By Niall Gartland

ANTRIM standard-bearers Cargin have cause to believe they can upset the odds against Errigal Ciaran in Sunday’s quarter-final showdown at Corrigan Park in Belfast.

They’ve mopped up eight of the last ten senior championship titles in Antrim and have flexed their muscles in the provincial arena as well, in recent times giving Glen plenty to think about in hard-fought tussles in 2022 and 2023.

They’re managed by Ballinderry man Ronan Devlin, who assisted Damian Cassidy every step of the way as they won three titles on the spin between 2018 and 2020.

Derry legend Cassidy went home to Bellaghy and Devlin was convinced to take the main gig at Cargin, and he’s also delivered three successive titles in the Saffron County.

An astute observer of Tyrone football, Devlin played most of his club football with Moortown and his father Eugene was part of the Tyrone set-up that won the All-Ireland Minor Championship title in 1973.

Speaking at last week’s official launch of the Ulster Senior Club Championship, Devlin says he can’t wait to get cracking.

“There’s a bit more freedom when you get out of the county. It’s a nice competition, it’s nice and fresh and there’s a good bit of bite at training. I couldn’t be any more excited about it to be honest.

“It’s a high bar in Ulster, teams go toe-to-toe with each other and there’s no fear. I imagine most teams imagine they can beat anybody on the day.

“I love the challenge of it, you’re playing against the cream of the crop and testing yourself, so it’s brilliant.”

Asked if he’s surprised that Glen won’t have a chance to defend their crown having lost out to Newbridge in the Derry Senior Championship final, Devlin said: “I suppose everyone’s a wee bit surprised. I work with Kevin Brady and I know Newbridge have been firing well all year. I wouldn’t call it a shock like a lot of people though.

“It’s still a surprise – of course it’s a surprise when the All-Ireland champions lose inside their own club championship but if you asked me at the start of the year if Newbridge had a chance, I’d have said they definitely do.”

Cargin needed extra-time to get the better of a determined Portglenone side competing in their first Antrim SFC final since 2009. The defending champions eventually got the job done but it wasn’t simple.

“The final put a bit of manners on us. We probably went into it – maybe I wouldn’t say complacent as that would disrespect our boys – but we were probably a bit surprised by the way Portglenone went at us. We got a wake up call but as usual our boys rose to the challenge.”

Check out the latest edition of Gaelic Lives for our Ulster Club preview show..