Ulster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship

Saturday 05.10.2013

Club

Ulster Intermediate Club Championship
Eoghan Ruadh Dun Geanainn (Tyrone) V Na Magha (Derry)
Pairc Owenbeg, Dungiven
Sunday 6th October 3.30pm (Ref Owen Elliot)

This Sunday sees the Ulster Intermediate Club Championship begin in earnest. This year’s competition brings together Tír Eoghain champions Eoghan Ruadh against Na Magha of Derry city. This is the first time that these two sides have met in competition, the latter being nominated as Derry’s Intermediate champions for 2013. Eoghan Rua of Coleraine will contest the Junior Hurling competition.

Na Magha was formed in 1982 and currently fields teams in all age groups from under 8s up to senior in both hurling and camogie. The club plays out of Pairc Na Magha in Derry City. Like their counterparts this Sunday, they are solely devoted to the caman game. While there are a plethora of Gaelic football clubs in and around the Maiden City, hurling has only one beacon in the form of Na Magha.

The club currently plays in both the Derry, Antrim and Ulster leagues and currently sit mid- table in the Antrim Junior league, playing against the likes of Bredagh, Creggan, Rasharkin and of course Tyrone’s Naomh Colm Cille. While they may play mainly in the junior ranks they do have several players who have played county level for Derry, at perhaps a level above that experienced by any Tyrone hurlers. The most notable of these is possibly Alan Grant who was good enough to hold down the centre half forward berth for Derry this year. The same player won an All Star in 2012 for his displays in the Christy Ring Cup. Others to have featured include; Barry Robinson, Brendan Quigley and Diarmuid Shields.

Eoghan Ruadh are champions of Tyrone after a fairly convincing victory over old rivals Carrickmore in this year’s county final. After a disastrous 2011 which saw many pundits predict the club’s absence as serious championship challengers for several years, the current batch of players have reacted in the best way possible, winning back to back senior championships, indeed, in 2012 they won every hurling honour that Tyrone had to offer from under 14 to senior. They were disappointed with their overall display in Ulster last year, losing out to Cuchullains of Armagh in the semi final. This year has seen more emphasis on retaining their championship and focusing on the latter end of the season. Ironically, they defeated Na Magha in the Kilmacud Sevens Shield in the qualifying rounds before going on to defeat Keady in the final. Indeed it is to the “Sevens” where both clubs have always encountered each other, with the Tyrone men holding the edge. Of course that win was achieved at a cost as centre back and captain Stephen Donnelly suffered a serious injury from which he is unlikely to recover in time for Sunday’s game. They will however hope to advance further this year and show the style of hurling of which they are capable.

Generally players can be more expressive in Ulster after overcoming the burden of winning their county title. It’s often a bonus to be playing at this time of year, and, with the weather set fair for Sunday, probably much better than that encountered over the past few weeks, the Eoghan Ruadh players will be hoping to take another step forward.