Donegal schools set for busy start to 2026 in Danske Bank competitions

Donegal schools will be busy in January of the new year as most of the competitions in the Danske Bank Ulster schools’ senior football competitions reach the quarter-final stage.

At the top level Abbey VS, Donegal Town will play their quarter-final in the MacRory Cup on Friday, 9th January, with a home game at the Convoy Donegal Training Centre against St Mary's, Magherafelt with a 4.30 p.m. throw-in.

Abbey, last year's beaten finalists, will have their toughest test to date against Magherafelt, who have lost just once, to St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon.

For Abbey VS, who lost out in the Rafferty Cup final, and with the Four Masters minors losing against Dungiven, this is a good chance for many of those players to get back on track. 

The winners of this game will play either Our Lady's, Castleblayney or Academy in the semi-final. Abbey have already defeated Our Lady's on the way to the last eight.

In the other competitions there is a  big number of Donegal schools still involved. In the MacLarnon Cup, St Eunan’s, Letterkenny are already in the quarter-final and they will host Our Lady & St Patricks, Knock at a home venue.

Meanwhile in the Danske Bank Markey Cup no fewer than five Donegal schools remain in contention. Should St Columba’s Stranorlar defeat St Louis Kilkeel in the last of the play-offs, the county will definitely have two teams through to the semi-finals.

Stranorlar’s play-off was delayed as they were involved in the Danske Bank Casement Shield hurling final last week where they lost to St Michael’s Enniskillen. Carndonagh Community school await the winner of their play-off with Kilkeel.

There is already an all-Donegal quarter-final with Loreto Milford taking on St Columba’s Glenties. Meanwhile Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dóbhair will play Virginia College.

The only quarter-final not involving a Donegal school will return either a Tyrone or Down representative with St Ciarán’s Ballygawley slight favourites to take out a young St Mark’s Warrenpoint team.

Both the MacLarnon and Markey Cup competitions have an All-Ireland dimension in late February. So too does the Danske Bank Faul Cup.

While there are four Donegal schools in the mix, including Coláiste na Carraige and Coláiste Ailigh in separate play-offs, there are three from Cavan, two from Derry and Holy Cross Strabane.

Holy Cross will take on St Aidan’s Cootehill on January 9th, while a day earlier Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannaola in Falcarragh are up against last year’s beaten finalists Lumen Christi.

Largy College Clones will take on either St Clare’s Ballyjamesduff or Colaiste na Carraige who have their play-off on January 6th in Bawnacre. The other play-off is between the Gaelscoileanna of Coláiste Ailigh Letterkenny and Dungiven with the winner up against Kingscourt.

MacRory Cup quarter-finals

Wed January 7

Omagh CBS v St Patrick's, Armagh (Healy Park)

Thursday January 8

St Patrick's, Maghera v Abbey CBS (Owenbeg)

Friday, January 9th (4.30)

Abbey VS, Donegal Town v St Mary's, Magherafelt (Convoy)

Saturday, January 10

St Patrick's Academy v Our Lady's, Castleblayney (Stewartstown)

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup quarter-finals

Tuesday 13th January 3pm in Cherryvale: Aquinas Grammar v St Louis Ballymena

Rathmore Grammar v Holy Trinity Cookstown

St Mary’s CBGS Belfast v Dean Maguirc Carrickmore

St Eunan’s Letterkenny v St Malachy’s Castlewellan

Danske Bank Markey Cup

Play-off :

St Columba’s Stranorlar v St Louis Kilkeel

 Quarter-finals:

Carndonagh CS v St Columba’s Stranorlar / St Louis Kilkeel

St Ciarán’s Ballygawley v St Mark’s Warrenpoint

Virginia College Cavan v Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dóbhair

Loreto Milford v St Columba’s Glenties

Danske Bank Faul Cup

Play-offs

1.     January 6th 12.30pm in Bawnacre: St Clare’s Ballyjamesduff v Coláiste na Carraige, Donegal
2.     Coláiste Ailigh Letterkenny v Gaelcholáiste Dhoire

Quarter-finals

Largy College Clones v Ballyamesduff/ Coláiste na Carraige

Coláiste Dhún an Rí Kingscourt v Coláiste Ailigh / Gaelcholáiste Dhoire

Friday 9th January: Holy Cross Strabane v St Aidan’s Cootehill

Thursday 8th January: Pobalscoil Chloic Cheannaola Falcarragh v Lumen Christi Derry.