Sleacht Néill final feeling remains special as ever for McGuigan

NOTHING is impossible until it’s done. It’s a simple observation but it sums up Mark McGuigan’s take on Sleacht Néill’s growth as they prepare for an 11th Ulster final on Saturday evening.

The Emmet’s captain was in primary school when the club first inhaled the Ulster final experience.

It was 2000. Sleacht Néill had won the sixth of their 19 county titles. It was the era before 13-in-a-row. It was the same year the club won their first ever u-12 title.

Mark McGuigan smiles at the thought of him being too young to remember too much but old enough to know it happened.

There are links to the crew he’ll step off the bus in Armagh with on Saturday night.

McGuigan’s cousin Eoin was the skyscraper between the posts as Dunloy prevailed in the 2000 decider.

Brothers Patrick and Barney McEldowney, part of Paul McCormack’s backroom team, played in defence. Another member of McCormack’s inner circle, Padraig Dougan, came off the bench.

Fionn McEldowney’s father Colin, on his way to the Ulster GAA Writers’ hurler of the year award, hurled at centre back. Fionn’s twin uncles, Fergal and Francis were also on board.

Cormac O’Doherty’s father-in-law Mark Cassidy was in the team before becoming one of the driving forces behind the juggernaut that followed. Cahal McKaigue’s father Padraig was there too.

Fast forward to now and Sleacht Néill’s date with St John’s on Saturday night.

McGuigan has had a ringside seat for the last nine but nothing is ever taken for granted.

“We still enjoy it and we place a lot of emphasis on the pride we feel when we are playing for our club,” he said of a team that includes younger brother Shane.

“It doesn’t feel like we’ve played in as many finals as we have but that feeling of playing for Sleacht Néill in the championship is always pretty special.”

McGuigan was a fresh-faced minor as he watched from the bench in 2013. The Fr Collins Cup returned to Sleacht Néill and hasn’t left since.

Within 12 months, he was listed at centre-forward to make sure Liam Hinphey didn’t dictate the county final. To many, McGuigan’s performance went under the radar. To those in the know, it was pivotal to victory in a blockbuster of a final.

In Ulster, they were getting closer. They danced with Loughgiel in the 2013 decider, all the way to the final quarter against a team who were kings of Ireland 18 months later.

“It was a massive step up,” McGuigan said. “Loughgiel stepped it up for 10 minutes and blew us out of the water.

“That let boys know the levels they had to get to if they were going to compete.

“It gave you the belief that you had gone toe to toe with the Antrim champions.”

Cushendall needed extra-time and replay to shake them off the 2014 semi-final and extra-time in the decider 12 months later. Close, but no cigar but, this was totally different than 2000 and Dunloy.

Back then, it was a rare emergence out of Derry. In ‘13, ‘14 and ‘15, their underage production line was dropping quality off the other end.

“You are starting to wonder will it ever come,” McGuigan said of the collective appreciation of being close.

Then, after an emotional rollercoaster of a week following the passing of Thomas Cassidy and the club landing a first Ulster camogie title, the Emmet’s beat Loughgiel to win the first of their five Ulster titles.

“Until you win one, that’s where the belief really came from in 2016,” he said.

“Thankfully, 2016 gave us that belief that we could compete at this level.”

Seated in Armagh City Hotel, at last week’s Ulster final launch, McGuigan is one of 14 players who played in their first win in 2016 on the squad.

“It’s good craic to say the least,” he says of being part of the current group that stretches from Chrissy McKaigue all the way down to current minor player Cathal Ó Mianáin.

“There’s a good mix there but we all get on well, we pull well together and we spend a lot of time with each other outside training.

“There is a different dynamic between young and old, it’s a good team to be part of.”

Across the corridor in the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday, St John’s will be getting ready to hurl in their first final. Six of the Sleacht Néill team are experiencing it for the ninth time. An advantage?

“I’m not sure if it’s an edge,” McGuigan replies. “It’s probably a wee bit of experience in playing at the venue numerous times under lights and all the rest.

“I suppose they’re going to be coming with a serious hunger and real belief from winning their first Antrim Championship.

“I wouldn’t say it gives us an edge, but it’s definitely nice to know what to expect.”

Bar an Ulster league game and a few challenge games, Saturday is a first big championship game between the clubs at senior level.

At underage, Sleacht Néill and St John’s hurled a couple of times a year when the Emmet’s took their development plan across the Bann to help their progress.

“Growing up there would be a core group of us, myself, Brendon (Rogers), Cormac (O’Doherty), Gerald (Bradley), Sé McGuigan, St John’s probably would have been the team in Antrim that I had the most rivalry with.

“They beat us twice (2011 and 2012 finals) at Ballinascreen in the minor competition.

“There would be a bit of recent history there, but we definitely would have had a lot of battles in the past.”

McGuigan dispels Saturday as any sort of revenge mission. Sleacht Néill’s motivation is based on so much more than what happened at minor level.

It’s about making sure they are in a position for Mark McGuigan to get his hands on the Four Seasons Cup. They’ve tasted final defeat as often as they’ve basked in glory.