Danske Bank MacRory & MacLarnon Cup draws

Danske Bank MacRory Cup draw made

The draw for the groups in next season’s Danske Bank MacRory Cup were made at a meeting of the Ulster Schools’ Council last night.

With MacLarnon Cup champions St Ciaran’s Ballygawley and St Malachy’s Castlewellan opting to tackle the province’s premier football competition this year, there will now be a record 16 teams competing at MacRory level and that means four groups of four teams.

First time champions St Mary’s Magherafelt have been drawn in Group C with the two Monaghan teams, 2016 Rannafast winners Patrician Carrickmacross and St Macartan’s, as well as St Mary’s Belfast.

By contrast 2017 beaten finalists St Colman’s Newry look to have landed in the group of death along with 2016 champions Maghera and the two teams that contested the 2015 decider, St Patrick’s Academy and St Patrick’s Cavan.

The two debutants, while in separated groups, don’t look to have fared too badly.

St Malachy’s Castlewellan who won the Danske Bank Rafferty Cup before Christmas in succession to Ballygawley, will feature alongside Omagh CBS, St Patrick’s Armagh and St Ronan’s, while Ballygawley have Bessbrook, Abbey CBS and St Michael’s Enniskillen as company.

The top team in each group will qualify automatically for the quarter-finals of the MacRory Cup, as well as going into the semi-finals of the league competition at the end of November for the Danske Bank MacCormack Cup.

Second placed teams are assured of football in the New Year, but the remaining eight teams will be involved in four eliminators at the end of the November, the winners of which go into the qualifier draw for the end of January.

There will be just nine schools in contention for the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup next season, with this year’s beaten finalists Our Lady’s Castleblayney in the group of five. The two teams that finish bottom of each league section will play-off in late November with the loser eliminated.

Danske Bank MacRory Cup

Group A – St Colman’s Newry, St Patrick’s Maghera, St Patrick’s Academy, St Patrick’s Cavan

Group B – St Malachy’s Castlewellan, Omagh CBS, St Patrick’s Armagh, St Ronan’s Lurgan

Group C – St Mary’s Magherafelt, Patrician Carrickmacross, St Macartan’s Monaghan, St Mary’s Belfast

Group D – St Ciaran’s Ballygawley, St Paul’s Bessbrook, Abbey CBS, St Michael’s Enniskillen

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup

Group 1 – Loreto Coleraine, St Pius X Magherafelt, OL & SP Knock, Our Lady’s Castlebalyney, Holy Trinity Cookstown

Group 2 – St Eunan’s Letterkenny, St Louis Ballymena, Virginia College Cavan, St Patrick’s Downpatrick