Intermediate sides eye up opening round tests

By Shaun Casey

OVER the past number of seasons, just the finest of margins have denied Éire Óg success in Ulster.

In their last two voyages into the provincial series, the Tyrone men have lost by two points to both
Middletown (2022) and Setanta (2023).

Last year, it was in the decider that Éire Óg came up short but 2024 has presented the Carrickmore men with another opportunity of getting their hands on an Ulster title, although they’ll just be fully focused on the first game.

Carey Faughs stand between them and a spot in the final four and the Antrim champs are competing in Ulster for the first time in three seasons. Their 2021 stint was short and sweet, as they lost out to Éire Óg in the opening round.

To reach last year’s showpiece, Éire Óg had to see off Antrim opponents in Creggan Kickhams, and did so without much fuss, and they’ll be hoping for a similar passage through this time around.

Bredagh are back in the competition and they’re hoping to do better than last season, when they crashed out of Ulster at the quarter-final stages, losing to Creggan Kickhams by the minimum of margins.

This time, they take on Donegal side Burt, who will be buoyed by their championship final victory over reigning Ulster Intermediate champions Setanta, to win their first county title since 2018.

Champion 15 All-Star Liam McKinney is the leading light for the Donegal men, and he claimed a personal haul of 1-11 in that final, while Dara Grant and Kevin Curran also raised green flags in their surprising 3-16 to 1-21 triumph back in August.

Lisbellaw, Ulster finalists in 2021, have suffered their fair share of heartache in recent provincial campaigns, losing to Eire Og in the opening round via extra time in the past two seasons.

But the Fermanagh men will be aiming to take it a step further this season and they clash with Derry champions Swatragh in the first game following their five-point victory over Kevin Lynch’s in the Oak Leaf County.

Cahal Murray and captain Sean Martin Quinn rattled home the two late goals for Swatragh two weeks ago, while main man James Friel top scored on the day with 0-6, as they upset the odds to claim the title.

Elsewhere, Ulster Junior champions from last year, Castleblayney, begin their campaign with a difficult away trip to Middletown, who reached the Intermediate decider just two years ago.