By Niall Gartland

2021 ULSTER Junior Champions Carrickmacross have solidified their progress in recent seasons and now stand on the cusp of a provincial title at Intermediate level.

They take on Mullahoran in Omagh on Sunday in the curtain-raiser to the Ulster Senior Club Championship showdown, but Carrick fans shan’t be too worried about what happens in that one.

They’re captained, once again, by Kate Duffy, who is in her sixth uninterrupted season as the designated team leader.

Her captaincy has almost become a bit of a running joke at this stage, but there’s a reason why she has the backing of her playing colleagues.

Duffy said: “The only reason it’s six years is that I had a bit of a break when I had my son Logan. I was captain for a few years before that as well. They still put it to the girls sometimes and they come back with my name and I’m like ‘why is it always me, is this a joke?!”

The Monaghan girls claimed a county and provincial double at Junior level three years ago, an achievement that was many years in the making. All their energies were thrown into getting out of the lowest tier and they thought that day might never come, but it did and now they’ve risen even further up the ranks.

“It had got to the point that we were contemplating whether we’d ever get out of Junior. We were knocking on the door for ages before we actually won it.

“We went all the way to the Ulster final and all the ladies that started the team were there that day supporting us. My vivid memory was looking over at them at the final whistle and they were just as excited as we were. We weren’t just doing it for ourselves, but all the supporters particularly the ones who had been there from the start.”

Carrick won the Monaghan Intermediate final with a ferociously hard-earned win over amalgamated club Brigid O’Neill’s before dispensing with Tempo with the minimum of fuss in their first-round clash in Ulster. They didn’t have it entirely their own way in a recent semi-final clash against Saul but they won out by six points and Duffy said that they’re fully intending on putting their best foot forward against Cavan club Mullahoran on Sunday.

Duffy, who happens to teach in Kingscourt, another Cavan club, said: “We’ll look at match ups and things like that, but while we know Mullahoran are a top side, we have to go out and focus on ourselves as well. We want to play the football we know we’re capable of and give it everything we have.”

Duffy also had warm words for management figure Kerry Martin, who has brought all her know-how to the sidelines.

“She won the Junior title with us in 2021, she has loads of experience under her belt. Being a goalkeeper, she was a great communicator on the pitch, and she knows what it takes to win.”