Derry U20s eye Croke Park date in Donegal showdown

Derry U20 manager Ryan O’Neill is looking forward to getting back into action, with his young charges facing neighbours Donegal with a place in a national final on the line in the All-Ireland B Championship semi-final in Owenbeg on Saturday at 2pm.

The Oakleafers have been out of action since their final round Ulster Hurling Cup defeat to Down, when the Mournemen eased to a 2-25 to 0-13 victory.

The Foylesiders received a bye directly to the semi-final of the competition, which they won just once under O’Neill’s stewardship in 2023. Donegal also received a bye, avoiding a potential quarter-final bout, meaning they are now just 60 minutes away from a national final and a date in Croke Park.

It was a tough Ulster campaign for the Derrymen, who finished fourth out of six teams in the Ulster Cup, losing to Down, Tyrone and eventual champions Antrim, but secured comprehensive victories over Wicklow and Donegal. O’Neill is fully aware that the Tír Chonaill men will be a different outfit from the team Derry demolished 5-12 to 1-12 in round two of the Ulster Hurling Cup in Darver back in January.

“Ideally we would have loved to have had a quarter-final to give us an extra game, but it is what it is. Ourselves and Donegal got a bye, and now we play each other in the semi-final. Regardless, we’re happy with how the draw went, and we know that we’re one game away from a national final.

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“Donegal will be coming down the road to Owenbeg now, and I’ll be expecting them to be a totally different team from what they were last time out. They’re a good team, and they have great management, and they’ll be well ready for us, and we cannot take them for granted. We have to prepare well, train hard and try to get the result that we want from it.

“We’re going well in training at the moment. The extra week off will help with that, and it will give us a few extra days to get a few boys back who are carrying knocks. All in all, we’re happy with where we are at.”

Despite the disappointing run in Ulster, O’Neill and his charges will be hoping that a successful run in this year’s Richie McElligott Cup can provide a springboard for next year, with over two thirds of the current under-20 squad still available for selection in 2027.

The 2023 success at this level delivered an Ulster crown the following year, which saw a talented Derry side, with the likes of Ruairí Ó Mianáin, Jack Cassidy and James Friel within the ranks, compete in the Leinster Championship that year, the first time that Derry competed beyond Ulster since 2017, when they were beaten by Kilkenny in an All-Ireland semi-final.

“At the start of the year we said that we would give the Ulster Championship a good rattle. We’ve done that and we’re happy enough with how we played in most of our games. We weren’t happy with the first game against Tyrone, but everything up to now we’re happy with.”

“The biggest majority of our lads are 17 or 18, and the way that they’ve bought into our process, what we’re doing and what we are hoping they will learn, we cannot speak highly enough of them. They have stuck with it and worked really, really hard and come on leaps and bounds and are in a really good place.”

“We’re excited now to get going with the All-Ireland B and seeing where that takes us. The boys are buzzing; they’re really excited about the competition. Obviously as well, we are one game away from an All-Ireland final, so all focus goes to that, and we’re really chomping at the bit to get at it.”