St Patrick's Maghera gearing up for All-Ireland hurling semi-final

ST PATRICK’S Maghera have had seven weeks to prepare for this Masita All-Ireland semi-final. It was January 15 when they beat holders Cross & Passion Ballycastle in the Danske Bank Mageean Cup final to claim their 14^th title.

They now have the onerous task of attempting to become the third successive Mageean Cup winner to go forward to claim national honours. The All-Ireland Cup is named after former Kilkenny hurler and GAA President Paddy Buggy and it’s a Kilkenny side that they will face in the semi-final.

Coláiste Éamann Rís from Callan defeated Cisterian College Roscrea in the Leinster final by 0-14 to 0-12 three weeks ago. That final saw a Roscrea forward red-carded in the first half.  Conditions were difficult, as they were for many matches on grass this winter, and Callan relied very heavily on Cathal Russell frees to get them over the line – he scored seven frees including two 65s.

Captain Noel Cahill is a big threat at full-forward and there is a good presence in the half-forward line as well. While well-known Kilkenny clubs such as Dunamaggin, John Locke’s and Tullaroan are to the fore in the team, there are four strong players from Tipperary club Mullinahone there as well. The O’Meara brothers in particular are very good.

Maghera were flagged up as favourites for the Mageean Cup from well before the competition threw in. They had comfortably won the Foresters’ Cup this time two years ago and picked up a couple of new faces – Peadar Pio Peoples and Cailean Gallagher – at the start of the year. The new recruits fitted well into a team that includes half a dozen of the Hogan Cup winning team from last year.

It’s therefore a very experienced side who showed that experience by bouncing back from defeat in the MacRory Cup quarter-final three days earlier to produce a match-winning performance against Cross & Passion.

The four goals in the final were well created and executed by Rian Collins, Ultan McCloseky and Finn Cartin (two), while Antrim’s Odhrán Doherty co-ordinated a strong defence that did very well once they got on top of the threat from Cadhan Crawford.

However Callan look like a team that is capable of causing a lot more problems than any team that Maghera have met to date and the outcome of this game might well hinge on how well the Mageean champions cope defensively.

Going forward Maghera look as capable as the St Killian’s Garron Tower side of two years ago that bridged a ten year gap to the last time the Paddy Buggy Cup came north. But as happened in the Dub, they need to produce their best hurling on the day.