By Niall Gartland

LET’S not get too arty-farty but Gareth McKinless’ presence on the field of play in Ballinderry’s Ulster Intermediate semi-final win over Derrylaughan had a touch of Schrödinger’s Cat about it.

The Oakleaf star was sent off in the Derry final replay against Faughanvale for two yellows but alleged verbals meant the 2023 All-Star was hit with a ban.

So he sat out their Ulster Championship opener against Carrickcruppen, but was a late, late inclusion for their last-four date with Derrylaughan. He hadn’t yet been exonerated, but was handed what we’ll call a ‘temporary reprieve’ by the Disputes Resolution Authority (better known as the DRA) as his case hadn’t yet been heard.

Until last weekend, it was still up in the air whether he would be permitted to play in this coming Saturday’s Ulster showdown against Arva as he’d only served one half of his initial suspension.

It was confirmed by Gaelic Life journalist Michael McMullan that his suspension had been lifted, however, so he can train this week safe in the knowledge that he can partake on Ulster final day.

McKinless acknowledges it’s not been straightforward but at the same time insists he hasn’t let it affect his own preparations.

“It’s been a tough two-three weeks or more. More so on the coaching aspect of things with Jarlath (Bell) and Davy (Harte) being a bit up in the air about me maybe not playing and having to switch things about and devise plans for teams with me in the team or maybe not in it. It has been hard that way but in my own self I tend to deal with those things kind of well. I just block it out and try and keep lazer focus.”

McKinless collected a shiny Ulster medal when he was only a teenager back in 2013, a hardened Ballinderry sweeping aside Glenswilly in the final. It was the end of something, though – they’d won seven Derry SFC titles since 2001 but haven’t made it back to a senior county final since losing out in 2014 to new kids on the block, Sleacht Néill.

Asked if they took his early success for granted, McKinless said:

“I probably did. I probably thought what every young lads thinks, that this happens every year. That quickly came to a close the following year when we got beat in the Derry final.

“It’s been a long way to get back to where we are now but we’re starting to do things the right way again.

“It’s a coincidence – Newbridge won the senior title this year and seven years ago they played Faughanvale in the Derry Intermediate final and we played Faughanvale this year. So that pathway has been set by them.

“Maybe we could take a similar pathway and if it took seven years, I would take seven years.”

But for now, dreams of making it back to the very summit of Derry club football can wait. They’ve made it back out of the Intermediate ranks at the first time of asking under his fellow clubman Bell, and now they stand on the cusp of a provincial title.

On a personal level it hasn’t been easy between one thing or another – injuries a particularly prominent theme of his year’s work – but he’s made it back to full fitness and if he brings his ‘A’ game this Saturday, Ballinderry shouldn’t be too far away.

“It’s the same as anything – you set out on the season with particular goals, personal goals and team goals and sometimes you don’t achieve them. There are reasons for that but that’s for sitting down and trying to reflect and getting feedback and ultimately trying to rectify them. Personally I picked up a few injuries and I was injury-plagued this year whether it was hamstrings, I broke my hand, I broke my nose…

“It took a while to get into the swing of things but I’ll hopefully be ready to rock for the new season.”

McKinless’ family is steeped in Ballinderry football through the ages – and it was his father Martin who led them to their aforementioned provincial success back in 2013, as McKinless explains.

“My father was the last winning manager – he took us in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and he was involved in the two previous wins in 2006 and 2008.

“We won Ulster in 2013 and I give my Da a bit of a hard time but Crossmaglen were always a bogey team for us – it was a Cross team filled with All-Stars and fantastic players.

“We could potentially have had an All-Ireland in 2013 but we fell short against St Vincent’s and that was one, in hindsight, that we let slip.

“His father Jim was heavily involved in the club as well so it has transcended down through the generations but, as the man said: ‘If you weren’t at it, what else would you be at?’”

Ballinderry may carry the name, but Saturday’s final against Cavan side Arva is no gimme.

Arva won last year’s All-Ireland Junior Championship and haven’t come out on the losing side of a championship match at any level since 2022.

“We sat down and had a look at them. Their win over Magheracloone because everybody was thinking Maghercloone was another team to beat. Getting over that is an unbelievable achievement for them and it coincides with where they’re at as a club winning an All-Ireland last year. Regardless of the grade, it’s an All-Ireland win and it’s an unbelievable achievement for them and credit to where they’re at as a club and a senior team.

“They’ll be gunning to win an Intermediate Ulster as will we and hopefully we can come out on top.”