GAA: Tyrone schools set to battle it out for MacRory Cup honours

It's an all-Tyrone clash in this year's Danske Bank MacRory Cup Final, as Holy Trinity Cookstown and Omagh CBS battle it out this afternoon.

The pair will meet at Omagh's Healy Park in a tie that will see a number of the county's Minor stars go head-to-head to see who will go on the represent the Ulster Schools in the All-Ireland Hogan Cup series.

For Holy Trinity - who were first-time finalists last year - they will aim to banish the memories of that 2022 defeat to St Mary's Magherafelt.

John McKeever's side, who also boast Tyrone great Peter Canavan amongst their coaching staff, lost 2-9 to 0-8 at Armagh's Athletic Grounds. But that experience - and the fact they have retained a lot of players who featured in last year's final - gives them the slght edge this time around.

For Omagh CBS, whose manager Diarmuid McNulty was on the 2007 MacRory Cup winning team, the last time they won the competition. They went on to experience Hogan glory that same year.

Having won the famous trophy four times, they haven't featured in the decider since 2009 and have battled their way through tough knockout clashes with both St Colman's College, Newry and Patrician College, Cavan.

Holy Trinity came through the play-offs with a one-point victory over St Patrick's Cavan. They then followed that up with wins over St Patrick's Maghera and St Patrick's Dungannon in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

Opposing captains Ruairi McHugh (Holy Trinity) and Eoin McElholm (Omagh) are certainly no strangers to each other.

McHugh played his part in Tyrone's All-Ireland Under-20 success last year, with McElholm also part of the squad. The CBS skipper also captained his county to an Ulster Minor title.

They're friends off the pitch and have been team-mates on it in county colours.

This afternoon in the packed house of Healy Park, they'll be the toughest of foes for 60 minutes at least.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Holy Trinity Cookstown

Semi-Final

Holy Trinity Cookstown 1-10 St Patrick's Academy Dungannon 1-9

Quarter-Final

Holy Trinity Cookstown 2-6 St Patrick's Maghera 2-5

Play-Offs

Holy Trinity Cookstown 2-8 St Patrick's Cavan 2-7

Omagh CBS

Semi-Final

Omagh CBS 0-11 Patrician High, Cavan 0-10

Quarter-Final

Omagh CBS 0-11 St Colman's Newry 0-9