Mullahoran embarking on new ground

By Shaun Casey

IT’S 47 years since Mullahoran claimed their one and only All-Ireland Club Championship title and the goal for Seanie Smith’s girls this Saturday afternoon is to reach the final for just the fourth time ever.

After winning the maiden club championship crown in 1977, they contested the next two deciders against Cork’s Newtownshandrum but lost out on both occasions and haven’t been back since.

This weekend, it’s Carlow’s Bennekerry/Tinryland that stand between them and the final and for Mullahoran, getting their hands on an Ulster title isn’t enough. They want to go at least one more step, even if it’s intermediate level now rather than senior in those prior final appearances.

“There are not many teams, particularly in Cavan, who have got to this stage,” said Smith. “Our last team was 1977, when we actually went the whole way and won an All-Ireland. So it is very rare, particularly around our area as well.

“It’s a great place to be for these girls, but when you get to a semi-final of any competition, you’d like to go one step further.”

Smith is expecting a serious battle against the Carlow side, who beat Dee Rangers of Meath in the Leinster final.

“They have a great tradition in Carlow. Their set-up is basically that they only have a Senior Championship,” Smith explained.

“They won the Senior Championship in Carlow, but they play in the Intermediate Championship in their province. We’re playing against essentially the Senior champions of Carlow, and they’ve been in 10 consecutive senior finals in Carlow.

“They have a lot more experience than us of playing in provincial competitions.

“There’s a lot of experience there so that’s something we’re mindful of.”

Smith reports a clean bill of health ahead of the game and hopes that the home comforts of Kingspan Breffni will play a role as well.

“We’ve been on the road in Ulster, we didn’t get a home draw at all just with the luck of the draw.

“We’ve been on the road, up to Armagh, to Donegal, over to Belfast, then obviously to Tyrone then for the final so t’s nice to get a home draw this time.

“Any of the niggles that we did have going into Ulster are still there but they’re being managed by the girls.”

Smith added that the girls’ hectic schedule has also eased up, another reason to be positive ahead of this weekend.

“The one wee bit of advantage we’re seeing now is a drop-off in the competitions for these girls, because the majority of our girls are u-16 or u-18.

“Between schools and club underage football, and then obviously their senior club football, it was a very, very busy, for a long time there. But we’re starting to see that dropping off a wee bit now as the year has gone on.

“That has been a huge advantage for us. Last week a couple of schools were beaten in their competitions, which is disappointing for them but on the other hand, it just gives some of our girls that wee bit of a break.”