The Hogan Cup ‘A’ Championship
St Brendan’s, Killarney v St Mary’s, Magherafelt
Saturday 26th Feb – 5.30 pm – Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan, Claremorris, Co Mayo. …
St. Mary’s Magherafelt, who collected their second MacRory Cup title recently when they defeated Holy Trinity, Cookstown in an excellent final at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh, face another stiff challenge on Saturday when they take on St. Brendan’s Killarney in the Hogan Cup semi-final.
The Kerry seat of learning won the Hogan cup in 1969, 1992, 2016 and 2017 and will pose a stiff challenge for the Mid-Ulster College and the long journey to Clairemorris is not ideal for Kevin Brady’s side but it is a challenge St. Mary’s will relish.
The Derry school has a strong representation from South West Antrim with three players from Erin’s Own, Cargin – Conhuir Johnston, Tom Shivers and Benen Kelly, Paul Duffin from Moneyglass, Sean Byrne from Portglenone and Sean McAuley from Creggan. Jarlaith McKeating from St Comgall’s in Antrim is also a panel member but has been out injured all season.
The Saffron Gael have been following the fortunes of St. Mary’s this season as we did back in 2017 primarily because of that Antrim connection and we carried previews, interviews and reports with photographs on their MacRory success.
We hope to have a photographer in Clairemorris on Saturday and wish Kevin Brady and his team our best wishes against St. Brendan’s and on the evidence of what we saw at the Athletic Grounds the Magherafelt side have the talent to overcome St. Brendan’s and advance to the Hogan Cup final.