Donegal outfit Setanta busy preparing for AIB Ulster Club SHC challenge

By Cian O’Connell

Steady hurling progress continues to be made in Donegal. So, unsurprisingly, there is significant excitement attached to Setanta’s clash in the AIB Ulster Club SHC Semi-Finals against St John’s.

The Antrim outfit are also enjoying a lively adventure too in 2025 ensuring Saturday evening’s encounter will be worth monitoring.

In 2022, Setanta won the AIB Ulster Junior title before collecting the Intermediate crown a year later. Now, they are dining at the top table in the province, and manager Mark Marley is encouraged by the development. “It is fantastic, we're really looking forward to it, and it is going to be a special day for the club; we're really excited,” Marley says.

“The progression has been massive in the last five years, you've hit the nail on the head. We were competing at junior in Ulster, then we went on to intermediate. Now, to be up at senior, it is fantastic. There is real progress within the team.”

One of the chief reasons for Setanta’s improvement has been the connection between emerging and established players. “We've got very, very skilful hurlers, who're a really dedicated bunch,” Marley explains.

“We've a great mixture with the experience of the likes of Danny Cullen, Declan Coulter, and Kevin Campbell. Then, we've a middle, and we've six or seven young boys, who've come through from underage. They've just stepped into senior.

“They've really upped the standard, they really kicked on when they came in around 2020. That is just it, a good hard-working bunch, who put the head down. That is paying off for them.”

Mickey McCann has carried out hugely impressive work with the Donegal senior hurlers recently. Marley is adamant that the club game in the county is evolving too with Burt and St Eunan's prominent. “Definitely, the other clubs are kicking on,” Marley replies.

“You've a lot of good hurlers coming through, the competition is getting more and more. Before, it was one or two clubs’ year in, year out. Over the last six or seven years, it has been between three or four clubs.

“The quality of hurler is there, that is why the clubs have got better, and the county is getting better. Donegal is on the up hurling wise overall.”

Hurling clubs in Donegal are working hard in the juvenile ranks, including Setanta. “Underage, we're not too bad,” Marley says. “We probably were a bit behind other clubs, maybe at U14s or U16s, but we've still four or five good hurlers.

“It is about keeping the conveyor belt going, if you can get two or three into the senior panel every year, pushing on.

“We had a really good underage team, they came through from U12s up to minor as the top team. These are the boys, who stepped into senior. We maybe fell back on the underage competing at A level, but we still have quality hurlers coming through, and that is all it takes.”

Participating in these types of fixtures can help to inspire the next generation. “It will, when you start out, you try to compete at the highest level possible,” Marley remarks.

“To be up here now with the top teams in Ulster, it is fantastic for the club. It is only going to help the club with the younger generation and the county itself. Other clubs will be thinking there is no reason why they can't get there either.”

At the end of August Setanta won the Donegal SHC title. How have they dealt with the long gap? “We took a couple of weeks off to let the boys rest up, to recharge the batteries,” Marley responds.

“Then, we went back at it and we've been training hard. It hasn't been easy because you don't have the competitive games coming on. You just have to work with what you can.

“We've been training hard and getting challenge matches. We've prepared for Saturday, it is our final preparation this week. We will be all set for six o'clock on Saturday evening.”

Marley is delighted to be involved during a glorious era for Setanta. “It's brilliant, I came through as an underage manager from U12s right through to minor,” he says.

“I stepped in to help Gary McGettigan in 2020, and took over this year myself after Niall Cleary and Kevin Campbell. My own boy is on the team too, so for the family and community it is fantastic. It really is. To be part of it is great.

“There is a great buzz around the whole community. Everywhere you go the whole chat is about this weekend, it is just good. It's fantastic because everybody is talking about it.

“The radio is on about it, the media, everything. It's a day we're going to remember and hopefully it isn't going to be over for us.”