What is happening in MacLarnon Cup

Dankse Bank MacLarnon Cup

THE Dankse Bank MacLarnon Cup has been revamped this season and expanded to 16 teams that had been divided into four groups. The knock-out stages will be run off in the style of the MacRory Cup.
The Group games were completed at the weekend and the pathways for both the Irish News Cup (league semi-finals) and the knock-out stages of the MacLarnon Cup are now clear.
Our Lady’s Castleblayney and St Pius X Magherafelt will face each other in mid-January in the Irish News Cup while in the other semi-final it will be Loreto Milford against Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock.
All four topped their groups and will re-join the race for the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup at the quarter-final stage in mid-February.
Before then eight teams will be eliminated and one of them could be the Cup holders St Patrick’s Downpatrick who struggled in their group and eventually finished in third place with just one victory, in their derby with St Malachy’s Castlewellan.
Downpatrick now have a repeat of last year’s semi-final against St Louis Ballymena with the winner away to Carndonagh Community School in a Round Two eliminator.
Meanwhile St Malachy’s Castlewellan will be taking on Loreto Coleraine in Round One with Aquinas Grammar waiting in the second round.
St Mary’s CBGS Belfast will have a difficult enough game with Abbey Vocational from Donegal town with the winners then up against St Paul’s Bessbrook.
The line-up for the final Round Two eliminator is already known with St Columb’s Derry winners of the last year’s O’Doherty Cup taking on St Joseph’s Donaghmore.
Round Two games will take place on the last weekend of January with the winners then going into a draw to meet one from St Pius X, Castleblayney, Milford or Knock.

Danske Bank Irish News Cup semi-finals (on or before 18th January)
(A1) Our Lady’s Castleblayney v (D1) St Pius X Magherafelt
(B1) Loreto Milford v (C1) Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock

Danske Bank Irish News Cup final (Saturday 1st February)
________ v ________

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup
Round 1 Eliminator (on or before 18th January)
1 (A3) St Patrick’s Downpatrick v (D4) St Louis Ballymena
2 (B3) Abbey VS Donegal v (C4) St Mary’s CBGS Belfast
3 (C3) St Joseph’s Donaghmore
4 (D3) Loreto Coleraine v (A4) St Malachy’s Castlewellan

Round 2 Eliminator on Fri 31st Jan / Sat 1st Feb/ Sun 2nd Feb
(A2) St Paul’s Bessbrook v (2) _____
(B2) Carndonagh CS v (1) _____
(C2) Aquinas Grammarv (4) _____
(D2) St Columb’s Derry v (3) St Joseph’s Donaghmore

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup quarter-finals Wed 12th – Sun 16th Feb

(DRAW TO BE MADE AFTER PLAYOFF ROUND 2)
(A1) Our Lady’s Castleblayney v _____
(B1) Loreto Milford v _____
(C1) Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock v _____
(D1) St Pius X Magherafeltv _____

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup semi-finals (Friday 28th / Sat 29th Feb)
_____ v _____
_____ v _____
(REPLAYS IF NECESSARY ON WED 04 MARCH)

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup Final Tuesday 17th March