Ulster Club Senior
Football Championship
Loughmacrory (Tyrone) v Kilcoo
Saturday, Omagh, 7.15pm
(Live on RTE)
By Peter McGrath jnr
For the thirteenth time in 14 seasons, Kilcoo are preparing to embark on an Ulster Club Championship campaign. This year, their first outing pits them against Tyrone champions Loughmacrory, with the game being broadcast live on RTE on Saturday evening.
Kilcoo reached the provincial final last year when they also faced Tyrone opposition, losing by a point to Errigal Ciaran. They last won Ulster in 2021 (defending their 2019 crown as there was no competition in 2020), going on to claim All-Ireland Club glory in Croke Park with victory over Kilmacud Crokes. For comparison, in 2021, Loughmacrory ended their season at the quarter-final stage of the Tyrone championship.
Played in a straight knockout format, the Tyrone championship is renowned for its physical nature, its intensity, its drama, and the amount of different winners it produces. Even with that unpredictable nature, few would have had Loughmacrory picked at the outset to claim the honours this year. Even when they qualified for a first-ever County final, they were almost written off, with Trillick being installed as firm favourites in a two-horse race.
Marty Boyle’s men didn’t read the script, however! They were brilliant in the final. They played with pace and power, drive and determination, energy and intensity, and a firm resolve to leave no stone unturned in their quest for glory. They reached the promised land.
The trophy cabinets at senior level could hardly indicate greater disparity, but Kilcoo will not be resting on their laurels, and they’ll be well aware of what lies in store when they take the Healy Park turf this Saturday.
While Loughmacrory are newbies to the Ulster scene, breaking new ground hasn’t hindered them thus far. Having never previously even been in an intermediate final, let alone a senior showpiece in their own county, they took the game to Trillick with Ruairi McCullagh kicking six points from full forward and the fantastic young prospect, Eoin McElholm, named man of the match.
To say it was a community effort to get Loughmacrory over the line would be an understatement—Parish Priest Fr. McAnenly even moved the Sunday mass to Saturday evening to allow people to focus on the Tyrone final on Sunday.
Managed by Marty Boyle, Loughmacrory also have Ciaran Meenagh involved, and his intimate knowledge of Down club football will ensure they are well-prepared for Kilcoo’s threats. Loughmacrory were excellent around the middle in the Tyrone final, and Cathal and Gareth Donaghy (the latter scored the winning point) also impressed at times.
Kilcoo aren’t favourites for Ulster for no reason, though. Their experience alone is a massive factor. They’ve played 27 matches in the Ulster Club Championship since 2012! Additionally, in their own County final, the Magpies put in their most complete championship performance of the season. Aaron Branagan was superb, while Niall Branagan was quietly efficient as always. Anthony Morgan reminded everyone of his all-round ability, and Jerome Johnston reeled back the years.
Ryan Johnston was one of their most consistent players throughout the championship, and Paul Devlin—like a fine wine—seems to become better with age. If it might be seen as an overstatement to say he’s getting better, it’s certainly no exaggeration to suggest his vital importance to this Kilcoo side continues to grow. He won an amazing fourth player of the match award in a county final this year and finished as the Magpies’ top scorer with 1-25 (twice what their second-highest scorer, Niall Kane, registered with 0-14). With no haul of less than 0-5 in any match, Devlin will be key to Kilcoo posting a match-winning total in Healy Park on Saturday evening.
While Ryan McEvoy can expect a challenging evening, he has acquitted himself well with tough assignments in the past, and his no-nonsense style at full back has been a notable feature of Kilcoo this term. The drive provided by Miceal Rooney, Ceilum Doherty, and Shealan Johnston, among others, may just ignite too many fires for Loughmacrory to be able to extinguish.
The Tyrone champions will be keen, energetic, and hungry. They are likely to start with a huge enthusiasm, but with their knowhow and guile, Kilcoo can manage their way through that early part of the game, and Martin Corey’s side will fancy their chances of really putting their own stamp on it in the second half. A big second 30 minutes is anticipated from the Magpies, and that should see them over the line and into another Ulster semi-final.
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