By Alan Rodgers

BOTH the players and supporters of Killeeshil, St Mary’s will be hoping that history repeats itself as they once again embark on an Ulster Club journey which saw them reach the provincial final a decade ago.

In 2013, inspired by Tyrone legend Kevin Hughes, the green and white hoops graced the decider.

A defeat to Monaghan’s Emyvale followed on that occasion, but there are high hopes that this current squad will do themselves justice in this 2024 competition and perhaps even emulate the heights of their predecessors from just over a decade ago.

Derry side Craigbane, provide their opposition in their first game this Saturday at Owenbeg. As is invariably the case, Killeeshil won’t be taking anything for granted. Nevertheless, they appear more than capable of launching a strong challenge.

There was no doubting their delight as a last-gasp revival saw them come from behind in added time to clinch the Tyrone Junior title at the expense of Aghaloo.

But now that the dust has settled on that triumph, the stage is set for their return to action.

“We’re really looking forward to playing in Ulster. The Derry champions are always going to be strong and we’re sure Craigbane will present a big challenge,” said their midfielder Dillon O’Neill.

“It’s great for us to keep this season going. We’ll not be taking anything for granted against Craigbane, but hopefully things will go well.

“At this stage, the main aim is to take one game at a time and see where that takes us over the next few weeks.”

Tyrone teams, of course, have performed brilliantly in the Ulster Club Intermediate and Junior Championships since they first began exactly 20 years ago.

Killeeshil are aiming to become the latest club from the Red Hand county to make their mark by clinching the Junior title. The Ulster and All-Ireland title races at those levels have grown steadily in stature, and the incentive of a Croke Park appearance for the finals is a massive one for all the teams involved.

For the moment, though, Killeeshil will be focusing primarily on Ulster campaign.

“Our win in Tyrone was unbelievable for us. We were doing well in the first half, then fell away until getting back into the game in the last five minutes,” O’Neill continued.

“It’s a great feeling for us in Killeeshil to have won the county title. It means that we’re up in Division Two for the first time in 11 years and we’ve all been just so proud of what has been achieved.

“I began my footballing career in Intermediate, and then went back to Junior. To be back up in Division Two now is a deadly feeling.

“Winning the Junior title in Tyrone means so much to this team. It’s massive for the whole club. We got to the Ulster Club final at that time as well, and hopefully we can reach that far again.”