Re-arranged Tyrone decider leads off county finals
Tyrone team-mates Peter Harte and Liam Gray will be in opposition in Sunday's county final between Errigal Ciaran and holders Trillick
- Published
Friday night's Tyrone Football Final between holders Trillick and Errigal Ciaran leads off this weekend's six county deciders in football and hurling which includes four re-arranged games following last Sunday's stormy conditions.
Trillick will aim to become the first club to retain the Tyrone SFC title since Carrickmore in 2005 in what is a repeat of last year's final won by the MacCartan's outfit after extra-time.
Saturday has the all-Lurgan Armagh Football Final battle between Clan na Gael and Clann Eireann with a number of Kieran McGeeney's Sam Maguire Cup-winning squad in action plus the re-arranged Derry Hurling decider involving 12-in-a-row seeking Slaughtneil and Banagher.
On Sunday, Glen will aim for a fourth straight Derry Football title at Celtic Park when they face Newbridge, who will be playing in the club's first county decider in 33 years.
Sunday afternoon also sees the re-scheduled Fermanagh Final between Enniskillen Gaels and Erne Gaels plus the Monaghan decider between holders Scotstown and Clontibret.
Tight Tyrone tussle expected
Trillick's Tyrone battle with Errigal Ciaran is likely to be another tight affair after they needed extra-time to be separated 12 months ago.
Errigal Ciaran boss Enda McGinley will be hoping Darragh Canavan is passed fit after he had to go off in the closing stages of the narrow semi-final win over Killyclogher, when Peter Harte notched the decisive point.
Other key players for the Ballygawley-based club include include the other Canavan brother Ruairi plus additional Tyrone squad members Joe Oguz and Ben McDonnell.
In contrast to Errigal's semi-final victory, Trillick had 10 points to spare over Dungannon Clarkes in the other last-four contest which possibly marks them as favourites going into the decider at Healy Park.
Trillick, who are still managed by Jody Gormley, have a large contingent of Tyrone players past and present including the Donnelly brothers Mattie and Richie, the Brennan siblings Rory and Lee plus James Garrity, Ciaran Daly and Liam Gray.
The Macartan's outfit are aiming to lift the O'Neill Cup for the 10th time with Errigal Ciaran having won the county title on eight previous occasions.
Armagh All-Ireland heroes Barry McCambridge and Stefan Campbell will be in opposition in the all-Lurgan Armagh SFC battle
After ending Crossmaglen's hopes of a third successive Armagh title, Clann Eireann will be facing their Lurgan rivals Clan na Gael in the first final meeting between the clubs since 1968.
Clan na Gael won that game 2-6 to 0-8 to land only their third county title but while they secured a further 11 Gerry Fagan Cups over the next 26 years, you have to go back to 1994 for the their last triumph.
The Clans team includes Armagh All-Ireland Final hero Stefan Campbell, his inter-county team-mate Shane McPartlan plus other influential players Callum O'Neill and Jack Lavery.
Clann Eireann, who won the last of their three Armagh titles in 2021, have the greater inter-county representation with player of the year favourite Barry McCambridge joined in the squad by Conor Turbitt and Tiernan Kelly.
Other key Clann Eireann players include captain Conor McConville, Shea Heffron, Adam Kelly, who notched the crucial goal in the 1-10 to 0-11 semi-final over Crossmaglen, and Ruairi McDonald who is their top scorer in the championship.
Glen fancied for four in a row
After beating a strongly-fancied Slaughtneil side in the semi-finals, Glen will be favourites to earn a history-equalling fourth successive Derry Football title when they face Newbridge in Sunday's decider at Celtic Park.
Only the Bellaghy side of 1958-61 and Slaughtneil between 2014 and 2017 have previously won four straight Derry titles.
Newbridge reached a first Derry final since 1991 when Shane McGrogan's late goal earned them a dramatic victory in the low-scoring semi-final win over Magherafelt.
That last of Newbridge's 10 Derry titles came in 1989 when Damian Barton was in his heyday.
Personnel wise, Glen look stronger with Padraig McGrogan's absence because of injury leaving his Derry team-mate Conor Doherty's as Newbridge's best known player.
Sunday's Monaghan Final at Clones sees holders Scotstown take on a Clontibret side that, as ever, will be spearheaded by Conor McManus.
Three-time All-Star McManus looked set to miss the remainder of what he admitted might be his final campaign when he sustained a hand injury in August but the 36-year-old was back in Clontibret's starting line-up for semi-final win over Ballybay.
Scotstown are playing in their 12 straight Monaghan Final having won eight of the last 11 deciders.
But two of their three final defeats in that period have come against Clontibret so a tight game is expected at St Tiernach's Park.
Fermanagh star Ultan Kelm will hope to help Erne Gaels win only their third county football title and first since 1981
Gaels battle in Fermanagh decider
After ending Derrygonnelly's hopes of an eighth title in 10 years, Belleek outfit Erne Gaels will hope to land their first Fermanagh crown since 1981 and only the third in their history, when they face Enniskillen Gaels at Brewster Park.
It will be Erne Gaels' third successive county decider after losing to Enniskillen 3-12 to 0-11 in 2022 and 2-8 to 0-9 against Derrygonnelly 12 months ago.
Following those two final reverses, former Donegal boss Declan Bonner was installed as Erne Gaels manager and his side showed composure in battling past Derrygonnelly 0-10 to 0-9 in their semi-final three weeks ago, when two late points from substitute Seamus Ryder helped clinch victory.
Key Erne Gaels players include county star Ultan Kelm, who is joined in the squad by his brothers Oisin and Aogan.
Bonner is also able to call on Fermanagh player Ryan Lyons plus their top championship scorer in 2024 Shane Rooney and the four McCann brothers.
Enniskillen's county contingent past and present includes Callum Jones, Richard O'Callaghan, Brandon Horan, Johnny Cassidy, Conor Love and Conor McShea.
Slaughtneil look destined for dozen
Twelve-in-a-row seeking Slaughtneil will be odds on favourites to account for Banagher in Saturday's Derry Hurling Final at Owenbeg.
The Robert Emmets outfit hammered Banagher 3-22 to 0-7 during the earlier group stage of the competition.
Free-taker Cormac O'Doherty was an absentee in Slaughtneil's semi-final win over Dungiven when they still ran out comfortable 0-22 to 0-14 winners as Jack Cassidy assumed the dead ball duties to finish with 0-9 and Shane McGuigan contributed four points.
With Slaughtneil's hopes of football championship glory over, their dual players will now be able to focus exclusively on hurling in the coming weeks which should be to the team's benefit as a likely Ulster campaign looms.
WEEKEND COUNTY FINALS IN ULSTER
Friday
Tyrone SFC
Errigal Ciaran v Trillick, Healy Park, 19:30 BST
Saturday
Armagh SFC
Clan na Gael v Clann Eireann, Athletic Grounds, 18:00 BST
Derry SHC
Slaughtneil v Banagher, Owenbeg, 14:00 BST
Sunday
Derry SFC
Newbridge v Glen, Celtic Park, 15:30 GMT
Fermanagh SFC
Enniskillen Gaels v Erne Gaels, Brewster Park, 16:00 GMT
Monaghan SFC
Clontibret v Scotstown, Clones, 15:00 GMT