11/10/2026
⚫️🔴⚫️ NCC GO DOWN FIGHTING IN JUNIOR FINAL AGAINST OMAGH! ⚫️🔴⚫️
🏆 Cluiche Ceannais Chraobh Shóisearach Iomána Thír Eoghain 2026
🏆 Tyrone Junior Hurling Championship Final 2026
🗓️ Dé Domhnaigh/Sunday 11/10/26
📍 Páirc Colmcille, An Charraig Mhór
⚪️⚫️ Naomh Éanna An Ómaigh 1-12
⚫️🔴⚫️ Naomh Colum Cille 0-12
Our senior hurlers went down fighting in the county junior final today (11/10/26) at an autumnally sunlit and excellently appointed Páirc Colmcille in Carrickmore.
The old adage of a game of two halves couldn’t have applied more to this contest as an error ridden, disjointed NCC first half performance against a strong breeze and a stiff Omagh challenge left us with a mountain to climb in the second!
It wasn’t all gloom in that first period though, as a few glimpses of what was to unfold after half time peeped through. Callum Jackson’s point from the left hand side at the Nally Stand end of the Carmen field drew the loudest first half cheer from the Black and Red support as he drove over a great point following a long Sheamy Hagan delivery in the fifth minute.
The Omagh men assumed control over the scoring stakes for almost the remainder of the half, with ten of their own (the tenth being a dubious one as it looked clear to this observer to have fallen a good five feet wide to the right hand post) in response to a solitary Lughaidh Mór free for NCC in the twenty fourth minute to leave the scoreboard reading handsomely for the men from the West.
The opening half was a physical enough affair as both teams tried to assert their authority early on. One such physical exchange worked out badly for the Cilles as a mistimed Sheamy Hagan shoulder charge left our own AJ McCann in bad shape, having to leave the field on the quarter hour mark. Omagh also found themselves falling foul in the physical stakes as a couple of loose plays by the talismanic Tom McClements saw the corner forward receive two yellow cards from referee Aiden McAleer just before the short whistle.
Leath am:
⚪️⚫️ An Ómaigh 0-10
⚫️🔴⚫️ NCC 0-02
As the Black and Red charges took to the field for the second half, one might have been forgiven for thinking that the contest was a foregone conclusion, but there remained some hope given our numerical advantage and the fact that the wind was at our backs.
The Omagh lead was extended to nine when centre half back Daire Sally sailed over a fine point from play in the thirty second minute to send another ominous signal to our East Tyrone challenge.
Young Connor McMurray, with the number five on his back responded instantly for NCC with a well taken point from play with the very next attack before Naomh Éanna full forward Cathal Cunningham stroked over his fourth of the day a couple of minutes later to restore the eight point Omagh gap.
A reintroduced AJ McCann was next to step up to the plate for the Cilles with a neatly struck free in the thirty seventh minute that was followed up by a well directed ‘65 off the camán of NCC number eleven Lughaidh Mór that reduced the gap to seven.
The Black and Red support were beginning to find their voice as it seemed clear that the lads on the field were determined to make a fight of it in the second half. They duly replied to the promptings from the stands by firing over the next three points of the game. The first, a lovely solo effort from midfielder Oisín McVicker, who was growing more and more into the game, in the forty second minute was followed by two further pointed frees from Lughaidh Mór to leave the score reading 0-12 to 0-08 and bring us within arms’ reach of the Naomh Éanna men with the last ten minutes still left to play.
As often is the case, the cruelty of sport, from an NCC perspective, reared its ugly head in the fifty second minute as a long and seemingly innocuous delivery from Omagh wing back and captain Ciaran Lagan from the left hand side somehow found its way into the back of NCC keeper Odhrán McMurray’s net following what seemed like a slight touch from centre half forward Fionn Corry’s hurley to push the deficit back out to seven points.
That score seemed to silence the NCC shout as it looked like an inevitable victory for the county town men was on the cards.
The Colum Cilles, to their credit, refused to believe that narrative as they went back to the well once again, reeling over the next four points of the final to bring themselves back to the table with only the one score separating the sides. Lughaidh Mór, from play for his fifth point in the fifty third minute, full forward Cillian Early, who hurled well all day, with another pointed effort from play with fifty five minutes played and two pointed frees from AJ McCann and Oisín McVicker in injury time weren’t enough though as referee Aiden McAleer sounded the long whistle to bring an end to a fiercely fought encounter.
The wait for an NCC county title goes on for another while with our last championship win stretching back to 2021. Despite the loss we congratulate the Omagh men on their hard earned victory, a fourth in a row and we wish them well in the upcoming Ulster club championship.
This was an encouraging enough NCC performance that was filled with plenty of fighting spirit, especially in the second half when the chips were well and truly down. A number of our young charges and some of our elder statesmen stood up and were counted as the game progressed with young James Taggart, Caolán McLaughlin, Sheamy Hagan and Conor Doherty at left half back all shining in the defence.
Oisín McVicker had a good game in the middle of the field, especially in the second half and was boosted by the return of AJ McCann who hurled a slew of ball when he re-entered the fray following what looked like a match ending first half collision. Rónán Maguire performed rightly as well after moving out around the middle third in the second half.
Up front we had good displays from Lughaidh Mór at centre half forward, who finished the day as the games’s top scorer with five points to his name. He was well accompanied in the forward line by Callum Jackson, Cillian Early and young Connor McMurray who each had points from play beside their names throughout the match.
The game had a real championship feel to it with the standalone status of the fixture, the Carrickmore venue and the big crowd of over 500 souls all adding to the occasion. Each ball was fought for with a real zeal and the echo of the sliotar around the three stands enhanced the atmosphere all the while!
We salute the Tyrone county board and the Carrickmore Naomh Colmcille club for their excellent hosting and impressive organisation on the day.
We thank each of hurlers, Liam Kelly and his management and backroom team for their efforts, not just today but throughout the season and we are encouraged by the possibilities for this young squad if they can manage to keep together and continue to apply themselves in the coming years.
Foireann NCC: Odhrán McMurray, Caolán McLaughlin, Eoin Canavan, Liam McIlvenna, Connor McMurray (0-01), Sheamy Hagan (JCapt), Conor Doherty, AJ McCann (0-02, frees), Oisín McVicker (0-02, 0-01 free), Seán Kelly, Lughaidh Mór Ó Néill (0-05, 0-03 frees, 0-01 65), Callum Jackson (0-01), Peter Corr, Cillian Early (0-01), Rónán Maguire (JCapt)
Fir Ionad: Thomas Kelly-Watt, Michael Kerr, James Taggart (played), Ciaran McNulty (played), Eoghan Orr, Cormac Talbot, Gary Mulgrew (played), Ferdia McCartney, Callum Scullion, Tighearnán Daly, Aaron McCann, Eric Kirwan, Irwin Donnellan, Joe Clifford, Thomas Loughran
An Réiteoir: Aiden McAleer (Naomh Pádraig, Uisce Chaoin)
(Additional photos taken by Michael Cullen and Teamtalkmag)
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