By Damian Lawlor

There are two trends evident in this year's Bank of Ireland Celtic Challenge - the impressive displays of all three Galway teams and the re-emergence of Ulster hurling as a force at this level.

All three Galway outfits had stellar 2017 campaigns with the Galway Tribesmen reaching the quarter-final and Galway McDonagh making the semi-final of the Corn Michael Hogan where they were beaten by Galway Maroon who play South Tipp in the decider on Saturday.

But across the six cup finals there is massive Ulster representation with five northern teams involved in this weekend's finals.

Five of those deciders take place at Netwatch Cullen Park.

Antrim play North Cork at 4pm in the Corn John Scott final. Before that, at 2.20pm, the Division 3 Corn William Robinson final features Down and Dublin Plunkett.

The Division 5 Corn Michael Feery final pits Armagh against Roscommon at 12.40 and the Division 6 Corn Tom Hogan final takes place at Garvaghey between Tyrone and Fermanagh at 12pm.

Perhaps Down have created the biggest stir in this year's tournament. They have accounted for numerous top teams on their way to the final, including a great win over Cork City.

Their manager, Ronan Sheehan, a Cork native, feels that the Ulster teams have embraced the Celtic Challenge because the competition is meaningful, fair and equitable.

"It's really all about regular games," Sheehan says.

"And with this competition we have got seven games thus far plus two challenge games which is fantastic for our lads development.

"Meanwhile, the concept of dividing the strong counties into two and three teams makes the possibility of a team like Down getting a victory over a Cork side a possibility.

"The impact of that shouldn't be underestimated."

Sheehan has been working diligently at grass-roots level trying to promote hurling in the northern county and province and in the past he has spoken about the difficult position that the game finds itself in.

But having helped to bring through impressive young Down players like Eoin Coulter, Donal Óg Rooney, Daithí Sands and the talented McCrickards, Conor and Ruairi, he is still hopeful that the development work in the Mourne County will count for a lot.

Cork selector and former All Star full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan is a close personal friend of his -  as is Donal Óg Cusack and both men have taken the Down team for coaching sessions in the past.

"Hopefully Paudie O'Neill's (Hurling Development Chairman) idea for a similar concept at under-20 comes to fruition," Sheehan adds.

"It would stop the farce of the Ulster under-21 championship which is effectively akin to a pub league with no real effort being put into it. The prize is the chance to be humiliated in the the semi- final by likes of a Tipp or Galway.

"For us in Down, an under-20 competition is absolutely vital if we are to build on success of the Celtic challenge as it is generally that 17-20 period where we lose a lot of our non-Ards players from our county squads as we have no real bridge between minor and senior. Under-20 would be ideal."

O'Neill has already helped the Mourne men this year by organising challenge games with Westmeath and Dublin Plunkett.

And he recently launched the county's Player Pathway programme with National Hurling Manager Martin Fogarty.

"Niall Coulter, one of our Celtic Challenge coaches, has, among others,put a lot of work into this programme which seeks to create a clear skills and physical preparation pathway for young hurlers from under-6 right through to under-21 intercounty level," Sheehan adds.

"We have over half our team this weekend from outside the traditional Ards power base in Down and the player pathway seeks to build on that work."

The goal is now to bring some of these lads through to senior inter county hurling.

"I think the whole concept of this competition has been great from the number of games right through to the mix of teams you get to play and the excellent media/social media campaigns. The young lads love the photo shoots and the Facebook and twitter updates as well!"