Ulster Club Hurling Championships

[Lecale2]

Results:
Sunday 7th October:
ULSTER JUNIOR HURLING CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP   
Armoy      2-10      Na Magha   1-07      Maghera
Setanta      4-16      Lisbellaw   1-12      Letterkenny
N Colmcille   4-16      Cmacross   1-06      Castleblayney   
Bredagh   2-10      Mullahoran   0-07      Kingscourt

ULSTER INTERMEDIATE HURLING CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP   
Liatroim         0-16                 Eoghan Rua   1-08   Newry
Eire Og           4-05                Castleblayney   1-08   Omagh     
 
Fixtures:

Sunday 14th October:

Ulster Senior Hurling Club Championship Semi Final:
Dunloy (Antrim) v Ballycran (Down) at Casement Park (3.30pm)
Referee: Martin Mulholland (Derry)

Dunloy will have far too much experience for a young Ballycran.


Ulster Intermediate Hurling Club Championship Semi Finals:
Cushendun (Antrim) v Liatroim (Down) at Casement Park (1.45pm)
Referee: Tiernach Mahon (Fermanagh)

Cushendun should be too strong for Liatroim.

Keady (Armagh) v Eire Og Carrickmore(Tyrone) at Maghera (2.00pm)
Referee: Tommy Mc Intyre (Antrim)

Haven't seen these two so I've no idea.

Ulster Junior Hurling Club Championship Semi Finals:
Naomh Colmcille (Tyrone) v Armoy (Antrim) at Maghera (12.15pm)
Referee: Brendan Sweeney (Cavan)

Armoy were a better team than Naomh Colmcille when we played them in the Ulster league so i'd expect them to get through to the final

[SimpleSimon]

Why are an Armagh and Tyrone team being taken to derry for a game? Is this not a home fixture for the Armagh team? Though carrickmore/Woody may have more away with the Ulster council!

[nrico2006]

I predicted initially that either Armoy or Setanta would win the whole thing.  The junior this year seems weaker than previous.  Colmcille would be the dark horses, they could run Armoy or Setanta close!

[Balboa]

I predicted initially that either Armoy or Setanta would win the whole thing.  The junior this year seems weaker than previous.  Colmcille would be the dark horses, they could run Armoy or Setanta close!

I dont think it is, it was weaker the year Strabane were in the final.

[nrico2006]

Ha ha.  What year, 2005 or 2006? 

[Balboa]

Ha ha.  What year, 2005 or 2006? 

The year Dork was in the stand with a disguise on.

[Guillem2]

Dunloy will have no bother with Ballycran on Sunday. I was at the Down final and I wasn't impressed. Ballygalget didn't play anywhere near their potential and the young Crans loved the big pitch. They not get it as handy against Dunloy. I also heard that Ballycran were on the p*ss for a week and that there were a few rows in the camp. All understandable when you've just won your first championship in 12 years but hardly good preparation for an Ulster Semi Final.

I reckon Dunloy are aiming to be in Croke Park next March whereas Ballycran have fullfilled all of their ambitions. Dunloy win have it won by half time if they want it enough.

[nrico2006]

Ha ha.  What year, 2005 or 2006? 


The year Dork was in the stand with a disguise on.

Good one!  2006 then!

An even better laugh is his Bebo site!

[Blacksheep]

Don't write Kevin Lynch's off in the final! They beat Portaferry and nearly took Cushendall last year.

[Whitehair]

The ballycran boys werent on the the drink THAT much, out drinkin the first few days, a few of the student lads went to training on the tuesday night but all the boys went home for training on the thursday night after they won The student lads have been off the drink for over a week.

[johnneycool]

The student lads have been off the drink for over a week.

Fuckin hell, that was big of them.

As much as I'd like the Crans to kick on after winning Down they are up against a very seasoned Dunloy who won't relent and I'm afraid the Crans have won their final this year and are happy with their lot. The same happened us 3, maybe 4 years ago when we won the Down with a lot of young lads who'd won their first senior Down title and were on the lash for the better part of the week. Dunloy hammered us off the park and I'd be mindfull that the same could happen again this sunday.

[Colonel Cool]

There was far too much celebrating done around the place for my liking and I fear it will show on Sunday. It's hard to hold young lads back when they've just won the first SHC in a dozen years. Ballygalget and Portafery probably would have been better prepared for a lash at Ulster but sure we'll do our best. This is a very young senior squad and if they stay focused hopefully we'll be competitive for a few years.

Well done to Bredagh & Liatroim for reaching the Ulster semi finals. Liatroim are lucky to be involved since Ballycran won the Down Intermediate title and they went out at the semi final stage but I'm sure they'll make the most of the opportunity especially now that the football's over.

From BBC
Ballycran ready for Dunloy clash 


Gregory O'Kane in action in the 2004 All-Ireland Club Final

Ballycran manager Dermot O'Prey says his players "have nothing to lose" in Sunday's AIB Ulster Club Hurling semi-final against favourites Dunloy.
The Antrim champions will be back at Casement Park (1530 BST) a week after edging out Loughgiel by three points in the Saffron county decider.

"Dunloy are very worthy favourites but we have nothing to fear," said O'Prey.

"We'll give them the respect they deserve but at the same time, we'll be looking to go and try and win."

Ballycran are playing in the Ulster Championship for the first time in 12 years, after ending their barren spell in the Down Championship and O'Prey acknowledges that Sunday's game will be a big occasion for the Ards Peninsula outfit.

"It means everything to the club. We've been too long in the doldrums and playing third fiddle to Ballygalget and Portaferry.

"To get to an Ulster semi-final is a bonus for us. To be playing Dunloy, who have been the standard bearers in Ulster for 10 or 12 years, is unbelievable."

  We know they are going to put in a tremendous effort again on Sunday

Ballycran manager Dermot O'Prey on his players

Ballycran went into the Down final against Ballygalget as underdogs but they went on to claim a comprehensive 1-13 to 0-9 success.

"Nobody gave us a chance against Ballygalget but the lads put in a tremendous effort that day.

"We know they are going to put in a tremendous effort again on Sunday. Hopefully, it's good enough on the day."

O'Prey says he was not surprised that Dunloy beat Cushendall and Loughgiel to claim the club's 10th Antrim title.

"They have a good mixture of old hands with Gregory O'Kane, Ally Elliott and the Richmonds and that bit of young talent as well.

"They have the ideal mixture for winning championships. I knew the motivation was there for them to win a 10th Antrim title.

"People wrote them off a year or two ago but you never write Dunloy off."

Dunloy forward O'Kane insists that he has just as much admiration for the Ballycran team.




Alistair Elliott hit a vital 1-4 for Dunloy in the Antrim final

"Dunloy will be installed as favourites - I don't know why - because Ballycran will certainly be coming with all guns blazing.

"A team can come of age during a champinoship and it sounds as if this Ballycran team has fully made that breakthrough."

However, while O'Kane professes huge admiration for Ballycran, Dunloy will go in as strong favourites after their impressive win over luckless Loughgiel last Sunday.

There will have been celebrations in the North Antrim village after last weekend's sweet success over their bitter rivals but the real prize for Dunloy this season is getting another crack at the All-Ireland stage.

The prospects of the likes of Gregory O'Kane and Alistair Elliott winning All-Ireland Club medals seemed over when the club suffered a fourth heartbreaking defeat in the All-Ireland decider in 2004 against Newtownshandrum.

But after seeing Cushendall claim the Antrim titles over the last two years, the Dunloy veterans, spurred by their young team-mates, summoned up one more push to keep the dream alive.

Like O'Kane and Elliott, Colm McGuckian is in the mid-30s while Sean Mullan is a year short of his 40th birthday but is playing better than ever.

Dunloy should set up a decider against Kevin Lynchs.

[Balboa]

Colonel Cool, what do you put Ballycrans success in Down championship to? Youse have struggled in the league with only one win.

[Bacon]

Heading for caement now and I'm probably alone on this board in thinking that Ballycran have a chance. Their young forwards will love the open space at Casement and I can actually see them winning. We'll all know by 4.45.

[Lecale2]

The senior semi final finished in a draw. Ballycran 3-12 2-15 Dunloy. Excellent game that Ballycran could have and probably should won. Instead they needed a point in injury time to equalise. The young Ballycram forwards threaten the Dunloy goal throughout the game and they should have scored more than 3 over the 60 minutes. The first Dunloy goal was from a very soft penalty but they took some great points from play when they found their ranage.
One of the McMullans from Dunloy suffered a bad looking injury right at death. It seemed be a clash of heads with one of his own players. I hope he's ok.

Liatroim beat Cushendun in the Intermediate Semi Final by 3 points.