FOR the first time in seven years, the Down decider won’t feature a face-off between Portaferry and Ballycran as the county’s two recent hurling heavyweights clash in Sunday’s semi-final.
There has been an even split from those six finals since 2018, with both walking away with the Jeremiah McVeagh Cup on three occasions – and few will have fonder memories of Ballycran’s last triumph than manager Michael Ennis.
The former county stalwart was captain when they prevailed after extra-time in 2021, his final game in the famous black and amber stripes coming weeks later when the Crans fell to Slaughtneil in that year’s Ulster final at Corrigan Park.
But, with the caman code an integral part of life on the peninsula, filling that void wasn’t easy.
“Stepping away from playing at an inter-county level, then senior club level… it’s tough. So you have to find different distractions to keep yourself interested,” said Ennis, who spent a year coaching with O’Donovan Rossa in Belfast before taking up the reins at McKenna Park.
“That’s the thing I miss most about playing; all the Ards derbies. Those are the games all the Ards fellas look forward to through the Antrim league and come the championship as well.
“But going into management helps prolong your interest in things a bit more.”
For now, though, the balance of power has switched to Portaferry, with Ballygalget’s re-emergence adding another level of intrigue as the championship reaches its business end.
Ballycran lost Stuart Martin and Gerard Hughes to Australia this year, but are still backboned by the experience of Stephen Keith, Conor Woods, Sean Ennis, Michael Hughes and Scott Nicolson.
That is why, irrespective of who has ruled the roost in recent times, the form book will go out the window once the sliotar is thrown in at St Patrick’s Park.
Yet the Ports are undoubtedly growing in stature.
Last year they came within minutes of downing eventual Ulster champions Cushendall in Armagh, eventually losing out after extra-time. That experience, and the confidence gained from going toe-to-toe with a club of that calibre, Ennis feels, will only have emboldened Portaferry’s efforts to get back to that stage.
“I’m sure the thought of an Ulster championship campaign is motivating Portaferry at the minute, but we also know you can’t take that for granted - Down is a very hard championship to come out of, whether you’re favourites or not.
“Getting back to a Down final is a big motivation for us, especially for a group in transition with a few older lads and younger ones starting to come through. For us this year, the driver after a poor league campaign is to make a county final again.
“It doesn’t really matter to us if we play Portaferry in a final or a semi-final, the intensity’s still going to be the same.
“We know they’re a serious threat - we saw that last year when they really should have beaten Cushendall, they obviously have intentions of an Ulster Championship again this year, they’re a bit sore after last year’s defeat.
“So we know they’re on a journey and we’re trying to stop them as best we can.”
The other semi-final, meanwhile, offers Ballygalget the opportunity to reach a first Down final since 2018, while the last of Liatrioim’s four senior titles came in 1928.
However, the Fontenoys – who pushed Ballycran all the way in last year’s semi-final – come into this game without the Murphys, following the departure of manager Colly and sons Tiarnan, Deaglan and Daire last month.
Antrim hurler Domhnall Nugent - who, alongside father Paddy, coaches Liatroim camogs – has been helping out with the hurlers’ preparation for the semi-final. A few hours earlier, the camogs face Portaferry in Ballycran in their county semi-final, so a busy weekend lies ahead for the Belfast man.
But Ballygalget have been the story of this championship so far, beating both Portaferry and Ballycran on the way to a clean sweep in the round robin – and they will be hoping to carry that momentum into Sunday’s showdown at Mitchel Park.
