Derry manager O'Neill eyeing second Richie McElligott Cup in three years
The Oakleaf boss calls on the wider GAA community to support his "exceptional" young hurlers as they chase All-Ireland glory
Kevin Lynch's clubman Ryan O'Neill will hope to guide the young Oakleafers to a second-ever Richie McElligott Cup when they face Roscommon in the All-Ireland U20 B Hurling Final at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday afternoon.
It will be a repeat of the 2023 decider, when Derry secured a 3-18 to 2-15 victory over the Rossies in Croke Park, in the Oakleaf County’s first-ever All-Ireland title at the grade. That side featured players such as Ruairí Ó Mianáin, Jack Cassidy and James Friel, and the breakthrough success proved a springboard for further progress as Derry followed it up with a first Ulster U20 Hurling Championship title since 2017 the following year.
O'Neill will be hoping another victory next weekend can provide a similar boost for a youthful squad, with more than two-thirds of the current panel still eligible for selection again next year. The U20 boss has also called on the wider Derry GAA community to get behind the team ahead of what promises to be a major occasion in Cavan.
“Reaching another All-Ireland B final is just massive for the hurling community in Derry,” he said. “Compared to football, hurling in Derry is small, but it’s by no means any lesser. We have amazing hurling people in Derry, and it’s always great to celebrate the talent that is coming through.
“I really hope that all the hurling clubs in Derry highlight these players and emphasise what fantastic hurlers they are and how much work they have put in to reach this stage.
"We won an All-Ireland B in 2023 and the year after we won an Ulster title, so these competitions can be massive.
“I really think that the clubs should be putting these boys in the shop window because the work they have done is unbelievable.
"What they have done for their clubs, their families and their parishes is something to be really proud of, and I’m so proud of each and every one of them.”
It has been a campaign of steady progress for Derry, despite difficult defeats to Tyrone and Down, as well as a narrow loss to the eventual Ulster champions Antrim.
Impressive wins over Donegal and Wicklow ensured Derry finished fourth in the Ulster round robin, with O’Neill targeting the All-Ireland B series at the outset of the season given the youthful profile of his squad.
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A dominant 1-19 to 1-5 victory over Donegal in Owenbeg secured their place in the final following a bye in the quarter final, where they will meet a Roscommon side that overcame Tyrone in a dramatic 5-10 to 1-18 semi-final win earlier this month.
Aware of the Connacht side’s quality and their motivation following defeat in 2023, O’Neill has again urged supporters to travel to Cavan in strong numbers. The game will also be free to air on the TG4 YouTube channel.
“All-Ireland finals don’t come around too often in Derry, so we need to make this as big an occasion as possible,” O’Neill added.