony Doherty, Will Quinn, Rory Lynch, Christopher McDaid, Eoin O’Doherty, Eoghan McLaughlin, Kyle McCann
CATHAIR DHOIRE
MacRory success: first year in the competition
Management Team: Michael McLaughlin (Sean Dolan’s), Paul Simpson (Doire Trasna), Conal Donaghy (John Mitchel’s, Claudy) and Michael McCullagh (Watty Graham’s, Glen)
Captain: Shane McElhinney
Group fixtures:
Wed Nov 6, 7:30pm (Buncrana): Cathair Dhoire v Inis Eoghain
Cathair Dhoire v St Macartan’s, Monaghan
Cathair Dhoire v St Patrick’s Academy
Cathair Dhoire was formed in 2018 with a view to developing the football potential in Derry City Schools. The team competed in the MacLarnon Cup last year with the intention of moving into the MacRory Cup this year.
They reached the MacLarnon final last March and that run galvanised the support base in the city.
St Columb’s College, winners of the MacRory predominantly with boarders in 1965 and 1966, last played in the competition more than three decades ago.
Quite a few of last year’s team are back again while Ben O’Kane, Adam Hargan, Shea Browne, Oran McMenamin, Jude ógg Moore, Donncha Gilmore and Tiarnan O’Connor have all represented their county at minor level and that experience should help them bed into this new challenge.
Management team view: “Cathair Dhoire allows players to grow and further develop their footballing ability at a higher grade than their individual schools can compete. We look forward to this competition and the continued development of our players within Derry City Schools through the Cathair Dhoire Project.”
Cathair Dhoire panel: Adam Hargan, Ben O’ Kane, Matthew Stephenson, Naoise Ó Mianáin Michael Lynch, Shane McElhinney, Shea Browne, Cahir McMonagle, Jude Óg Moore, Oran McMenamin, Conaire Molloy, Conall Murphy. Kealan McLaughlin, Donncha Gilmore, Padhraig Nelis, Ronan McAleer, Ciaran Curry, James McLaughlin, Ryan McCloskey, Tiarnan O’ Connor, Rory McElhinney, Mark McGilligan, Jack Boyce, Liam Connolly, Reece McLaughlin, Conor McElhinney, Conor McGilligan, Aaron McDuff, Joseph Kelpie, Michael Moore, Ross O’Donnell, Thomas Logue, Ben Best, Shea McCaul, Brendan Byrne, Tiernan Feeney, Connor Boyle, Paul Nicholl, Sean Straw, Dara Donaghy, Caplan McGrory
