St Mary’s on the All-Ireland trail again

All Ireland C Schools Hurling final
St Mary’s Magherafelt v Mitchelstown CBS
Saturday, Abbotstown, 2pm

TWO months after landing a first Casement Cup title, the senior hurlers of St Mary’s Magherafelt take aim on another piece of silverware.

They travel south this weekend in the quest to add All-Ireland honours after seeing off Rathmore in the Ulster final and edging out a tough an All-Ireland semi-final with Terenure College.

Mageean Cup champions St Louis Ballymena took part in the All-Ireland B where they lost out in the semi-final recently, but Magherafelt will be hoping to take the Michael Cusack Cup north on Saturday evening.

They take on Munster champions Mitchelstown who have former Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash in their coaching team.

St Mary’s Magherafelt won their second ever MacRory Cup title last season but have yet to top it off with a Hogan Cup.

The school did win an All-Ireland B football title in 1994 with future Derry stars Johnny McBride and Joe Cassidy on board with an All-Ireland junior camogie title also coming north three years later.

Cargin’s Conhuir Johnston hit 1-5 in their Ulster win over Rathmore as they went one better than a final defeat 12 months earlier.

Derry senior footballer Niall O’Donnell is also on board with captain Luke Burns, Ulster final Man of the Match James Sargent, John McGurk and Leo Gribbin also key players.

St Gall’s man Niall Burke came into the school and now helps Proinsias Brolly coach the school teams with some of the players coming in from football only clubs.

Derry clubs Ballinascreen and Lavey have supplied many of their players, with a dozen coming from the latter who are the current Derry minor champions.

Today is another step into the unknown as they aim to add All-Ireland hurling silverware to their roll of honour.