SATURDAY
Ulster Club IFC quarter-finals
All Saints (ANT) v Derrylaughan (TYR)
(Cargin, 2pm)
Derrylaughan’s Tomas Carney is undoubtedly a name to keep an eye out for, and a name All Saints will be desperate to keep quiet as they seek to upset the Tyrone champions and claim a spot in Ulster’s final four.
Carney notched 1-6 of his side’s 1-11 total last weekend, as they joined Errigal Ciaran in seeing off Donegal opposition.
Termon had raced into a seven-point lead inside 10 minutes, which is a large part of Carney’s rationale behind saying his side are taking it “one game at a time”.
Red Hand midfielder Brian Kennedy is another key asset, who All Saints’ manager Liam Bradley has surely singled out as a threat this week.
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The Ballymena outfit continued the trend of a beaten finalist winning the Antrim IFC the following year, while it can’t go unnoticed they finished inside the top four of the Division One league.
They will make a fist of it, but this may just be a bridge too far.
Home: 5/2 Away: 1/3 Draw: 8/1
Verdict: Derrylaughan
Lisnaskea (FER) v Magheracloone (MON)
(Brewster Park, 2pm)
Many in Monaghan suggested that this year’s IFC was the toughest there’s ever been. Monaghan Harps and semi-finalists Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Carrickmacross and Truagh were all senior clubs together as recently as 2021.
Mitchells had been the outstanding team in this year’s 2024 IFC, but going into the final there were doubts if they had come through the perceived handy side of the draw.
But their five-point victory quelled those doubts, with Michael Metzger the dominant force that day, and the goal they conceded that day is the solitary goal conceded in their IFC campaign to date.
So the task looks daunting for Lisnaskea, although the Fermanagh champions have registered 17 goals to date themselves.
Midfielder Joe McDade this week spoke of how they are a club of “great tradition”, but he is also aware of the Monaghan side’s run to the 2019 All-Ireland IFC final, and that experience should be enough to advance to a semi-final.
Home: 5/2 Away: 1/3 Draw: 8/1
Verdict: Magheracloone
Drumgath (DWN) v Arva (CAV)
(Páirc Esler, 4pm)
Drumgath’s Down IFC final win came with a 13-point margin of victory, which was never a result to suggest that this was their first victory at Intermediate level since 2013.
Joint-captain Pearse McPolin told the Newry Reporter this week: “You get belief from winning games”.
An early win over big dogs Rostrevor set the sky as their limit as they approach “unknown territory”.
Patrick Downey will be a marked man after his brace of goals in the county final, with All-Ireland Junior champions Arva now operating at a level above, though success shows no signs of slowing.
Captain Ciarán Brady excelled on the road to Croker earlier this, while Finbar O’Reilly has been lauded by players since returning to the fold as manager.
In 2016, they were well beaten by Pomeroy at this stage, but star performer in the county final Jonathan McCabe has suggested they have learned from that defeat, having been captain eight years ago.
Home: 9/4 Away: 2/5 Draw: 8/1
Verdict: Arva
Ulster Club SFC quarter-final
Kilcoo v Crosserlough
(Pairc Esler, 6pm)
Within Cavan, the hype has been around Crosserlough for a while. Their league record was unblemished for the best part of two years, while their championships were stunning too.
But in 2022 and 2023 semi-finals, they met Gowna, and it all came crashing down around them.
Then 2024 and Paddy Lynch tears his ACL. Gowna were gunning for three-in-a-row and you’d wonder had they missed their chance.
The superstitious would say third time lucky, but how many times have we seen a heavyweight knocked out at the semi-final stage, only for the winners to be themselves conquered, à la Mayo?
It’s no secret that not once has a Cavan side won this coveted competition. Baileborough were the last Breffni outfit to even make a final, way back in 1995.
Kilcoo know this match and this championship are both there for the taking. They have the guile and experience to do just that. 2024 marked 12 Down SFC titles in 13 years.
They will be pushed hard, but they’ve shown on plenty of occasions that even if extra-time comes calling, they will battle on, and that is a trait that is the envy of so many.
Home: 1/6 Away: 5/1 Draw: 10/1
Verdict: Kilcoo
SUNDAY
Ulster Club IFC quarter-final
Ballinderry (DER) v Carrickcruppen (ARM)
(Sunday, Celtic Park, 1.15pm)
There’s no rest for the wicked when one excels in this split-season. For Blaine Hughes, there was likely some level of disappointment in missing out on an All-Star.
But in a year that his given so much, it would be hard to wallow in any serious disappointment. Back in Carrickcruppen, the Armagh IFC was a gentle reminder that this is a team game, no matter how key a cog the number one is for St Patrick’s.
Three years ago, they were beaten at the first hurdle. In this week’s Irish News, the injured Paul McNally insisted that “this time is going to be different”.
Ballinderry will play a large role in whether that can be verified as truth or labelled fake news. Faughanvale took the Oak Leaf champions to a replay, but even with talisman Gareth McKinless dismissed, they were not to be defeated.
Marquee forward Niall O’Donnell kicked four from play that day, and his performance will be crucial on the day, as ever.
All-Ireland SFC champions in 2002, there’s history and heritage on the Derrymen’s shoulders. The two Eoins - Woods and Kane - will be high on their priority list of damage limitation as Carrickcruppen’s primary inside forwards.
Charlie Crozier has been brilliant at centre-field to date, and is a name to keep an eye out for on the Ballinderry side of things. His team should have enough, and having also won a county semi-final by a point, they know how to win tight games.
Home: 3/10 Away: 11/4 Draw: 8/1
Verdict: Ballinderry
Ulster Club SFC quarter-finals
Cargin v Errigal Ciaran
(Sunday, Corrigan Park, 1pm)
Corrigan Park at a week’s notice is treacherous. Errigal Ciaran, having battled their way past St Eunan’s, now face a Cargin side that it would be foolish to underestimate.
Last year, Malachy O’Rourke admitted that: “Cargin are a very hard team to play against”.
That came after a four-point win, but one that didn’t tell the full story, with the Antrim kingpins aggrieved at Tomás McCann’s harsh straight red card just 26 minutes into the contest.
Since 2018, Creggan Kickhams are the only side to have intervened with their Saffron dominance, and that was just the once back in 2021.
It’s lazy to say that the Tyrone champions have leaned on the Canavan brothers, and that’s not to say that they haven’t, but almost any club side in Ireland would such is their class.
If they dazzle, there may well be five or six in it, but if they don’t, there will be a huge onus on the likes of Peter Harte to dig it out as the winter gets wilder.
Home: 3/1 Away: 1/3 Draw: 15/2
Verdict: Draw
Newbridge v Clann Eireann
(Sunday, Celtic Park, 3.30pm, LIVE on TG4)
There’s a tasty freshness to this encounter. The fact that Newbridge or Clann Eireann will find themselves in an Ulster semi-final can only be a good thing for a competition that has rarely looked so open.
Newbridge will be on the telly for the second time in a matter of weeks, unfathomable for Derry folk just a few short months ago, if not Newbridge folk themselves.
Ironically they did a Glen on it too in beating the All-Ireland champions. When Ryan Dougan levelled, the writing was on the wall, or so we thought.
The character shown was simply immense. Now begs the question: How far can Newbridge go?
Well if Newbridge are elated, Clann Eireann folk must feel like they are living a pipe dream. After Armagh’s All-Ireland win, their county title is the largest cherry on top of the sweetest cake.
Clichés are only clichés because they’re true. It will be fascinating to see who comes out the hungrier. Who wants it more? Who is better mentally prepared?
The favourites’ tag sits on Newbridge’s shoulders. Barry McCambridge would tell you it sat on Kerry and Galway’s too.
Home: 10/11 Away: 5/4 Draw: 11/2
Verdict: Clann Eireann
Ulster Club JHC semi-finals
East Cavan Gaels (CAV) v Rasharkin (ANT)
(Sunday, Carrickmore, 2pm)
Before this Ulster campaign began, Rasharkin would have set their sights on Ulster glory. Lurgan’s Sean Treacy’s knew the challenge before them, but overcoming it is a different kettle of fish altogether.
The Antrim champions carved their opponents apart, notching an eye-catching 4-23. Captain Donagh Quigg led from the front with an early goal that set the tone, and his compatriots hardly let up.
Conor McKeever struck 1-10, and East Cavan Gaels will need to seriously limit his influence if they are to stand a chance.
That said, they will have home advantage, and the 6-10 they racked up against Omagh is hardly something to be scoffed at, particularly when they had six different goal scorers.
The Antrim champions should have too much however.
Verdict: Rasharkin
Ballela (DOW) v Ballinascreen (DER)
(Sunday, Dungannon, 2pm)
Although Ballela endured one of the tighter affairs in the Ulster JHC quarter-finals, they will be disappointed with their second half performance against Donegal kingpins Buncrana.
Having led by 11 at the break, they only added four points to their tally in the second half, as Buncrana were growing in life and belief by the minute.
That said, they sealed the deal, and they were impressive in the opening 30. Former intercounty hurler Johnny McCusker remains a key man.
Ballinascreen had a slightly less subtle 3-33 to 1-7 win over Monaghan runners-up Inniskeen. The Derry outfit will not get carried away with that performance, but they should have enough here in what promises to be a tight affair.
Verdict: Ballinascreen