Donegal look to add another chapter to Buncrana Cup tale

Donegal U-16s take on Tyrone in the final of the Buncrana Cup competition on Saturday at The Scarvey, Buncrana as the competition comes of age, throw-in 12:30pm.

Saturday's final will be the 21st Buncrana Cup with the first one held in 2000. Of the 20 that have been played - the competition was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid - Donegal have won seven times with Tyrone on five; Derry four and Monaghan three.

The competition has a new look this year with teams from outside Ulster taking part and Donegal were paired with Derry, Tyrone and Mayo. They defeated Derry and Mayo, losing out to Tyrone.

In the semi-final last month they produced probably their best display of the year so far, defeating Monaghan, who had topped their group by 2-13 to 3-7. Goals from Daniel Brown of Naomh Conaill and Naomh Ultan's Jack Hegarty ensured Barry Ward's made the final.

The Aodh Ruadh man says his side deserve it for the hard work they have put in. "Yeah, we're looking forward to it,” he said. “It's been a long year, training since January. With the new process, we had a game each month as well as a few challenge games. We have gradually built it up and it is great for the lads to be in the Buncrana Cup final and represent Donegal.
"However, it is not the be all and end all of it, but it is a nice step to be in it. It is another day out and the build-up and preparation gives the lads a great insight to what it is to be involved and is good preparation for them for minor level.

"It is a great time for these lads. They have come in at the start of the Academy and have received the best of advice and the best support structures. They are really enjoyed it; well I hope they are anyway," says Ward.
He agrees that Saturday's final against Tyrone will be another tough test like they had in the semi-final against Monaghan.

"That was a fabulous game and it would have been very pleasing for any neutral there. We bounced back after conceding goals and kept going and we were playing some great football at the end. That was thanks to a fantastic bench," said Ward, who praised all of his panel. We had 40 guys down there last night putting in serious effort. There was great intensity and effort being shown. We met Tyrone earlier but that is three or four months now.

“There has been a lot of water under the bridge since. Both teams have their county minors back and integrated into their panels," says Ward, He added that it was nice to have three Buncrana lads involved in the panel.

"That is nice for the club and I would urge as many people as possible to pop in on Saturday and give them their support."

Buncrana Cup history
Up until the year 2000 the Donegal U-16 development squad played in the Ted Webb Cup, which was organised in Connacht and mostly involved Connacht teams.

"This competition involved a lot of travelling and as far as I recall all of the games were played in Connacht," said Michael McMenamin, who was Donegal Youth Officer at the time. "In the late nineties I was involved with Martin McHugh in the Donegal U-16 development team who played in the Ted Webb competition which they won in 1999.

"After the 1998 Omagh tragedy it was decided by Martin, myself and John McConnell, County Chairman, to set up an U-16 Ulster competition in honour of those three boys from Buncrana and their two Spanish friends who so tragically lost their young lives in the Omagh bombing on the 15th August 1998.

"At the time it was set up it was a condition that the semi-finals would be played in Inishowen and that the final would always be played in Buncrana. I organised the competition in 2000 in which six of the nine Ulster counties took part which was won by Donegal by beating Fermanagh 1-17 to 1-10. In 2001 all nine Ulster counties took park and that year it was won by Derry.



Since 2002 the Ulster Council ran the competition and I understand that now Croke Park have an input into it. It seems the final this year was going to be played in Cavan until Buncrana club and Inishowen Board started to query it.

"I raised it at the last County Committee where I received very strong support from John McConnell," said McMenamin, who is happy that the final will be hosted by the Buncrana club on Saturday.

The competition is in memory of: Rocio Abad Ramos (Madrid), Fernando Blasco Baselga (Madrid) and three Buncrana boys Oran Doherty, Sean McLaughlin and James Barker.

Final results
2000: Donegal defeated Fermanagh
2001: Derry defeated Antrim
2002: Tyrone defeated Donegal
2003: Tyrone defeated Donegal
2004: Donegal defeated Derry
2005: Donegal defeated Tyrone
2006: Tyrone defeated Donegal
2007: Donegal and Cavan drew
2008: Donegal defeated Tyrone
2009: Derry defeated Tyrone
2010: Derry defeated Donegal
2011: Tyrone defeated Derry
2012: Donegal defeated Tyrone
2013: Donegal defeated Tyrone
2014: Monaghan defeated Armagh
2015: Monaghan defeated Derry
2016: Monaghan defeated Derry
2017: Tyrone defeated Donegal
2018: Donegal defeated Tyrone
2019: Derry defeated Donegal

Roll of honour: Donegal 7; Tyrone 5; Derry 4; Monaghan 3. 2007 game drawn.
Saturday next will be the tenth meeting of Donegal and Tyrone in a Buncrana Cup Final. Donegal have won five of those finals while Tyrone were victorious on four occasions - Donegal 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2018; Tyrone 2002, 2003, 2006, 2017.