Burns eager to get going with Donegal's U-20 hurlers

Burt clubman Paul Burns, the new Donegal U20 hurling manager, is not hanging around when it comes to getting down to business and putting a panel together for the season ahead.

The three-time All-Ireland championship winning goalkeeper - one Lory Meagher Cup and two Nickey Rackards - is holding trial this weekend.

“We are holding a trail this Saturday evening at the County Training Centre in Convoy at 5 o’clock and I hope to start training next week and have a challenge the following weekend,” said the new boss who is joined by former county team mate and Sean MacCumhaills clubman Lee Henderson and Offaly native Declan Sherlock in his management team.

“Lee will act as a selector and mentor and Declan will coach the team,” Burns added. “I’m delighted to have the two of them on board. Lee was the county’s leading forwards and top marksman for a number of years and Declan is from Birr in Offaly and is living up here in the North West.

“He is a highly respected coach/trainer and he has coached a number of club teams in Donegal and Tyrone. We hope to train twice during the week and have games at the weekend. But that will depend on the availability of players.”

Donegal will play in the Ulster U-20 development league and in the All-Ireland U-20B championship for the Richie McElligott Cup. Donegal, Derry, Down and Armagh are the four teams that make up the Ulster Development league - it gets underway in just over four weeks time on February 19.

Each team has three games and the games are played on a home and away basis. Donegal have two home games and just the one game away.

Donegal begin with a home fixture in Convoy against Down followed by an away tie to Derry in Owenbeg and home before wrapping up the league with Armagh coming to Convoy.

“The league is just a warm up competition for the All-Ireland U20 B championship which gets underway at the end of March,” Burns added. “The league will be used to put a team together and get the right combinations for the All-Ireland championship because we would like to do well in the championship.”

Burns who stood between the Donegal sticks for the best part of a decade, when injury cut short his career at 29.
“Andrew Wallace brought me into the senior squad at the end of 2009 and my last game was against London, in the Christy Ring Championship in 2019 in Carrickmore.

“I suffered a bad ankle injury in that game and I missed all of 2020 with the injury. I returned for the club last season but did not return to the county.

“I have been coaching the underage teams at the club from U6 right up to minor for the last 10 years and I managed the minors to win the championship. I enjoy coaching and it is now a matter of stepping a level at county.

“But it is a challenge I’m looking forward to. There are a lot of good young hurlers in the county and I’m looking forward to working with Lee and Declan.

Burns was interviewed for the job by a three-man committee made up of county chairman Mick McGrath, county treasurer Alan Boyd and county coaching officer Michael McGeehin.