Cill Chomáin capable of grasping greatness

Those of us lucky enough to grow up on stories of epic North Mayo Junior Championship heroics are in dreamland this week as two of our neighbours gird their loins for next Saturday's big game. Being crowned the greatest junior team in our northern kingdom was the dream of many back in the days when we thought Bob Geldof was an Irish rocker, and on Sunday the men of Bonniconlon and Cill Chomáin will ascend to that elusive thrown.

Of course, the winners will be going home with the McDonnell Cup as county champions, but the whiff of an old-fashioned North Mayo final is almost impossible to avoid.

Interestingly, the two clubs seeking glory on Saturday have just three junior titles between them. Bonniconlon won in 1978 while Cill Chomáin's crowns have more recency – having been acquired in 2005 and 2013.

Predicting who will win this one isn't easy. Those of us who witnessed the two sides face off in the group stages learned little on that sun-splashed afternoon. Both were already through to the knock-out stages by then and there was nothing riding on the result.

That said, Cill Chomáin looked far sharper as they won in enemy territory. Bonniconlon were poor in attack and found scoring chances hard to convert. Eventually, Cill Chomáin won the game and sealed a ticket to a home quarter-final, but they'll pay little heed to that result.

Tuar Mhic Éadaigh were put to the sword in Glenamoy in the last-eight tie and Swinford were bested in the semi-final as the Erris men look to get over the line after being beaten in the 2021 and '22 finals by Kilmeena and Islandeady.

Bonniconlon have improved since their last meeting with Cill Chomáin. They've finally shown the experience and poise gained during a lifetime in intermediate football. Relegation to junior football last season hit them hard, but now they have a spring in their step and there's a confidence in everything they do.

They edged past Ardagh in the quarter-final before taking on many people's favourites, Eastern Gaels in the semi-final. They powered past the Brickens boys without too much fuss and are now 60 minutes away from an immediate return to the middle tier of football in Mayo.

The men in blue are solid and composed. If they can get their forward line firing consistently they can certainly win Saturday's northern battle, but Cill Chomáin will have other plans.

The Erris men have been the best team in the competition, but no medals are handed out for artistic endeavour. All that matters is the score on the board when the final whistle sounds on Saturday.

Cill Chomáin will be playing in their third final in four years and will look to use that hunger and experience positively on this occasion. Nigel Rape, John Maloney, Sean McLoughlin and the management team have their forces primed and ready for an almighty northern tussle. All that remains to be seen is whether they can deliver on the biggest of days. I think they can.

VERDICT: CILL CHOMÁIN