St Patrick's Maghera capture first Mageean Cup since 2017

St Patrick’s Maghera captured a first Mageean Cup since 2017 after they proved too strong for a battling Cross and Passion, Ballycastle side at the Dub last Wednesday night on a 4-13 to 1-12 scoreline.

After playing into a strong breeze in the first half, but the Derry school kept matters tight and after a nip and tuck opening period, St Patrick’s would have happy to turnaround at the break just one-point in arrears.

Playing with the aid of the elements, St Patrick’s went for the jugular in the second half and they outscored their North Antrim counterparts 3-7 to 1-2 to record a deserving 10-point victory.

After securing title number 15 for the college, manager Paul Boyle paid tribute to former teacher James O’Kane who passed away in 2013.

James was a driving force for hurling in the school and guided St Patrick’s to five Mageean Cups between 2001 and 2007. James’ two sons, Padraig and Shane are members of the current panel and Boyle said that the team wanted to do all they could to deliver winners medals to his sons.

“You can't talk about McGeehan Cup without James O'Kane,” said Boyle after the match.

“We had chatted about that before the original final; the history of McGeehan Cup has been James O'Kane. We don't want to burden the fellas with it, but we're thoughtful, Padraig and Shane and a couple of other lads that are friends with him, it was important that James was in the back of their mind.

“So, for us it was something we definitely focused on and wanted to tap into for them as well. They're all just hurling mad.”

The player of the match for the Mageean Cup final now carries James’ name and afterwards it was presented by James’ wife Lorraine to St Patrick’s captain Rian Collins.

Collins was the stand-out performer finishing with 1-8 and assists for two further goals. Collins has also played a starring role for his club Lavey when they captured the Derry Junior championship last year, and it came as no surprise to Boyle that it was Collins who stood-up when it mattered.

“What Rian has, and his brother Donnacha, which is few and far between in my eyes, they're Hurling first men. Their father (Michael) was a great hurler and their uncle was Olly Collins, won an All Star with Derry, so it's bred into them. So, for us to see Rian be captain was a no brainer.”

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Collins also struck for the finals first goal just before the half-time break, getting on the end of an Odhran Doherty long ball to fire home across past Ruairi McShane in the Cross and Passion goal.

It was a defining score that changed the course of Boyle’s half-time team-talk.

“That was massive because we were thinking if we could keep this one three or four points before half time, they've got a strong enough breeze, we'd be happy.

“But then a goal against them, even though they're on a play, is a massive amount of shift for us and we would say to the lads at half time, look there's a point in it here, there's a breeze, we haven't maybe been at our best and when you give them that positive outlook for the second half, they're happy enough too.”