Excitement builds as Paul McGirr U16 Championship set to begin this weekend

The launch of the 2025 Paul McGirr Ulster U16 Club Championship took place in Garvaghy on Friday evening before a large attendance as excitement builds for the start of one of the GAA’s leading underage tournaments. 

Tyrone GAA Chairman Martin Sludden was among the guest speakers in attendance and commented on the way the tournament has gone from strength to strength and how its links with the Spirit Of Paul McGirr Trust and all the work it does for underprivileged children in Lusaka, Zambia makes it have a special place in the Ulster GAA calendar. 

The tournament was first started in 1999 by the Dromore St. Dympna’s club to honour Paul who tragically lost his life following a collision while scoring a goal for Tyrone minors in an Ulster championship game against Armagh, it comprises of the winners of the U16 Championships in all nine Ulster counties and is renowned for being the springboard for the careers of some of the leading Ulster GAA players including current All Star nominee’s Odhran Murdock, Conor Glass, Conor and Shane O’Donnell as well as household names and current inter-county players like Rian O’Neill, Darragh Canavan, Conor Turbitt and Barry McCambridge who are just some of those that first rose to prominence on the provincial scene in the tournament in Gardrum Park Dromore in recent years. 

The draw completed by Dromore Chairman Niall McNulty and Tyrone County Chairman Martin Sludden was as follows:

Preliminary Round - Four Masters (Donegal) v Bellaghy (Derry)

Quarter Finals - Ardboe (Tyrone) v  Burren (Down); Clan Na Gael (Armagh) v Portglenone Roger Casements (Antrim); Magheracloone (Monaghan) v Preliminary Round Winners; Fermanagh Champions v Ramor United (Cavan)

Action gets underway this coming Saturday (November 15) with the preliminary round followed by the first two quarter finals on Sunday (November 16).   

All proceeds from this tournament go directly to the ‘Spirit Of Paul McGirr Trust’.