Abbey Vocational to make debut in MacRory Cup while five Donegal schools amalgamate

The Abbey Vocational School will participate in this season’s Danske Bank MacRory Cup for the first time in their history following on from their first-ever MacLarnon Cup and All-Ireland B final win last spring. 

This season’s A competition will see a record of 18 teams participating, an increase of two from their centenary event last year. 

The Abbey Vocational in Donegal Town will be one of three teams entering the Ulster school competition for the first time, while a second Donegal unit competing under the name Southwest Donegal will see an amalgamation of five schools in the county with Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair, St Catherine’s Vocational School, Coláiste na Carraige, Rosses Community School, and St Columbas Comprehensive coming together. 

The third new team is also an amalgamation covering the Derry City area, Cathair Dhoire. 

For the two teams that contain a number of teams amalgamated, they will be placed into a group of five with the opening games taking place before the Halloween break. 

While the two other groups that contain four teams will start a couple of weeks later after mid-term. 

The Southwest Donegal combination will feature in Group A alongside Holy Trinity, Cookstown; St Patrick’s, Armagh; St Colman’s, Newry and Our Lady’s, Castleblayney. 

While Group D will see the Abbey Vocational take their bow against St Patrick’s, Dungannon; Abbey CBS, Newry and St Paul’s, Bessbrook. 

Four teams from each group progress to the first knock-out round before Christmas and that means that just eight will go into 2025 still with a chance of collecting the first MacRory title of its second century on Sunday, February 9 in the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds. 

Group A (5 teams) 

Southwest Donegal; St Patrick’s, Armagh; Holy Trinity, Cookstown; St Colman’s, Newry; Our Lady’s, Castleblayney 

Group B (5) 

Cathair Dhoire; St Macartan’s, Monaghan; St Joseph’s, Donaghmore; St Mary’s, Magherafelt; Omagh CBS 

Group C (4) 

St Patrick’s, Cavan; St Ronan’s, Lurgan; St Patrick’s, Maghera; St Michael’s, Enniskillen 

Group D (4) 

Abbey Vocational, Donegal; St Patrick’s, Dungannon; Abbey CBS, Newry; St Paul’s, Bessbrook