Enniskillen U-16’s enter Ulster Club tournament
The Paul McGirr Tournament gets underway this Saturday afternoon in Gardrum Park, Dromore as Fermanagh champions Enniskillen Gaels come up against Tyrone champions and home side Dromore St Dympna’s in the prestigious Under-16 event in memory of the talented Dromore and Tyrone Minor Paul McGirr who lost his life while playing for Tyrone in an Ulster Championship game with Armagh.
The 9 Ulster Counties Under-16 Champions will once again head to the Omagh road venue in what is now known as one of the main blue riband tournaments in Ulster underage football for this age group.
The Enniskillen Gaels side has been in fabulous form this season winning the Fermanagh Under-16 title by a staggering 52 points and many within the County are now tipping this current group of players to go on and hopefully be the first Fermanagh side to lift an Ulster Under-16 title.
The talent in the Enniskillen Gaels youth squad is exceptional with the Under-14 squad (League, Championship & Feile) completing the treble, the minors completing the double (League & Championship), while this Under-16 squad look to add a Division 1 League title to their championship crown with a Final to look forward to next weekend against Derrygonnelly Harps.
The Enniskillen side will look to defenders Tom Hughes-Jordan, Jonathan Cassidy and Brandon Horan to put in a real shift and to cut out the Dromore attacks. Midfield duo Patrick Cassidy and Captain Eoin Beacom have a great understanding and know where the posts are as well when they get forward. While in attack the Gaels are blessed with some superb footballers with Ronan Quinn, Callum Jones and Conor Love all showing great composure this year and a real class when taking a score.
Enniskillen meet a Dromore team who only won the Tyrone Under-16 title last Saturday against Loughmacrory 0-13 to 1-4 in a replay. Dromore will look to players such as Cahir Goodwin, Caolan McCarron and John MacRory for leadership while team Captain Oran Sludden is an exceptionally talented player who will look to pull the strings in full forward for the Tyrone side.
Over the past number of years Fermanagh sides have travelled to Dromore and the St Paul’s Minor tournament and received heavy defeats. This game however should be an extremely close encounter with the talented Enniskillen squad available and the extra rest that the Fermanagh Champions have afforded it is hoped the Gaels can secure a passage to meet up with Bredagh of Down in a Quarter Final tie and with that a major boost to Fermanagh club football.
Prediction – Enniskillen Gaels
Paul McGirr Ulster Club Under-16 Championship
Preliminary Round Dromore (Tyrone) v Enniskillen (Fermanagh)
Quarter Finals
Southern Gaels (Cavan) v O’Donovan Rossa (Antrim)
Magherafelt (Derry) v Inniskeen (Monaghan)
St Eunans Letterkenny (Donegal) v Clann Eireann (Armagh)
Dromore or Enniskillen v Bredagh (Down)
By Tom Wed 28th Oct
