Ulster Colleges

[marty34]

If one of these regional teams win the Mac Rory Cup, can they go on through to the Hogan Cup semi-final?

[theticklemister]

This game is a pile of crap

[bennydorano]

Dunno why anyone would want to deny any young fella the chance to play at MacRory level.

Have spent £5 on the classico here. 2.0 to Maghera after 10. Magherafelt are a big physical looking side.

And I don't know why our forefathers bothered their arses creating and fostering competitive schools football, when they could have just run all star type games a few times a year, giving everyone a runout.

I accept that people have differing opinions on it. I've advocated for the 'Kerry' club/County championship approach to club football in Armagh myself, so I guess I'm consistent at least.

[bennydorano]

If one of these regional teams win the Mac Rory Cup, can they go on through to the Hogan Cup semi-final?

No

[SaffronSports]

Convent beat. Bit of a shock that?

[bennydorano]

1.6 to 8 to Maghera.

My god, HTF did Magherafelt lose that. Looked so superior throughout, Maghera got 1.1 in last few minutes. MF had a goal disallowed for a square ball that on the replay looked like an incorrect call too. Magherafelt's N11 Young probably MOTM.

[screenexile]

1.6 to 8 to Maghera.

My god, HTF did Magherafelt lose that. Looked so superior throughout, Maghera got 1.1 in last few minutes. MF had a goal disallowed for a square ball that on the replay looked like an incorrect call too. Magherafelt's N11 Young probably MOTM.

Shocking game of football!

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Did St Mary's not sneak it last year? This things level out eh lol

Would St Pat's be outsiders now (I know it's last 4)

[bennydorano]

Dunno, that's threw the cat amongst the pigeons a bit. Wouldn't be surprised to see Omagh get chinned at the weekend either.

[gallsman]

"Keep it for the big schools" attitude is no different to Leinster Rugby boys and their Schools Cup.

As for whoever made the daft argument that it's ok in clubs, but not in schools, because lads wouldn't really like other schools, really?! And they like other clubs?

[thewobbler]

"Keep it for the big schools" attitude is no different to Leinster Rugby boys and their Schools Cup.

As for whoever made the daft argument that it's ok in clubs, but not in schools, because lads wouldn't really like other schools, really?! And they like other clubs?

It's not "keep it for the big schools". It's "keep it for the schools".

[Wildweasel74]

The Convent may be big in numbers, but for many years form classes were 9/10 boys, 18 girls. There were less than 50 boys in an entire year. I was the only 1 played fball in my class before looking if anyone was any good or not. Even though we barely a team panel out 2yr groups (I remember 4th yrs on a small panel)and relied on the St Pius intake to have a decent McLarnon team. We wouldn't had it any other way, we were still St Mary's. We weren't great but I rather say I played for St Mary's that a Magherafelt combine. Things only started to change when Henry Downey came into the school.

[NotedObserver]

The Convent may be big in numbers, but for many years form classes were 9/10 boys, 18 girls. There were less than 50 boys in an entire year. I was the only 1 played fball in my class before looking if anyone was any good or not. Even though we barely a team panel out 2yr groups (I remember 4th yrs on a small panel)and relied on the St Pius intake to have a decent McLarnon team. We wouldn't had it any other way, we were still St Mary's. We weren't great but I rather say I played for St Mary's that a Magherafelt combine. Things only started to change when Henry Downey came into the school.

Then early 2010s a real focus was brought onto the football and st Mary's became a consistent threat at mcrory level

[J70]

"Keep it for the big schools" attitude is no different to Leinster Rugby boys and their Schools Cup.

As for whoever made the daft argument that it's ok in clubs, but not in schools, because lads wouldn't really like other schools, really?! And they like other clubs?

It's not "keep it for the big schools". It's "keep it for the schools".

Yet the competition, which is a little over 100 years old, has been won more than 70 times by just five schools, and 94 times by the top nine. The remaining eleven titles are shared between six other schools.

[thewobbler]

"Keep it for the big schools" attitude is no different to Leinster Rugby boys and their Schools Cup.

As for whoever made the daft argument that it's ok in clubs, but not in schools, because lads wouldn't really like other schools, really?! And they like other clubs?

It's not "keep it for the big schools". It's "keep it for the schools".

Yet the competition, which is a little over 100 years old, has been won more than 70 times by just five schools, and 94 times by the top nine. The remaining eleven titles are shared between six other schools.

Yet the likes of Magherafelt, St Ronan's, HTC, and St Paul's have all shown in the past decade that the difference between the "original" schools and everyone else can be more than bridged by hard work and a change of culture.

St Michael's have being proving since the start of time that patience is a virtue that will be rewarded at MacRory level.

Also I'd suggest it would be a more honest reflection on affairs if you were to focus the attention of your statistical breakdown of winners to the past 50 years. Prior to that it was a closed shop. Armagh, Cavan and Monaghan have 35 MacRory Cups between them (out of 100). Which suggests dominance. Until you see that it includes a grand total of 2 since 1972.

——

I really don't like the vibe of moral high ground I'm getting from some posters about this.

What is being created here is an Animal Farm type of equality.

There was a genuine sanctity to MacRory football up to this point. Did some schools  find ways and means to enrol students who weren't fit for further education? Of course. They all did. But ultimately every player was always part of a singular, clearly defined institution, each with a defined culture for Gaelic Football.

Should this Donegal experiment prove successful, then what next?

I mean how would you feel if Abbey CBS and St Paul's had a look at their Rannafast campaign this year and decided to join forces for 2026/27 MacRory?

And then what if St Colman's asked to get involved too?

Or if Dungannon, Donaghmore and HTC had a lightbulb moment that they each have 3 outstanding players and if combined would be unbeatable?

Maghera and Magherafelt then bury the hatchet to beat the common enemy.

And what do we end up with then? Well we end up with a smaller number of teams competing at top level "schools" football, and the same 180-190 players who play county minor football, enjoying an almost identical competition except they're representing a different region than their county, and some of their teammates at county become opponents in "regional schools level conglomerates" and vice versa. Meanwhile there's 180-190 lads who would have got MacRory football previously, get to watch their star colleagues playing for "school" as well as county.

Is this implausible? No it's not. Because there's just no sanctity to a competition that was designed for school v school, when schools can randomly and willy nilly merge with each other to create franchises. There is nobody on earth can devise competition rules whereby it's okay for some schools to merge but not others. Nobody.

So take your equality high horse and please ride out of town. There's a wonderful and historic competition being ruined by your well meaning but utterly contemptible attempts to be everything to everybody.

And to repeat my original point. What makes this truly contemptible is that a competition - county minor football - already exists to provide the exact equality that you so readily seek.