Semi-finals sorted for Rafferty and Loch an Iúir competitions

There has been quite a bit of activity in different grades of Ulster Schools’ football championships this past couple of days with the four quarter-finals of the Danske Bank Rafferty Cup and the Danske Bank Corn Loch an Iúir completed.
The highest score recorded in the Rafferty Cup was run up by St Patrick’s Keady in their 3-20 to 4-5 win over St Louis Ballymena and that sets them up for a semi-final next week with St Eunan’s Letterkenn.
St Eunan’s came through a good tight quarter-final with Our Lady’s Castleblayney by 1-11 to 1-8.
In the other half of the draw, Holy Trinity Cookstown beat St Malachy’s Belfast by 2-13 to 2-3 and that means they will play last season’s beaten fianlists St Patrick’s Armagh who came through on a 3-10 to 1-8 score-line against St Louis Kilkeel.
Meanwhile in the Corn Loch an Iúir St Paul’s Bessbrook caused the biggest shock with a 4-12 to 5-6 win over a Holy Trinity Cookstown team that had topped their qualifying group while Bessbrook had to negotiate a play-off to make the quarters.
Bessbrook will now face Group C winners Patrician High Carrickmacross who defeated Our Lady’s Casatleblayney in a terrific game of end to end football on a 4-16 to 4-11 scoreline.
In the other half of the draw, St Pius X Magherafelt edged out Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock by 1-10 to 0-7 and face another city side in St Mary’s CBGS who had an impressive 7-10 to 0-6 win over St Patrick’s Downpatrick.
In hurling’s Danske Bank McGreevey Cup, St Patrick’s Armagh and Our Lady’s and St Patrick’s Knock will contest the final next week