The 2024 version of county final week is different for Conor Stewart. He is on the inside looking out this time.

One of a handful of key players missing from All-Saints’ defeat to Glenravel, Stewart recalls being there but he wasn’t really in the room.

Injured players are like that. You are there at training, offering a word of support and wishing everyone well. But you are not there. Not really.

Just 17 minutes into last season’s Tailteann Cup quarter-final win over Carlow in Corrigan Park, Stewart’s game was over. A knee injury followed by pain followed by worry followed by the dreaded few words.  His cruciate was torn.

Like Dermot McAleese, who was replaced before him with a jaw injury, Stewart’s first game looking over the whitewash was a double whammy.

It was a trip to Croke Park. Missing a chance to play on the hallowed turf was doubled up by watching on as Meath took advantage of Antrim failing to maintain a hold on the game.

By August, Stewart was under the knife before getting on the bumpy road back to covering the grass as one of those box-to-box players for club and county.

He is indebted to Antrim and physio Jason McAnulla. The fact the Omagh man endured two ACL injuries left Stewart in good company.

“That helped as well, Jason was someone that knew the niggles and the feelings I was going to get,” Stewart said. “I got a bit cautious at the start and he was just reassuring me.

“Over the 12 months, I was just working away with him. Then it would be sessions with Antrim and he’d be giving me the strength the conditioning work to do…guiding me through the whole return to play, so every step of the way.”

By the time All Saints qualified for last season’s intermediate final, Stewart, Paddy McAleer and Kavan Keenan – who was a hit in his first season with the Saffrons this year – were amongst the key players on manager Liam ‘Baker’ Bradley’s injury list.

In their absence, Glenravel had a smoother path to glory and All Saints – like after their defeat to Tír na nÓg in 2021 –   were the bridesmaids.

You have to go back to 2011 for the most recent of three intermediate titles. Liam Cassley’s goal was the key score as they came from two points down at half-time to have five points to spare on Portglenone by the final whistle.

A teenage Peter McReynolds kicked two points. Fast forward 13 years and he has shaken off a career threatening injury to returning to training, making him an option this weekend.

Emmett Killough and Paddy McAleer were young guns who are still on board. The experienced trio of Sean McVeigh, Peter McNicholl and Michael McCarry are still on board.

“Those boys are probably hungry for another one (championship) but for us young boys, this is our third final in four years,” said Stewart.

They crave their medal. A Tír na nÓg team managed by Baker’s nephew Michael O’Kane beat them in 2021 decider. Conor Stewart’s three points from midfield wasn’t enough.

And last year is still fresh in the memory. More emptiness. Defeat lasts longer. It cuts deep. That’s the nature of sport.

“Sometimes Baker would say ‘county finals don’t come down too often’ without really thinking and then he’d remember about the others,” Stewart jokes.

It’s not something the All-Saints squad shy away from. They use those painful memories enough to channel into a message of Saturday being a chance to right the wrongs.

“I definitely found last year’s defeat hard…just having to watch on,” Stewart recalls. “We probably were up against it; it was a strong Glenravel team and we were down a few men.

“Don’t get me wrong, we’d still be disappointed and still feel we had opportunities on the day to go on and win it but I’m sure Baker’s happier with the squad he has this year.”

Ahead of the 2021 final, there were knocks. There was last year and a handful of key men injured and on the outside looking in.

All the while, Stewart was a sponge as Jason McAnulla walked him down the road to recovery and coming on for Patrick Ferris in the last league game of the season, a win over Aghagallon on the familiar grass of Quinn Park.

Stewart’s point, with virtually his first touch put Ballymena six points up and on their way to a sixth win on the bounce to secure third spot in Division One and a semi-final against St Paul’s.

They’d more than met their target of staying clear of any relegation worries. With a mere 16 players available during the peak of holiday season, Ballymena came up short.

Now it was championship time. After hammering Gort na Mona, they came a cropper to Sarsfields and a hotly disputed disallowed goal in a one-point defeat at the hands of Sarsfields in the Bear Pit.

It was a wake-up call of sorts and All Saints’ championship odyssey took them to a semi-final win over Division Two champions St Paul’s after a blistering start.

Now they’re back where it matters. Its county final week and St Teresa’s stand in the way of a fourth title coming back to the shadow of Slemish.

“It’s sort of different from playing senior league and then going into the intermediate championship,” Stewart admits.

“We played St. Teresa’s a year ago in the semi-final but we haven’t seen them at all this year so you’re sort of not knowing what to expect.

“With that, you can only really look at your own group and your own performance so it’s all about us performing on Saturday.

St Teresa’s will give as much as we will but we’re just looking at a performance on Saturday. If we turn up, hopefully we can do the business and get over the line.”

Conor Stewart’s county final week is different. Twelve months on, he is on the inside now. All-Saints will hope their team’s fortunes will be different too.

In the build up to Saturday’s Intermediate Football Final in Toome Paddy McIlwaine speaks to St. Teresa’s stalwart, Philip Maguire. Philip has been an ever present for St. Teresa’s for more than two decades and was happy to give us his thoughts on how Saturday’s final might go.

Paddy: Philip at what age did you make your senior debut for St. Teresa’s and how long have you been a member of the senior panel?

Philip: I made my debut in 2003 aged 15 against Aghagallon, played at Sean Treacy’s Lurgan. Think we had the bare 15 and I was told to stand in corner forward. My first real season was the following year and I’ve been involved with our senior footballers ever since. 

Paddy: Tell me about the honours you have won with St. Teresa’s during your career and your spell with the Antrim football side?

Philip: To date I’ve won, junior (2009) and intermediate (2013) football championships. 

I’ve also won the junior hurling twice (2005 & 2008) and the junior B twice 2020 and this year with Belfast Saints Hurling Club which is a combination of St. Teresa’s and St. Agnes.

I would love to win another intermediate championship this Saturday. 

I represented Antrim at minor and U21 football and got a few run outs at senior level. 

Paddy: I remember your dad, Danny playing Senior Championship with St. Teresa’s and his long career with Antrim. How much of an influence has he been on your career?

Philip: Massive influence. Always encouraging me to train hard and improve. I’ve always wanted to emulate what my Da achieved for the club. Like most GAA families the club is everything. I remember going to my Da’s matches and trainings from no age. My granda was a founding member of the club and his dedication and commitment to the club has been passed on to my Da and now on to me! He has always encouraged me to play and brought me to club and county games all my life. He has also paid for a few pairs of boots down the years! 

Paddy: You have had a great year with Belfast Saints. I was at your semi-final against Larne and we covered the final as well. You have been in great scoring form. How many St. Teresa’s players from that side are likely to figure on Saturday?

Philip: The hurling has a great atmosphere around it. It’s a set of boys who all just want to play some hurling. The boys do all the hard work and I get to knock a few frees over. From it started 2 years ago, everyone has really enjoyed it. Boys from both clubs, St. Teresa’s & St Agnes would obviously like to be playing under our own club names but unfortunately the numbers aren’t there at the minute, so it’s the next best thing. Both clubs are planning on rebuilding hurling from juvenile up but that will take a few years.

From our club we have 6 or 7 dual players who will also be playing on Saturday. Colm McGoldrick, Pierce & Conor O’Rawe and Philip Glennon. There are plenty more footballers who are very good hurlers and will hopefully get involved next year. 

Paddy: St. Teresa’a have had a great season, reaching the IFC Final and gaining promotion to division 1. Last season you struggled a bit. What has been the difference this year?

Philip: I didn’t play any league football. That might be the reason! A few boys like to remind me of that.  I slipped a disc in my back and trapped a nerve so I’ve only been back involved from the start of championship. I think this year we got a decent preseason at the start of the year, won the first couple of games and build up some momentum and confidence. We won games that in previous years we would have got beaten in by a point or two. We’ve also got a few boys who are starting to mature into senior footballers. 

Paddy: St. Teresa’s and All Saints met in the IFC semi-final at St. Enda’s two years ago. All Saints won narrowly. What are your recollections of that game?

Philip: For me personally it was one game too many at the end of the year. I had been playing most of the year with a sore back and I hadn’t been training between the games trying to recover during the championship. From what I remember it was the goals that were the difference that day. Ballymena are a big physical team with a big squad. We’ve a small panel and I think we just run out of steam after a long year. 

Paddy: Who have been the St. Teresa’s players who have stood out for you this year and who you feel can influence Saturday’s game and how do you see it going?

Philip: From not playing in the league and doing nets in a few championship games I’ve been able to actually watch us play probably for the first time not really being involved. For me, Paul Johnston and Darren McCann have had a great season. ‘Janty’ has been excellent in defence and Darren has stepped up this year as captain and lead from the front. Hopefully these two and a few more have a big influence in the game. 

Paddy: Philip, as you may know I’m an All Saints man but I wish you all the best on Saturday. Looking forward to the game and seeing you and your dad in Toome, and may the best team win!

Philip: thanks for the coverage The Saffron Gael produces. It’s fantastic and the media coverage it does for clubs is brilliant. Fingers crossed you’re taking pictures of St. Teresa’s players and supporters celebrating after the game. Best of luck and I echo your sentiments. May the best team win! 

IFC Final – Toome 4-00pm

All Saints v St. Teresa’s

All Saints, Ballymena are favourites to edge the battle of the Saints when they take on St. Teresa’s in the decider in Toome on Saturday. The Ballymena men have enjoyed a good season when they returned to division 1 for the first time in a decade and confounded the pundits by finishing third in the division.

Despite that they played their football in the Intermediate Football championship but have found it hard to bring their league form into championship on a consistent basis.

They opened their group 2 campaign with a home win over Gort na Mona where they had matters more or less wrapped up at half time but their second half performance against the Mona Bye-pass outfit was poor.

A visit to the Bear-Pit on day two saw the All Saints indifferent form continue and they went down by a point to a Sarsfield’s side who hit a late point to put themselves in the favourites spot to top the group.

Sarsfield’s subsequent defeat to Glenavy on day three meant that All Saints visit to Chapel Hill on the final day of the group fixtures was a must win for both sides and the Ballymena side produced a much improved performance to qualify with Sarsfield’s for the play-offs.

On the other side of the draw St. Teresa’s had carried the form they had shown in a good division 2 league campaign into the championship. The Glen Road side finished in second place to St. Paul’s in the league in a season where they have shown marked improvement from previous years.

St. Teresa’s went on to top Group 1 in the championship group qualifiers with wins over Kickham’s Ardoyne, St. Teresa’s and Naomh Padraig and a draw with St. Paul’s to qualify for a semi-final meeting with All Saints conquerors, Sarsfields.

St. Teresa’s withstood a late rally from Patrick Sarsfields at Davitt’s Park to advance to the final.

In a game played with real championship intensity with no quarter asked or given it was the Glen Road side who led 1-5 to 0-6 at half time despite having a penalty saved in the 4^th minute.

Michael Bradley dived to his left to push away Francis Dugan’s spot kick but Anton Taylor climbed to get the final touch to an inviting delivery to beat Bradley for the game’s opening goal in the 9^th minute.

Sarsfield’s came back with an excellent goal from Miceal Ferris entering the final quarter to level the contest at 1-8 apiece but two quick points in reply from Francis Dugan and Niall McCann steadied St. Teresa’s.

The Stewartstown Road side threw everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents in the closing stages but a Gary Lennon point would be as close as they got.

Ciaran Murtagh in goals, Paul Johnston, Ryan Mallon, Conor O’Rawe, Darren McCann, Pierce O’Rawe, Anton Taylor and Philip Maguire will spearhead the St. Teresa’s challenge and they will travel to Toome with confidence.

All Saints produced a solid performance to overcome the challenge of St. Paul’s at sunny Hightown on Saturday and progress to the final of the Intermediate Football Championship.

The Ballymena side were in control from early in the game where they raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead against a strangely subdued St, Paul’s side who looked a little overawed by the occasion.

It would be 18 minutes before the Shaw’s Road outfit would raise their first score but by that time they had kicked half a dozen wides, some of them well off target.

The Slemish Park outfit went on to win 0-13 to 0-6 but will have concerns about the number of chances they missed on the day and may need a better scoring return if they are to win on Saturday

Paddy McAleer, Conor Stewart, Kavan Keenan and James McDonnell have been involved with the Antrim county team over the last number of years and Peter McNicholl, Sean McVeigh and Michael McCarry bring a wealth of experience to the All Saints challenge.

Baker Bradley’s side will start Saturday’s encounter as slight favourites and if the Ballymena side can produce their best form then they might just have enough to collect their first Intermediate title since 2011.