Ballinagar set their sights on Croker date

HAVING already exceeded their wildest expectations in 2024, Ballinagar will be aiming for another spectacular high when they make the journey to Roscommon on Sunday to face Galway's An Cheathru Rua in the semi-final of the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship – a 1pm throw in.

An All-Ireland final place in Croke Park on Saturday, January 25 is the hugely attractive prize on offer and Ballinagar's form augurs very well for their prospects, their confidence is at a record high.

Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin of Donegal travel to London to face Tara GFC in a game billed as the Twinning Final this Sunday with the winners meeting Kilmurry of Cork in the semi-final.

While Ballinagar will have studied An Cheathru Rua at length over the past few weeks, this is a step into the unknown for them. The Galway club have a national reputation and is the home of 1998 and 2001 All-Ireland winning heroes, Sean Og de Paor and Sean O'Domhnaill.

They won their only Galway senior football title in 1996 and while they have slipped way back since then, they have been in excellent form this year. In Connacht, they defeated Mayo's Cill Chomain, 1-11 to 0-7 in the semi-final and Sligo's Ballymote Round Towers, 4-12 to 2-10 in the final.

The Connemara club have a very strong team and they will provide Ballinagar's stiffest test yet. The Offaly intermediate champions, however, have improved significantly as the year has progressed and they are well capable of another big performance.

They recovered from a blip and poor displays against St Brigid's and Tullamore in the group stages of the Offaly Intermediate Football Championship to hit the ground running in the knock out stages. They beat Kilcormac-Killoughey, St Brigid's and parish rivals Raheen to take the title and that would have been the absolute summit of their ambitions at that stage.

However, they quickly decided that they would give the Leinster junior campaign a go and they have reached a new level here. In bonus territory and with the pressure that accompanied every game in Offaly removed from their shoulders, Ballinagar have played with a new sense of freedom and embraced the challenge.

Everything took off after an easy first round win over Ballon of Carlow. They survived two real tough games in their next two outings, requiring extra time to beat Wolfe Tones of Louth in the quarter-final while they had a point to spare, 0-9 to 0-8, against Kildare's Ellistown in the semi-final.

That game could have went either way and Ballinagar produced their second best display of the year to beat Meath's Dunsaney, 2-9 to 0-8, in the final – their 2-8 to 1-8 Offaly intermediate final win over Raheen was their best as that was Ballinagar's holy grail and the local derby element with all the family ties meant there was huge pressure on here.

Dunsaney were a much more mediocre outfit that anyone anticipated but the manner in which Ballinagar controlled the game from start to finish was still hugely impressive and sets them up very well.

It is the best year of Ballinagar's long history by a country mile and the whole community has rallied behind the team. They have a huge amount going for them and are unique for a third tier side in that they have a handful of players at or not far off county standard. Morgan Tynan, a hero as Offaly won the All-Ireland U20 football title in 2021, is their best known while Diarmuid Finneran, Adam Strong, Geordi O'Meara and Robbie Gallagher have represented Offaly at underage level in recent years and at least some of this five will be given their chance by Offaly senior football managers, Declan Kelly and Mickey Harte.

They won't all make the mark but the presence of five players who would fit into almost any senior football side in Offaly, gives them a very strong backbone. There are others who would also be welcomed with open arms by other clubs in the top flight and the short to medium term goal for Ballinagar is to make senior level.

They will compete in senior “B” in Offaly in 2025 and that will be another step up for them but Ballinagar's potential to play senior football is obvious.

All of that, however, is a story for another day and Ballinagar's only focus now is on Roscommon on Sunday. The Leinster club campaign has been great for them. Their key players have been performing very well and without the above named five standing up on most days, Ballinagar would not be where they are. The tier behind them, however, has made noticeable and quite significant improvements over the Winter. Some players have really grown into themselves and have clearly enjoyed playing against different opposition from outside the county.

It has been great to witness this and it really has been a magical time for all in Ballinagar. They are once again in bonus territory in Sunday's semi-final but the stakes are still huge. There is a rare opportunity to get to an All-Ireland final and play in Croke Park – only Morgan Tynan has played a big competitive game there – and this type of chance may never crop up again.

A defeat will be devastating for them but the indications are that they will be able to compete. You never know when you go outside your province at this level. Clonbullogue won the Leinster junior a few years ago and were well beaten by Mayo opponents in the All-Ireland semi-final.

That possibility is on the table for Ballinagar but it is no greater than their chances of making the All-Ireland final. We will have a fair idea after fifteen minutes. Against Dunsaney, it was clear within a few minutes that Ballinagar were the better team and we will know fairly quickly how closely matched them and An Cheathru Rua are.

It will be a great occasion for all in Ballinagar and their prospects seem to be very good. Once again, anything is possible for this fine, exciting, emerging side.