Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup round one: St Mary’s UC, Belfast (holders) v Ulster University (Woodlands 3G pitch, Belfast, 2pm)
TECHNICALLY he’s no longer a ‘county star’ himself, having stepped away from Donegal duty, but Eoin McHugh knows that there’ll always be intense focus on the talent in the Ulster University ranks.
With no Sigerson triumph for a decade, ‘Jordanstown’ are regarded by many as ‘under-achievers’ and McHugh admits that’s a view he once shared:
“Looking at it when I was at Sligo I had the same perception about Jordanstown, we always thought that Jordanstown was a team just put together on the day, a ‘Who’s Who of Ulster ’. You can’t win if you’re not a team, if you’re not together about it you’re not going to win.”
However, under the new management of Paul Rouse, he sees a difference this season: “But this year, you see ‘Tommy Joe’ [John Farrell], Benny Hurl, Paul Rouse, and Barry Dillon as well, and I’m not just saying it because I’m there this year, but even from last year there’s a real togetherness in us this year.”
He knows there will need to be a big difference today against holders St Mary’s, after being thrashed by 1-18 to 0-9 by eventual finalists UCD in last year’s competition:
“We were all there last year, UCD wiped us off the field in Jordanstown, it was embarrassing for us nearly. We’ve pulled together this season so far. The league didn’t go the way we wanted it to but we’re training away quietly, there’s no point blowing yourselves up.
“St Mary’s were champions last year for a reason. We’ll probably go in as favourites for just being Jordanstown, for no other reason, but I’m extremely excited to get on the field and play against them. It’ll be a nitty-gritty game, a few tussles.”
UU today face the great over-achievers and McHugh says he is inspired by St Mary’s example: “It’s a mouth-watering tie – and after seeing what they did last year, winning the Sigerson, it put a bit of belief into us, like ‘Why can’t we do something like that?’ Fair play to them for winning it last year – but we hope to dethrone them.
“I was speaking to Gareth [McKinless] and saying I can’t wait for it. Last year I came up here and didn’t have much of a sense of the rivalry that’s in it, didn’t understand it, I suppose. But you get a real sense for it when you’re out and about in Belfast , you go out for a night and you see the St Mary’s boys together and the Jordanstown boys together.”
UU’s increased togetherness is partly due to a trip far beyond Belfast, to China last year. McHugh missed out on that, but was happy that he chose to commit to his club Kilcar:
“I had signed up to it and Tommy Joe and the others gave me every opportunity to go on it, but it came to the stage before the county final I’d a real good feeling about Kilcar that we were going somewhere and I just said ‘There’s no point me saving money and then turn round and say “I’m not going to be able to go”.’
“By all accounts it was a great trip, according to the boys, very well-organised – but I was happy to win a county championship with Kilcar and get to where we got.”
Eoin wasn’t even born the last time his club won the Donegal SFC: “It was 24 [years], my father would have been playing the last time, in 1993. It was a big deal, especially after getting beat by Glenswilly the year beforehand by a point, that was heartbreaking for us, but we finally put it right.
“We’re getting ready for another season in Kilcar already but at the minute my full focus is on this game.”
Even without club-mates Paddy McBrearty and Ryan McHugh this year, UU certainly have an array of attacking ability – “plenty of boys to fill the gap”, as McHugh puts it, including himself, Tyrone trio Mark Bradley, David Mulgrew, and Lee Brennan, Niall Madine of Down, and Derry’s Danny Tallon.
McHugh is also impressed by their options further back, saying: “You may never get the chance to do something like this again. When am I going to get a chance to play alongside Gareth McKinless of Derry, Ronan McNamee of Tyrone, all these different people?”
Still, he knows today will be tough: “It’s probably going to be a couple of points in it. We’d be quietly confident - but they’re champions for a reason.”
