O’Grady: Letterkenny aware of Lisbellaw quality

​​​​​​​By Shaun Casey

A challenge match played in Letterkenny last season was the last time St Eunan’s crossed paths with Lisbellaw, and the contest that evening was enough to give Conor O’Grady an eye-opener into what the Donegal champs can expect this weekend. Now, at Healy Park Omagh on Sunday afternoon, they take part in the real thing as the two clubs target a place in the Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship decider.

St Eunan’s did experience a provincial run back in 2023 when they reached the Ulster Junior final, but they came up short against Castleblayney.

It’s often said that semi-finals are for winning and having seen off top contenders Castleblayney in the quarter-final, Letterkenny are now 60 minutes away from a first ever final at this grade.

“It is a massive game because we didn’t even get out of the blocks, so it was good to get that game over us after a five-week break,” said O’Grady, who led St Eunan’s to a first county title since 2021.

“We’re only taking it one game at a time really and it’s going to be an interesting game. Lisbellaw are similar to us there will be a lot of ruck balls and stuff but we’re all looking forward to it.”

Reflecting on that friendly encounter played over twelve months ago, O’Grady recalls a tight contest, but one of Lisbellaw’s key players from that game has since transferred out of the club.

“We actually played them last year in a challenge game out in the back field of O’Donnell Park, I think it was in the run in towards our county final,” O’Grady continued.

“I think it was a very close game, probably a one or two point game between the two of us but they had Luca McCusker that day who has transferred out since.”

In recent history, Lisbellaw have been one of the most consistent teams in the Ulster Championship. They have reached two finals in the last five years but did come up short on both occasions.

Having won the crown back in 2012, they have lost deciders to Derry’s Banagher in 2021 and Eire Óg Carrickmore of Tyrone last season. Setanta are the only team from Donegal to have ever reached the showpiece of the competition and that was back in 2023 when they defeated Eire Óg Carrickmore by just two-points to get their hands on the title.

“Lisbellaw are a great hurling team, and a lot of the Fermanagh hurling team are made up of the Lisbellaw players,” O’Grady added of their Erne County opponents.

“They have massive experience in Ulster whereas with us, we’ve only had one run in Ulster (in 2023) and we didn’t even win the county final that year.

“It is something that we are wary of, they have the experience of getting over the line in semi-finals and they’d be a very close-knit team.”