Three-timer Crossmaglen focus not Clarke issue
Such is the focus on securing a second three-in-a-row of Ulster Club titles on Sunday, and possibly a first ever hat-trick of All-Irelands, the future plans of their star forward is not up for debate on the training field.
“It is up to each individual what he wants to do,” said the Crossmaglen captain.
“If Jamie wants to go travelling when the club campaign is over, then I wish him all the best, but nobody has really talked about it. He is fully committed to us for as long as he is needed and that’s all you can ask for. That’s all anyone in Cross cares about right now.”
Clarke may be heading off once the club’s campaign concludes, but last year’s All-Ireland winning centre-back Danny O’Callaghan has returned home unexpectedly from Australia and is back in training.
“Danny is getting fitter and faster, he is another option I guess if we need it,” McKenna added.
Down champions Kilcoo are the surprise packets up north. They won the county title against the odds and no-one thought they would beat 2010 All-Ireland champions St Gall’s in the Ulster semi-final.
“That was a warning shot to us if we ever needed one,” says McKenna.
“They have already beaten a quality side in St Gall’s so we won’t be taking Kilcoo lightly.
“We love winning, it’s an awful addictive thing and it gets hold of you and you want to keep doing it. But we know we need another big performance if we want to be celebrating again come Sunday night.”
After Cross won the county title for the 16th time in 17th years, McKenna told the Crossmaglen supporters that it was one down, two to go.
Yet he was reluctant at last night’s finals’ launch in Armagh to dwell on the possibilities that lie ahead for Cross, as they close in on a possible first three-in-a-row of All-Irelands.
“It is always there, that talk… the press are talking about it and thesupporters are talking about it but it is banned on the training field,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Ulster Council President Aogan Farrell said there is little disciplinary chiefs will be able to do about the fracas which marred the end of an Ulster minor football tournament in Belfast on Sunday.
Four players from St Patrick’s Donagh (Fermanagh) and Castleblayney Faughs (Monaghan) as well as one team official received red cards in the closing moments at the St Paul’s complex.
“Tournaments are run to very different standards to Ulster Council matches,” insisted Farrell, speaking at the Ulster Club finals launch in Armagh last night.
“The number of games we play, compared to the number of incidents we have which are not pleasant, is very very small.
“I don’t know specifics of this case yet but I know that in my playing days tournaments were always risky and dangerous and cannot compared to championships. They’re in a very different league.
“If there’s problems (in a game) it’s like every other thing, it can come before us, but that tournament is not run by us and it doesn’t have championship standards applying to it in terms of anything.”
Farrell confirmed that attendances at this year’s Ulster Club championship matches have increased for the second year in a row. Ulster continues to buck the trend of falling attendances in difficult economic times with almost 9,000 people attending the two senior semi-finals between Crossmaglen v Errigal Ciarán and St Gall’s v Kilcoo.
Another bumper crowd is expected at the intermediate and senior Ulster Club finals double-header on Sunday.
“Attendances at last year’s club championship was up by 15% and we don’t have definite figures yet, but we know they’re up yet again.”
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