After winning a record seventh straight Down SFC title, Kilcoo face Tyrone champions Loughmacrory in the Ulster Club SFC quarter-final
For the second successive year, the reigning provincial football winners have all failed to qualify from their respective county Championships.
Coolera-Strandhill (Connacht), Errigal Ciaran (Ulster), Dr Crokes (Munster) and Cuala (Leinster) are all absent from the provincial stage this autumn.
Defending Tyrone and Ulster champions Errigal Ciaran lost out to Trillick in the semi-finals thus ensuring that no team has retained the O’Neill Cup since Carrickmore in 2005.
The Red Hand county crowned a brand new champion in 2025 with Loughmacrory claiming their maiden title at Trillick’s expense last month.
Club football in Down couldn’t be more contrasting.
Kilcoo, All-Ireland winners in 2022, have won the Frank O’Hare Cup for the seventh successive yea r – their 13th in 14 seasons.
As they turn their attention to ensuring Loughmacrory’s foray into Ulster is a brief one, Kilcoo and Down star Ceilum Doherty insists the secret to their incredible success stems from the competition for places in the team.
“It is probably just the intensity we train at, like everyone’s buying into it,” said Doherty.
“There’s 15 to 20 people on the field on any given day, but when we are training, it is absolutely ding-dong – the A versus B games. That’s the only sort of way you can prepare, you know, and that’s massive and that’s brilliant.
“Look at the squad we have – it is amazing that anyone can step in and do a job, no qualms or queries. That’s what makes a good team.”
With Errigal gone along with 2024 All-Ireland winners Glen, Kilcoo are the outright favourites to regain the Seamus McFerran Cup.
They begin this season’s Ulster campaign in the same manner as they finished last season’s – by facing the Tyrone champions.
The Magpies suffered a 0-10 to 1-8 loss to Errigal in last season’s Ulster Club final with Peter Óg McCartan landing a last-gasp winner after Kilcoo’s joint-captain Darryl Branagan was shown a straight red in the second half.
While Loughmacrory pose an altogether different challenge this weekend, going to Omagh to face the Tyrone champions is a difficult task for Martin Corey’s men.
“Over the last number of weeks, you’re seeing so many teams that were favourites to win their Championship all over Ulster and Ireland being knocked out – we just wanted to make sure we kept our hat in the ring,” added the Down defender.
“We know we’ve a lot of things to work on. Playing the Tyrone champions in Healy Park – there’s no bigger test in Ulster football.
“It has been a long season, but it is good to be playing football and looking forward to training in November.”
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