Sport

Semi slots up for grabs at St Paul's

10/12/2022   Four Masters   Seanan Carr    in action with St Molaises  Oisin Swift    in Saturdays game at  Colaiste Feirste   Beechmount    Picture Seamus Loughran
10/12/2022 Four Masters Seanan Carr in action with St Molaises Oisin Swift in Saturdays game at Colaiste Feirste Beechmount Picture Seamus Loughran 10/12/2022 Four Masters Seanan Carr in action with St Molaises Oisin Swift in Saturdays game at Colaiste Feirste Beechmount Picture Seamus Loughran

Armagh’s Clan na Gael face Four Masters of Donegal in the quarter final of the St Paul’s Ulster Minor Tournament this afternoon, 30-years on from they last reached the final.

That year Clan na Gael, backboned by future All-Ireland winners Diarmaid Marsden and Barry O’Hagan, had their Ulster title hopes dashed by Aodh Ruadh, also of Donegal.

Paul O’Hagan featured on that team as well, and he’ll be back in the Antrim venue today, patrolling the sideline as he guides the next generation of Clans stars.

“We’ve played in it before so that’s an added bonus, there’s a bit of history for us in the tournament. We played in it three years in a row, and we got to the final in 1992,” recalled O’Hagan.

“It’s great to get back to it, there’s a lot of people in the club that would remember that, and the supporters remember going down to St Paul’s and having those days.

“We got to the final, we played on New Year's Day in 1993 and Boxing Day as well obviously because we got to the semi-final. Just to get playing those matches over the holidays adds a great wee buzz to the club.”

They face a strong Four Masters side that saw off Fermanagh’s St Molaise in the preliminary round, 5-4 to 2-10, and O’Hagan had an eye on their potential opponents.

“Everybody else is unknown but we did get that slight advantage of getting a look at them (Four Masters) last week and to go down to get a feel for the tournament.

“They have two big midfielders, and they have two or three really fast, pacy boys in the forward line. They go for goals a lot and it’s all down to the pace that they attack at.”

Elsewhere, Donaghmore of Tyrone and Monaghan representatives Scotstown will meet at the quarter-final stage, with a semi-final showdown against either Clan na Gael or Four Masters the prize on offer for the winner.

Donaghmore have been the dominant force of Tyrone underage football in recent years, having recently completed a back-to-back double of league and championship success.

A number of their players also lined out in the red and white of Tyrone in the Ulster minor final victory over Derry back in May.

Tyrone clubs don’t have the best record in the competition however and you’d have to go back to 2009, when Omagh beat Kilcoo by one-point, to find the last winner hailing from the Red Hand County.

Similarly, Monaghan clubs haven’t fared too well either. Scotstown were the last team from the Farney County to reach the decider but lost out to a strong Ballinderry side by the minimum in 2008.

It’s 20-years since a Monaghan team lifted the Jim McConville Cup, when Clontibret defeated Armagh Harps back in 2002.

It’s a great chance for both clubs to reach the last four of the competition and at this age grade, it’s always impossible to confidently predict the outcome.