CBS captain Callum set for Croker

HISTORY beckons for Omagh CBS who are bidding this weekend to become the first ever Tyrone school to do the unthinkable and claim back-to-back All-Ireland Hogan Cup titles.

Without wishing to get ahead of ourselves, it would be a momentous achievement by any baramoter and even making it back to another final is testament to the quality of footballer coming through the ranks at the Kevlin Road school, not to mention the managerial ability of their coaches.

Standing in their way of the All-Ireland title is Kerry school Mercy Mounthawk, and by all accounts they’re a formidable side indeed.

While this is unchartered territory for the Brothers’ opponents, their line-up contains four starters from the 2023 Kerry minor class, two of whom – Paddy Lane and Ben Murphy – were widely deemed the two best players on the county set-up.

So Omagh CBS could be in for a serious battle this Saturday at Croke Park, but there’s nowhere else they’d rather by and captain Callum Daly is hoping it will be another special day for the Brothers.

“It’s been a long time coming for this group. We didn’t really win much coming up through the school and now we have a massive opportuntiy to win the All-Ireland.

“I know people talk about the back-to-back but for this group it would be something unique in its own right. We’ve won the MacRory and now we want to push on and win the All-Ireland.”

Daly was an integral part of last year’s panel and arguably saved his best for last, producing a dynamic display from the half-back line in a lop-sided victory over Summerhill College, Sligo.

It’s been a remarkable two years for the school but Daly says that they’re acutely aware that days like these are precious.

“These days don’t come around too often. The younger lads in the school might think this must happen every year but it definitely doesn’t and as a group we’re privileged to be part of this.”

Quite a few mainstays of last year’s all-conquering side have wrapped up their school days, but Daly, one of six starting members back for more, says he had total belief that this year’s panel could also go to to achieve great things.

The Omagh St Enda’s lad commented: “The pick we have is insane and the clubs deserve their share of credit for that. The quality of lads we have is very good, the training has been excellent. From the start of they year we had no real doubts about this team and what we could achieve.”