McCrea wants Four Masters to turn minor success into senior glory
Four Masters have been dominant at Minor level for the last five years, but Jamie McCrea is looking for those players who have tasted success at that level to step up on Sunday when they meet St Eunan’s in the Senior B final (throw-in 1.15pm)
Jamie McCrea is one of the more experienced heads in a youthful Four Masters reserve side, and he hopes he can help the Donegal Town club take another step towards bringing adult championship success back to Páirc Tír Chonaill.
Four Masters face St Eunan’s in the Donegal Senior B final, looking to build on their Division 1B league title success in July and end a lengthy wait for reserve championship honours.
The side is packed with young talent coming through from the club’s remarkable run of five consecutive county minor titles, but McCrea knows translating underage success into adult silverware is another challenge altogether.
Having been part of the Four Masters reserve team that won the championship in 2010, McCrea has first-hand experience of the club’s previous triumphs and near misses. Now, he is hoping a new generation can help bring more success to the club, starting with the showdown against St Eunan’s.
“We have huge numbers at training, and the vast majority are very young, boys trickling through from the successful minor teams. Most are probably under 21, then you have a few of the elder statesmen that are hanging on like myself and Sean O’Kennedy. Ryan Haughey is a good few years younger, but he’s probably one of the older ones. Danny McGarrigle is still going and is a trooper, Brian Fagan, Aidan McHugh, and Emmett Doogan.
“Damien Dunnion is manager, with John Kennedy, Pauric Harvey and Emmet Gallagher helping out.”
McCrea is also the eldest in his family, who are well involved in the Four Masters panel between senior and reserve.
“Ethan is the youngest of us, and he’s in the reserve team and was in the minor team that won the county title. Josh was involved, but he broke his foot and hasn’t played much since. Aaron is in Canada, so he’s not playing at all for Four Masters, and Callum is up with the seniors.”
Four Masters beat Termon by 1-12 to 1-9 in the Division 1B final in July, so they have already tasted success this year, and they’ll be looking to do the double after a long spell without championship glory at adult level.
“The reserves over the years have been in a lot of reserve finals and semi-finals; we last won it in 2010, but we lost the final in 2011 and 2012, so we haven’t got over the line enough.
“There’s been no shortage of success at underage with Ulster titles, but it is underage and transitioning that into success at senior level is another thing, and that’s where us older boys need to step up and help those lads.
“But if we’re going to be successful at adult football in the next few years, it will be because of them minor players who will be the mainstay of the team, but it doesn’t automatically transfer from underage to senior success.
“I was on the periphery of the squad when we won Division 2 (in 2024), and I was in that 2010 reserve team, which was at the start of my adult career, and it is my only championship medal. We won the Minor A in 2007, but at adult football, there haven’t been many medals for Four Masters, and we’re hoping that can change fairly soon.
“Winning that league title was a good catalyst for the year and gave us confidence. We know championship is different, but we can take that belief into the game with St Eunan’s.”
But they have continued that form into the championship, winning all four group games before wins over Ardara and Sean MacCumhaills in the quarter-final and semi-final.
But St Eunan’s have been in top form through their Senior B campaign, so it will be a tough battle in MacCumhaill Park.
“In the group stage, we didn't know where we stood after it, we had a lot of team changes and we won most games comfortably but we had a few underwhelming performances, so going into the Ardara game it was a real indicator of where we were at and how far we could go.
“It was a real battle, but we got over the line, and it was the same against MacCumhaills. We started slow, but we got a few goals early on in the second half to set us up for victory.
“We know how tough St Eunan’s will be, but we’re happy to be in the final.
“They have a couple of big names, and they’re one of the most successful clubs in Donegal, so we’re probably going in as underdogs, but we have nothing to fear, and I’m confident we can put it up to them.”