McCann to experiment as Donegal tackle Tyrone in Convoy in McGurk Cup opener 

Donegal will open their new hurling season with a McGurk Cup quarter-final meeting with arch rivals Tyrone, at the Donegal Training Centre, in Convoy, on Thursday. 

The game will be the first of two meetings between the sides in the space of a little over two weeks. 

The sides are also due to lock horns in their opening game of the Allianz National Hurling League Division Three at the end of the month in a home tie for the Red Hands. 

“It is not ideal for either ourselves or Tyrone with the league coming up in two weeks, but it is the same for both teams,” said the Donegal boss this week. 

“Besides, there is not much the two teams do not know about each other, though I suspect we will be both holding back a little.” 

McCann reported before Christmas that Donegal will be without two of the county’s finest young hurlers in Stephen McBride and Shaun Ward for the season ahead. 

They are both members of the Irish Defence Forces and are currently away on a tour of duty.  

He also reported that the experienced duo of Chistopher McDermott and Michael Donoghue,  two central players in the Donegal setup for the best part of the last ten years, have called time on their inter-county playing days. 

St Eunan’s Sean McVeigh and Jack O’ Loughlin of Buncrana, two very experienced and established players, have also departed the squad. 

“In Sean’s case, it is a situation where he is struggling to shake off an injury and for Jack, it is down to work commitments that he has pulled out. 

“We are down six players from last year’s squad and we are very much in transition in the coming season. 

“We will have five or six debutants on Thursday night and that is the good thing about the McGuirk Cup - it will give us an opportunity to give the young players a taste of what it is like to play senior hurling”. 

However, the manager also confirmed that the squad has been boosted by the return of Nickey Rackard Cup winner and former Limerick All-Ireland U-21 winner Ritchie Ryan to the squad. 

Ryan, who is now living in Dungloe and playing with Dungloe, took a year out to clear up a number of nagging injuries.

McCann, who added Kilkenny native and former Derry player Shane Waldron to his coaching team in the close season, has also promoted a number of fresh faces to his playing squad. 

“It is good to be getting the game and if we win, it’s a chance to play another game at the weekend and that is what we are hoping to do. The extra game would be ideal in the run-up to the start of the league.” 

Donegal have four home games and three away in the third tier of the league, and they begin away to Tyrone on Sunday January 26. 

They are home to Armagh, the following Saturday, January 31. The winners of tonight's tie will face the University of Ulster Jordanstown in the McGuirk semi-final on Sunday in Jordanstown. 

The action in Convoy gets going at 7.30pm and the Donegal GAA board have announced that entry is free.