PETER FERMLY BELIEVES TITLE CAN BE ERNED
FERMANAGH boss Pete Mcgrath is ‘convinced’ his players will win a historic Ulster title – possibly next summer.
The Down legend will take charge of the Ulster team in the Interprovincial series next weekend but after that there’ll be a full focus on Fermanagh and on delivering the provincial breakthrough the county craves.
Fermanagh reached the 2015 All-ireland quarterfinals under Mcgrath and while this year ended with a qualifier loss to Mayo, he remains hugely confident.
Fermanagh start next year’s Championship in the preliminary round against Monaghan but are on the easier side of the draw generally and Mcgrath (right) predicts ‘something quite big’.
He said: “They haven’t won Ulster yet, Fermanagh. That would be definitely the promised land if they could get to it.
“That’s what I keep telling the players; if you’re 23, 27 or 28 and playing for Fermanagh and could be on the first team that ever won an Ulster Championship sure that would drive you to any kind of lengths, it should, to be part of a history making team. It’s within their reach, they can, they can do it.
“I’m convinced they can do it, absolutely convinced. I have no doubt. I’m not just saying that. I’m convinced they can do it. They’ve got the stuff.”
Sean Quigley (groin), Barry Mulrone (knee) and Ruairi Corrigan (shoulder) won’t play for Ulster in Saturday’s semi-final but will be fine for 2017, according to Mcgrath.
He also revealed that Niall Cassidy, Marty O’brien, Damien Kelly and Richie O’callaghan have retired but Tiernan Daly and Daryl Keenan are back after spells out.
Mcgrath admitted the ‘major challenge’ generally for the county is to take the next step after league and Championship progress in recent seasons.
He said: “We’ve now hit that major challenge. Getting them from where they were up to here through hard work and organisation, and they are obviously a good squad, that was fine. But getting them up now to where they actually take a big scalp, that’s the next thing. “Monaghan in the first round of the Championship, that’s the real litmus test at this stage. We can (do it), I’m convinced we can. I know the quality is there. “We’ve been building and I think the experience of big matches last year, the Donegal match, the Mayo match, Castlebar, even against Dublin a couple of summers ago, all of that is in the bank so I think we’re building something quite big.”
Mcgrath revealed he’s down several key players for Ulster’s clash with Munster at Parnell Park.
He said: “Michael Murphy is taking a complete break from football at the moment, Conor Mcmanus needs this time of year for rehab and that type of thing. The two Cavanagh’s, Sean and Colm, are on holiday that weekend.
“There is a wedding in Donegal involving quite a lot of their players so they’re out.
“But I’d be more than happy that the squad we have would be up to the mark.” JACKIE TYRRELL has reflected on his career and acknowledged that he played in an era which will never be replicated.
It came as no great surprise when the 34-year-old announced his retirement from county hurling recently after a magnificent career which saw him gather nine All-ireland medals. Only Henry Shefflin has more.
There is little doubt the Kilkenny team, of which he was one of the bulwarks, is the greatest the