THE ULSTER club championship makes a very welcome return to the fixture calendar this year after a covid forced hiatus from the competition in 2020. The Ulster club championship is a great competition. Crisp autumnal conditions, evenly matched teams and passionate supporters give the games a unique and electric atmosphere. At junior and intermediate level in particular, seven or eight clubs enter a competition where they all believe they have a realistic chance of success.

Many of the clubs in the hunt for the intermediate and junior crowns will have emerged as champions from their own county having played only one or two games. Whilst winning a county title is always special and the victory to achieve it is often against the fiercest of rivals, the fact that it is often a one-off game to decide the winners, can take away from the sense of achievement slightly.

To be crowned Ulster champions at intermediate or junior level, clubs have to win at least three championship games against teams who will be very well matched and competitive at a similar level. This often leads to close and exciting encounters where players lay it all on the line in the quest for provincial glory.

There is also the huge motivation at getting an opportunity to compete in the All-Ireland series and fulfil the dream of all club players across Ireland, to step out onto Croke Park on All Ireland club final day.

The winners from the Ulster club series will go into the All-Ireland campaign knowing they have every chance of being very competitive. Results from the past decade or so show that Ulster winners, from all three tiers, have every reason for being confident after winning their provincial crown.

The Ulster intermediate competition will be contested between Carrickmore, Banagher, Middletown, Lisbellaw, Carrey Faughs, Newry Shamrocks and Castleblaney. All seven clubs will feel they have a really good chance at winning the competition and being only one win away from Croke park on All Ireland club final day.

It is very hard to call a favourite in the intermediate race. Middletown, Carrickmore and Banagher are all backboned by experienced players who have represented their respective County teams with distinction over the years. Carey Faughs will feel they have an advantage having emerged as champions from a very competitive Antrim championship and prevailed with five championship game-winning performances under their belt to date.

Lisbellaw players will be buoyed from success in the Lory Meagher competition with Fermanagh earlier this year. Castleblayney and Newry Shamrocks will both go into most games as slight underdogs. This will suit both clubs well and they will relish the opportunity at causing the upset as each game comes.

At junior level Na Magha, St Eunans, Carrickmacross, Naomh Colmcille, Cootehill, Craobh Rua, Ballela and Glenravel will be in the race. St Eunan’s probably enter as slight favourites on the back of an excellent win in the Donegal final over a highly-fancied Setanta team. Glenravel again have the advantage of emerging from the Antrim championship and the additional tests they have had to pass to this point. All the teams will take each game as it comes and hope to build momentum as they progress.

Na Magha will have extra motivation heading into their Ulster club campaign. The recent passing of founding member and club stalwart Sean Mellon will have been very sad news for all involved with the club. Sean was a highly-respected hurling man throughout County Derry and beyond, but he was rightly, most revered by his own people in the Na Magha club.

Sean gave decades of unbroken service, coaching at all age groups and working to develop and promote hurling in the city.

As long as the Na Magha club exists and hurlers from the city step out onto the hurling field, Sean’s memory will endure. They will desperately want to do him proud over the coming weeks.

At senior level, the semi-final pairing of Dunloy v Sleacht Néill is a highly anticipated match up. Sleacht Néill have had the upper hand on the last few occasions the clubs have met. Much of the talk leading into this game is that Sleacht Néill’s physical superiority may have waned as the Dunloy team has matured. Sleacht Néill will be keen to prove that this theory is a disservice to their ability as hurlers.

This, coupled with the fact that their players will be hurting from defeat against Glen in the Derry football final, will mean Sleacht Néill are highly motivated heading into this game. Like many of the games in the Ulster Club championship it is very hard to call a winner but it should be a cracking game of hurling. Ballcran will be in the long grass, waiting eagerly on the winners in the final.

An exciting few weeks lay ahead for the Ulster hurling community. Good luck to everyone who is lucky enough to be involved.