‘This game means everything’ - St Eunan’s College gear up for MacLarnon Cup final

St Eunan’s College captain Pauric Devine and his team are taking nothing for granted as they prepare to face Aquinas Grammar from Belfast in the MacLarnon Cup final.

The game takes place on Thursday Night in The Dub (Queens University playing fields) at 6pm and is being streamed Via Ulster Schools GAA TV.

The Letterkenny side ran out comfortable winners in the group stage of the competition over the same opponents, winning 1-27 to 2-11 in November in Maghera. 

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Devine doesn't expect that game to bear any resemblance to Thursday's final.

“The scoreboard really flattered us on the day,” he said. “From watching Aquinas ever since, they're a completely different side. They're a completely different outfit. But so are we. You know, we've improved since. We've got better.”

And it’s the work that the team has put in all year that Devine hopes will carry his side over the line. 

“I suppose we would have met up in the back end of September and discussed, most importantly, how it was five years since the college won a senior game,” he said.

“We admitted ourselves, that’s not good enough for a school with such a history in Gaelic games”. 

The school has won the Ulster Schools B competition on five occasions, with members of successful teams down the years like Michael Murphy, Shaun Patton and Colm McFadden - currently a vice-principal and backroom team member with his brother-in-law Jim McGuinness at Donegal seniors. St Eunan’s successes came in 1968, 1979, 2000, 2007 and 2014. St Eunan’s also contested the finals in 1985, 1996 and 2018, losing to Holy Trinity from Cookstown after a replay. 

“We set out this year that we were going to put a bit of pride back in the college, and that discipline that nobody else sees is what helps you along the way,” Devine added.

The team is managed by Peter Devine - no relation to Pauric - who was part of the 2007 winning team. 

“This game means everything, it’s an Ulster final,” Pauric Devine added. “And knowing you have the backing of your club, your school, your county. We're keeping our heads down. We know we have a mission to do. And, you know, hopefully on the day we can complete that mission”.

The journey began in Maghera at the start of November as St. Eunans claimed their first senior competitive victory in five years against a well-organised Aquinas team, 1-27 to 2-11.

After a game against St Patrick's, Keady was called off, St Eunan’s made another small piece of history by playing the first senior game on the school's pitch in 16 years, running out 14-point victors over St Pius X Magherafelt in December, 3-16 to 1-8.

In the last game of the group, St. Eunans travelled to Cookstown to play Holy Trinity in a game where both teams had already qualified for the knockout rounds. St Eunans made it three from three by the finest of margins.

Topping the group came with the reward of bypassing the playoff round and heading straight to a quarter-final, where St Eunan’s met a tough St. Malachy's Castlewellan outfit. 

St Eunan’s looked to be heading out of the competition with 10 minutes to go as they trailed by five; however, they rallied spectacularly. A goal from Jonah Cannon and a handful of points in the dying stages got the Letterkenny men over the line to win 1-15 to 1-10.

There was familiar opposition in the semi-final as Peter Canavan’s Holy Trinity Cookstown team came to O’Donnell Park, which was packed with students from the College. 

Three first-half goals from Jack Duddy, Matthew McGinley and Jack Robinson ultimately sent them into their first final in eight years on a 3-13 to 1-12 scoreline. 

St. Eunans Panel: Cormac Crossan (Letterkenny Gaels), Mark Galvin (St. Eunans), Liam McGinley (Glenswilly), Noah Casburn (Glenswilly), Cathal Doherty (Letterkenny Gaels), Evan Daly (St. Eunans), Cormac Cassidy (Termon), Pauric Devine (Glenswilly), Callum McGilloway (Letterkenny Gaels), Jack Duddy (Glenswilly), Matthew McGinley (Glenswilly), Jack Robinson (St. Eunans), Shea Boyle (Termon), Matthew Enright (Glenswilly), Evan Hickey (St. Eunans), Aaron McGinley (St. Michaels), Shea Sweeney (St. Michaels), Jonah Cannon (Glenswilly), Ryan Bradley (St. Eunans), Ronan Lynch (Naomh Colmcille),  Caolan McGarrigle (St. Eunans), Nathan Grant (Termon), Patrick McHugh (Glenswilly), Zach Gallagher (Glenswilly), Luke Kelly (St. Eunans), Daniel McClafferty (St. Eunans), Ryan Buckley (Letterkenny Gaels), AJ Curran (Glenswilly), Conor McGrenra (Glenswilly), Darragh Cullen (Glenswilly), Emmanuel Adeogun (Convoy), Michael Gallagher (St. Michaels), Fynn Sullivan (Glenswilly), Jack Murphy (Letterkenny Gaels), Jamie McFadden (Glenswilly), Kai Brown (Naomh Colmcille), Luca Cannon (Glenswilly), Niall Haran (St. Eunans), Oisin McDermott (Convoy), Shea Deasly (Convoy), Paul Mullen (Glenswilly).

Manager: Peter Devine (St. Eunans). Backroom Team: David O’Herlihy (St. Eunans) and Brian Diver (Letterkenny Gaels)