ULSTER football manager Pete McGrath fears that the death knell has been sounded for the inter-provincial competitions following Connacht’s decision to pull out of both tournaments. Ulster GAA will now discuss the matter with the nine counties at their next CCC meeting on Tuesday week, and McGrath believes that this may prove to be the […]
Down v Armagh – a rivalry renewed
June 2, 2017
SUNDAY’S meeting of Down and Armagh will be the first time that Páirc Esler has hosted an Ulster Championship match between the neighbours since 1991. The game, the names, and the old ground itself have changed considerably from that day in the rain when Down won a forgettable quarter-final 1-7 to 0-8, but the rivalry […]
Vernon pays tribute to Armagh stalwart McKeever
June 2, 2017
ARMAGH’S Charlie Vernon has paid tribute to his long-standing team-mate Ciaran McKeever ahead of their eagerly awaited Ulster Championship quarter-final clash with Down this Sunday. Ciaran McKeever, who turns 34 later this month, admitted he seriously considered bringing the curtain down on his inter-county career last summer. He resisted the urge to call it a […]
Down and Armagh set for surprise calls
June 1, 2017
DOWN manager Eamonn Burns looks set to hand a sensational inter-county debut to defender Anthony Doherty while Armagh midfielder Ethan Rafferty may be drafted in as one of the squad’s two goalkeepers. Gaelic Life understands that the RGU Downpatrick man will start in the Down full-back line in Sunday’s Ulster quarter-final, and given his height […]
O’Hagan out to end 25 years of hurt for Down
June 1, 2017
IF Down’s Ulster famine has been excruciating for their fans, the wait for a championship win over bitter rivals Armagh has been equally unbearable. Clonduff man Darren O’Hagan is attempting to become the first player since Paddy O’Rourke in 1992 to lead Down to a championship win over the Orchard county. The rivalry has belonged […]
Derry youngster Keenan happy to go under the radar
May 26, 2017
NIALL Keenan is aware of the pessimistic pre-match chatter ahead of Derry’s date with Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster Championship quarter-final, but he’s not really put out by it. The 20-year-old Castledawson man had a chastening introduction to championship football in last year’s heavy defeat against Tyrone at Celtic Park. Although he wasn’t part of Damian […]
McManus will be out to shine – Wylie
May 19, 2017
CONOR McManus will be out to prove a point in Monaghan’s Ulster Championship preliminary round clash against Fermanagh on Saturday, according to their ever-reliable full-back Drew Wylie. Too often the charge levelled at Monaghan has been an overreliance on Conor McManus, but the emergence of Jack McCarron seems to have addressed that problem. In 2016, […]
Courtney willing to bleed for Fermanagh cause
May 18, 2017
EDDIE Courtney is almost certain to make his championship debut in Saturday’s Ulster Championship preliminary round clash against Monaghan, and he admits he’d do anything to get a starting jersey. It’s a novel start for the Aghadrumsee man, given that he lives just a stone’s throw away from St Tiernach’s Park. His journey would be […]
Kerr: Antrim are a unified force
May 12, 2017
IN an extended interview in this week’s Gaelic Life, Antrim goalkeeper Chris Kerr says his colleagues are a unified force ahead of their Ulster Championship clash against Donegal on May 21. The Saffrons hit the headlines recently when the management and players came together to publically berate the county board for, what they felt, was […]
Vernon expected to make Down clash
May 4, 2017
ARMAGH defender Charlie Vernon is expected to be fit for next month’s Ulster Championship clash with Down despite sustaining an eye injury in training. The Armagh Harps man was having further scans on Wednesday, and manager Kieran McGeeney will be hoping for good news given the importance of Vernon to the team. With key defenders […]