Abbey VS, Donegal Town make their MacRory Cup bow next Tuesday

Abbey VS, Donegal Town will create another chapter of history for the school when their senior boys team take on St Pat’s, Dungannon in the MacRory Cup on Tuesday next. The game has been fixed for Trillick at 2 p.m.

Abbey collected their first ever MacLarnon Cup last year when they defeated Our Lady & St Patrick’s College, Knock in the final in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh. They went on to lift the All-Ireland title a month later.

And now they step up to the A grade to play in the prestigious MacRory Cup.

“Yeah, it’s historic for the school. It’s a big day for the school to get out and playing again. We have been doing a wee bit of work on it,” said manager, Stuart McFadden.

As is natural, a good number of last year’s winning side have moved on to Third Level education including captain Seanán Carr.

“We’ve lost 12 of the squad that we had last year and eight of those would be starters, which is a fair amount.

“But to be fair, our 16s are coming through, which is the next crop. They lost two B finals at the 16 level, so they have been doing well within the school.

“And then obviously the Masters (Four Masters) minor team are about there, so we still have a good few of those there as well. We are looking okay,” says McFadden, who will be helped out this year by Colm Keown, an Erne Gaels, Belleek man.

“It is going to be a new experience and it will be unbelievable for the players to see the level that they can be playing at.  That has been the way for the big schools in the North all the time, the likes of St Michael’s, Enniskillen; Omagh CBS and the team we will be playing on Tuesday, St Pat’s, Dungannon. They were finalists last year.

“It is good to challenge the boys and it is good to get out and play at that high level of football.”

There are two teams from Donegal in the MacRory, which is also unique after an amalgamation of schools in the south and west of the county. They had their first game last week and started with a win over Holy Trinity, Cookstown. Prior to this year only St Eunan’s and PCC, Falcarragh from Donegal had competed in the MacRory Cup.

McFadden feels that the experience that will be gained by the players from both sides will be of great benefit. 

“It can only be good for Donegal football, to experience that top level of college football. It’s good to have two teams from the county.

“The training has been going really well and they are working hard. We have no expectation; we will take every game as it comes,” said McFadden.

Abbey VS squad: Aidan Quinn, Alan McHugh, Callum Doherty-Kennedy, Cian Gavigan, Conall Flannery, Conor McCahill, Christian Laffan Ward, Daniel McGinty, Darragh Griffin, Eoghan Gallagher, Eoghan O'Neill, Ethan McCrea, Gethin Mosby, Jack Bennett, Jake Quinn, Jon Farren, Kevin Muldoon, Kevin Rose,  Lewis McCaughan, Oisin Brogan, Oisin Doherty, Patrick McGonagle, Terence McGovern, Theo Colhoun, Thomas Lenehan, Tiarnan McBride, Tomás Carr, Turlough Carr.