By Niall Gartland

IT’S all systems go for Eglish skipper Leanne Donnelly, who is looking forward to Sunday’s All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final against Offaly side St Rynagh’s at Templeport in Cavan.

It’s the rescheduled 2020 competition, and they recently overcome fierce rivals Clonduff in the delayed 2020 Ulster final, so there’s been a lot of waiting around this year.

But whatever happens this weekend, Eglish will get another crack at the whip soon enough as their Ulster title defence gets underway in January.

Donnelly said: “It was hard initially to keep yourself motivated as you thought December seemed very far away, but it actually came around very quickly.

“Training sessions close to the Ulster final were quite miserable in the sense it was rainy and cold but we struggled on and thankfully got over the line. It’s weird that we’re playing in the 2020 competition, and the 2021 Ulster Championship is just round the corner, we play Portaferry in the last weekend of January, so it’s busy at the moment.”

Eglish have a cracking record at provincial level, but their fortunes beyond the Ulster Championship have been mixed.

“I remember we got to a semi-final, got beaten, then overcame Waterford side Gaultier to reach the final at Croke Park, unfortunately we were beaten. Hopefully come Sunday we’ll be able to get back into another final all being well.”

Donnelly actually plays her county hurling for Armagh (she’s from Granemore originally but has lived most of her life in Eglish). She does, however, point out that Tyrone’s recent resurgence at intercounty level has been well-served by the club, with players like Reagan Fay excelling for the Red Hands.

“Eglish are a very strong club and we’ve seven or eight solid players on the Tyrone panel. All those individual players are brilliant.”