Dillon delighted to have booked Croke Park spot with the CBS

OMAGH CBS star attacker Paudi Dillon hopes the experience many of their squad accrued from last year’s All-Ireland showdown at Croke Park will stand them in good stead ahead of another Hogan Cup Final appearance.

The Brothers are back at Headquarters for the second year running courtesy of a convincing 1-14 to 0-9 victory over St Gerald’s Castlebar last Sunday afternoon in Ballyshannon.

Dillon emerged as the stand out marksman on the day, helping himself to an impressive scoring tally of 1-4, the goal rifled home at the keeper’s near post on the cusp of half-time.

The win sets up the prospect of unprecedented back-to-back All-Ireland triumphs for the Omagh school as they get braced to meet Mercy Mounthawk of Tralee in the Hogan Cup Final on Saturday March 16th at Croke Park.

Paudi is naturally savouring the prospect of his first ever run-out at the iconic Jones Road stadium, though adding that rookies like himself will look to tap into the experience and memories of remaining members of the successful 2023 panel, who threaded this path before.

“ It’s unreal. Obviously it’s the first time for me. It will be deadly to get a run out at Croker if picked.

“ We have six starters from last year and fourteen or fifteen who were on the panel so it’s unreal for those boys to be going for two All-Ireland medals.

“ They won’t get too caught up in it as they have already been there so that should help the rest of us.”

While appreciating the quality in their midst Dillon maintained that at no stage of the season did the squad get too far ahead of themselves with the management breaking down the season into short term goals.

“ The management set out a target just to get out of the group first of all in the MacRory. We wanted to top our group to get a home quarter-final and that’s what we did.

“ After that the aim was to keep winning and try to win the MacRory back to back for the first time in the school’s history. We did that too which was brilliant.

“ Once we won the MacRory the focus then switched to try and win back to back All-Irelands. You just have to keep setting new goals for yourself. As soon as we won the MacRory the focus was all on this Hogan Cup semi-final.”

Paudi admits that it took Omagh a while to adjust to the physicality and abrasiveness of Castlebar on Sunday, with the CBS players bearing the brunt of a few hefty challenges, but once they did there was only ever going to be winner.

“ They were a physical team and there were a few heavy hits alright but the stakes were high so it was understandable and we just stuck at it. We knew it wasn’t going to come handy for us in an All-Ireland semi-final.

“ The same thing happened in our first group game. We missed a few easy chances and scores weren’t going over. We steadied down and found our composure and after that things clicked for us.”

And Dillon is naturally hoping to complete another memorable campaign on a high note against Tralee.

“ They will be a tough side and Kerry teams are used to All-Ireland Finals but we like to think we are a good side too.

“ There is already a good buzz around the school and I suppose that will build now over the next two weeks.

“There has been loads of talk about going for back-to-back MacRory and All-Ireland titles.”

Paudi states that it is particularly pleasing to have so many clubmates from St Dympna’s featuring in the CBS panel this year, something which he feels speaks volumes for the sterling youth development work going on behind the scenes at Gardrum Park.

“ There is seven lads from Dromore. It shows we have been blessed with talented coaches all the way through at the club at youth level. We have benefited from that and now we are lucky enough to have great coaches at the school over us as well. You couldn’t ask for more.

“ Last year there was three boys from Dromore and this year there is seven so you see plenty from the club out at our matches.

“We had a good Minor team last year with the club and I suppose that is reflected in the number now in the school panel.”