St Brigid’s take on ‘Blayney for a place in the Paul McGirr semi-finals

St. Brigid’s (Antrim) v Castleblayney Faughs (Monaghan)

The first quarter-final of the 2026 Paul McGirr Ulster U16 Club Championship throws in at Páirc Ghearrdhroma on Sunday at 12 noon, as Antrim champions St. Brigid’s take on Monaghan kingpins Castleblayney Faughs, with both sides eager to secure their place in the semi-final draw.

A commanding performance in the Antrim Championship final, where they defeated Dunloy by 1–15 to 0–09, has earned St. Brigids a return to a tournament in which they were regular participants during the previous decade. The current crop will be hoping to emulate the achievements of the club’s 2014 team, which included future senior championship winners Patrick and Joe Finnegan, along with James Smith, as they reached the Paul McGirr final before eventually losing out to Burren.

Rudy Doyle, Lorcan Gallagher and captain Senan McMahon form a formidable defensive unit, while Patrick McAleer and Oliver Vincent will be looking to establish midfield dominance. Up front, the elusive corner-forward Aidan Holmes will be hoping to carry his impressive county final scoring form into Sunday’s encounter.

St. Brigid’s manager Barry McMahon, a Tyrone native, is confident in his side’s abilities and is relishing the opportunity to test his players against some of Ulster’s finest.

“Naomh Bríd GAC are delighted and looking forward to taking part in the prestigious Paul McGirr U16 Ulster Tournament,” said McMahon. “Our club has had a memorable season already, with our seniors securing our very first county championship. Our U16 squad replicated the achievements of their senior clubmates with some superb performances throughout their victorious county campaign. We hope we can maintain our good form against Ulster’s finest in the weeks to come.”

Monaghan champions Castleblayney Faughs make the journey to Páirc Ghearrdhroma knowing that, if they reproduce their undoubted ability, they will have every chance of progressing to the Ulster semi-final.

An impressive championship campaign saw the Faughs register some sizeable scores along the way, culminating in a 0–14 to 0–09 victory over a talented Truagh side in Clones to secure the county title and bring silverware back to one of the sleeping giants of Monaghan football.

Manager Michael Gurn and his management team will have done their homework on St. Brigids and will be well aware that a significant performance will be required to advance. However, they will travel with confidence following their impressive county campaign.

“Our U16s came through a competitive U16 championship campaign, beating Scotstown in the semi-final and a strong Truagh side in the county final on September 26th. Our joint captains, Brennóg Tavey and Aaron O’Connor, are looking forward to the challenge ahead and the novelty of playing club teams from other counties in competitive action,” said Gurn.

This promises to be a fascinating encounter between two evenly matched sides, with very little separating them on paper. St. Brigids’ overall panel strength could prove decisive, but Castleblayney are a physically imposing outfit and will certainly not be overawed by the occasion. The Faughs will be determined to make their mark on the competition and become the first club from the Farney County to lift the prestigious Paul McGirr Cúchulainn Trophy.

With a place in the semi-final draw at stake, both sides have plenty to play for, and Sunday’s opening quarter-final looks set to provide an intriguing contest.