McNulty delighted to see CBS express themselves on biggest stage

LIBERATED from the claustrophobic dog-eat-dog world of Ulster football, Omagh CBS really went out and expressed themselves on the national stage for the second year running last Saturday.

Reflecting back on another superb Schools campaign, which climaxed in glorious fashion with a second successive All-Ireland Hogan Cup crown at Croke Park, team manager Diarmaid McNulty felt a litany of tight-fought MacRory Cup battles had stood them in good stead.

The Brothers ultimately strolled past St Gerard’s of Castlebar (Hogan semi) and Mercy Mounthawk of Tralee (Hogan final) to retain their title as the High Kings of Ireland, but prior to that in Ulster things hadn’t been so straightforward.

And McNulty firmly believes that emerging unscathed from those taxing MacRory skirmishes fuelled his charges self-belief to go on and make history.

“ Winning back-to-back MacRory Cups had never been done before by the school. It’s a damn hard thing to do. We won by a point in the quarter-final and a point in the semi-final. So that shows the quality you are up against and how close the matches are.

“ We knew what was needed to get out of Ulster but once we did I felt we played some of our best football. That is a testament to the lads.”

While half a dozen members of the Omagh squad were clinching their second Hogan Cup medal (and completing a stunning two year unbeaten run at the top level of Ulster and All-Ireland schools level in the process), McNulty stated that the scale of the reshuffle from 2023 to 2024 shouldn’t be underestimated.

“ The likes of Eoin McElholm and Conor Owens were brilliant for us (last season) and are now doing the business for Tyrone Under-20s. Conor even made his debut for Tyrone seniors. It was never going to be easy to replace men of that quality.

“ But new boys have stepped up brilliantly. Paudi Dillon didn’t even trial last year but he has come on leaps and bounds. They all took to the coaching well. To hit 3-14 is some kicking for an All-Ireland Final.

“ We haven’t been beaten in two years. The last time we were beaten was a MacRory semi-final by Magherafelt (2022).”

Diarmaid revealed that the squad and backroom team have built up a special bond as this campaign has unfolded and added that the last training sesson before the final last week had been quite a poignant get-together.

“ The boys were a bit emotional last week in Coolnagard. It’s the home of CBS football. It’s out in the backend of nowhere but I love it and the boys have grown to love it. It’s a real special place. We sat and had tea and biscuits after training. There was a lot of boys didn’t want to leave as they knew that was the last time they were going to set foot in there.

“ Callum Daly doesn’t live too far away from the place. I said to him during the week that that place has treated you well. I am just so proud of them all. To have gritted their teeth and trained hard out there and then to do it on the big stage is special.”

Summing up another incredible odyssey for the Brothers, McNulty said he will be interested to see how the footballing fortunes of the squad unfold in the future, after many of them donned the school maroon jersey for the last time at Croke Park.

“ Standards are key. They come from the school principal down. Myself and Mr McBride set the standards at training.

“They are cubs at the end of the day. If you set the lead they will follow and then they become the leaders.

“ There was 37 boys in the panel and two other pupils who gave us a hand.

“They are just fantastic young men and I am excited to see their development over the coming few years. I have such pride in the group. To do that in Croke Park was class.

“ In the first half we played in fits and starts but the second half was the best thirty minutes that we have played all year.

“Those boys can say forever that in 2024 they were Hogan Cup champions.”