What now in MacRory/MacCormack?

THE result of yesterday’s Group D game in Clones filled in the final blanks in the programmes for both the Danske Bank MacCormack Cup in January and the elimination rounds for the MacRory Cup.
The win for Patrician means that they deny Enniskillen a place in the MacCormack Cup semi-finals in January. Instead St Colman’s Newry go through as Group winners to play St Patrick’s Academy in one semi-final while St Patrick’s Maghera are pitted against Omagh CBS in the other.
Therefore two of the four teams involved in last January’s semi-finals are back in the frame next month. Omagh are the holder while Maghera lost to St Patrick’s Armagh 11 months ago in a semi-final.
Interestingly Omagh is the only team left with a 100% record after the three group games. St Colman’s drew two games, the Academy drew one, while Maghera lost to St Eunan’s on Tuesday in their last group game.
All four teams re-enter the Danske Bank MacRory Cup at the quarter-final stage, but their opponents will come from an open draw after the Round 2 eliminators at the end of January.
Before then eight teams will be eliminated.
Cathair Dhoire will have home advantage (possibly Celtic Park) for their Round 1 eliminator against Patrician Carrickmacross with the winner then travelling to Letterkenny to face St Eunan’s in Round 2.
Although Patrician finished bottom of their group, they probably performed better than the Derry City amalgamation who suffered heavy defeats to both St Patrick’s Academy and St Macartan’s.
Cathair Dhoire won their opening game against Inis Eoghain and the north east Donegal team will have to travel to Newry to play Abbey CBS in a Round 1 eliminator. I cannot see them surviving and therefore it is likely that Abbey will face St Patrick’s Armagh in Round 2.
St Patrick’s Cavan finished their group games with a win against Holy Trinity Cookstown on Thursday evening, but they couldn’t avoid a Round 1 eliminator. They do however have home advantage against 2017 champions St Mary’s Magherafelt.
That game will be difficult to call and St Macartan’s Monaghan will have their work cut out against the winner in Round 2.
The last Round 1 game has home advantage for 2018 champions St Ronan’s Lurgan against Holy Trinity Cookstown but the winner will not relish the journey to Enniskillen to meet the holders in the next game.
The dates below are the ones published in the schedule at the start of the school year. However since then a new schedule for the inter-county under 20 championship has been introduced.
I understand that there is a proposal to next Tuesday’s Ulster Schools’ Council meeting to look again at these dates and possibly introduce the rule to finish the game on the day rather than progress to replays in the event of a draw.

Danske Bank MacCormack Cup semi-finals (on or before Saturday 18th January)
(A1) St Patrick’s Academy v (D1) St Colman’s Newry
(B1) St Patrick’s Maghera v (C1) Omagh CBS

Danske Bank MacCormack Cup final (on or before Saturday 1st February)
________ v ________

Danske Bank MacRory Cup Round 1 play-offs (on or before Saturday 18th January)

1 (A3) Cathair Dhoire v (D4) Patrician High Carrickmacross
2 (B3) St Patrick’s Cavan v (C4) St Mary’s Magherafelt
3 (C3) St Ronan’s Lurgan v (B4) Holy Trinity Cookstown
4 (D3) Abbey CBS v (A4) Inis Eoghain

Danske Bank MacRory Cup Round 1 play-offs (Friday 31st Jan/ Sat 1st Feb/ Sun 2nd Feb)

(A2) St Macartan’s v (2) _____
(B2) St Eunan’s Letterkenny v (1) _____
(C2) St Patrick’s Armagh v (4) _____
(D2) St Michael’s Enniskillen v (3) _____

Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-finals (Wednesday 12th – Sunday 16th February)

(Draw to be made after Round 2 Play-off)
(A1) _____ v _____
(B1) _____ v _____
(C1) _____ v _____
(D1) _____ v _____
(Replays if necessary on Wednesday 19th February)

Danske Bank MacRory Cup semi-finals (Friday 28th Feb – Sunday 1st March)

_____ v _____
_____ v _____
(Replays Wednesday 4th March)

Danske Bank MacRory Cup Final Tuesday 17th March

________ v ________
Replay 20th March