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Tue 16th Mar 2010

Exactly ten years ago, I had a St Patrick's Day experience that I will never forget. Everything had gone well in the MacRory Cup Live coverage from Casement Park with Mattie McGleenan's Armagh, powered by  Ronan Clarke and Sean Cavanagh, winning the Final. But within an hour I had a phone call to tell me that little Laura, my 11-month-old daughter, had been taken into hospital with leukemia. 

 

I remember thinking that I wouldn't get to see Laura on her first day at Primary School, but thankfully I did and now she's about to leave Primary School for big school. 

 

This is why St Patrick's Day has a special meaning for me. It reminds me of how fortunate I am and it reminds me each year to enjoy the occasion on Schools Finals day. There's always a great buzz in the air, no matter who is playing, with smiling young faces everywhere, many of them painted. The noise is terrific, whether it's the drums from St Michael's or the girls cheering on the lads. 

 

Looking back now on the last two decades or so, some of the Finals stand out more than others. I remember Maghera winning the battle of the 'St Patrick's' against Armagh in the cathedral city in 1994, captained and coached by the McGuckin family. Another father and son double act was successful in '98 - Ray and Declan Morgan with St Colmans, the last time the Newry school were successful. 

 

Some of the captains stand out as well, probably because I got to interview them after they had lifted the trophy. There was Cookstown corner-back Paul McGurk in '97 with the Academy, and another corner-back, Ciaran Smyth, who came upfield and scored a cracking goal when St Michael's destroyed St Colman's in '99. 

 

In more recent times, it's been a joy to watch my old school, Omagh CBS, become such a force at this level. They were never at the races when I was at school, though there was maybe a connection between those two facts. 

 

Gerard O'Kane's miraculous recovery in '03 was another stand-out Final, with the Maghera captain being stretchered off at the end of the first-half only to return and inspire an amazing comeback to deny their neighbours from Magherafelt. 

 

Then there were the 'Marty Clarke Finals' with poor old Kilkeel losing two in-a-row. Marty remains the best player I have ever seen in MacRory Cup football, both in the knock-out stages and in the Final against the Abbey where he defied both the conditions and the opposition. 

 

 

PREDICTION

 

font: 12.0px Helvetica;">So who's going to win it this year? Well, I've seen most of the games and the two best teams are in the Final. They also play football the way it should be played, and they both teams have defenders who can attack. Ruairi Lively scored a superb goal in St Colman's Quarter-final against Armagh, playing one-twos all the way up from corner-back before firing the ball to the net. 

 

Caolan Mooney is clearly a key player for Violet Hill, with his storming runs and intelligent lay-offs creating goal chances for the likes of Ross McGarry (not just here, remember last Summer with Down minors?), but then again Omagh have a terrific diamond in the middle area of the field. Two of the four - Conan Grugan and Ronan O'Neill - are from the St Enda's club who have nine on the panel and they are the current Ulster Minor club champions. 

 

The Brothers will not lack in motivation after the heartbreak of losing last year to Dungannon, and their experience of playing on the big day means I have to go with Omagh to win this time round. They know exactly what to expect and they are incredibly well drilled and disciplined under Dinky and Noel (see picture above). The match day routine will have been meticulously planned and they will have worked on everything in their game, including the absence of goals in their Quarter-finals and Semi-finals. 

 

 

MORE VIDEOS

I'll have reaction here on video to both of the Finals on St Patrick's Day, shortly after the games. There'll be match highlights from the Armagh battle in the BT MacLarnon Cup Final and plenty of atmosphere from the special occasion. 

Submitted by: Jerome Quinn