By Niall Gartland

THE Paul McGirr Ulster U-16 Championship is making a welcome return this winter and the draw has been made for the upcoming semi-finals.

Tyrone Champions Errigal Ciaran will take on Fermanagh-based Kinawley on Saturday, December 9 while Armagh champions Dromintee, Aidan O’Rourke forming part of their management team, take on Carryduff the following day.

The Dromore-based tournament was called off in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions and hadn’t been played in the intervening years, so its future looked in real jeopardy.

But the tournament is set to be revived next month albeit in a scaled-down format as only two counties in Ulster (Tyrone and Armagh) played an u-16 championship this year, though it’s expected that there’ll be a fuller representation across the province in 2024.

In an effort to beef up the competition, the u-15 champions from Fermanagh and Down – have been invited along and have been been granted leeway in terms of the age profile so they aren’t disadvantaged.