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Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Fermanagh must keep foot on the gas in Tailteann Cup tilt: Declan McCusker
Having already disposed of Wexford there, Kieran Donnelly's side are chomping at the bit to cross swords with Kildare in the Semi-Final of the Tailteann Cup on Sunday (4.00pm). And should they reach the decider, then they might well get the opportunity to bask in a triple treat at Headquarters. Long-serving Declan McCusker, who has held the role of skipper, believes that the team is poised to make a breakthrough of sorts. 'The fact that we are in this competition with a chance of winning it is hugely encouraging for us,' points out McCusker. 'There are other teams in there who feel they could win it, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. 'We feel we have put in a big effort to date and we are very keen to build on this tomorrow.' Maybe it's 'only' the Tailteann Cup, but there is a raft of teams scattered across the country who would just love to be in Croke Park action. Fermanagh will look to the formidable accuracy of Garvan Jones and Conor Love and the diligent work rate of Darragh McGurn, Joe McDade and Ryan Lyons to sustain their momentum. Like their opponents, Kildare are bonded by a renewed sense of purpose. When the Lilywhite hurlers won the Joe McDonagh Cup, the footballers knew only too well that a formidable challenge had been thrown down to them. Now players such as Kevin Feely, James McGrath, Alex Beirne and Sam McCartan will be expected to fashion a further helping of success for the county. And Kildare's neighbours Wicklow will also have their sights on making it into the Final of the Tailteann Cup on Sunday. They will face Limerick at Croke Park (2.00pm) in the other Semi-Final aware that they have shown a marked improvement of late and will be very much up for the battle. Oisin McConville will have his ambitious Wicklow side at concert pitch, while Limerick will be anxious to maintain their recent progress. Dean Healy, Eoin Darcy, Oisin McGraynor, Mark Jackson and Joe Prendergast are the big guns in the Wicklow side, while Limerick hope to take their lead from Cillian Fahy, James Naughton, Danny Neville, Emmet Rigter, Paul Maher and Josh Ryan.
The Irish Sun
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Declan McCusker says Fermanagh lifting Tailteann Cup would be ‘massive' as skipper targets Croke Park glory
FERMANAGH stalwart Declan McCusker admits championship silverware would be the stuff of dreams. 2 Declan McCusker of Fermanagh says winning the Tailteann Cup would be massive for the county 2 The Ernesiders face Carlow this weekend in their opening game of the Tailteann Cup Their skipper, 34, joined the squad in 2011 and helped them reach the 2018 Ulster decider, which they lost to Donegal. But the Tailteann Cup gives Kieran Donnelly's men hope. They bowed out in last year's quarter-finals against Sligo. But McCusker hopes 2025 can bring big things ahead of Sunday's group stage opener at home to Carlow. He said: 'It would be unreal. It would just lift any trophy for Fermanagh, especially to lift one in Croke Park, it would be unbelievable, it would be massive - a dream come true. READ MORE ON GAA 'I don't see the Tailteann as a slog, to me Fermanagh winning the Tailteann cup would be a massive, massive achievement. 'We're a very small county and numbers, we don't have big numbers and I think we have the fewest clubs in the country. So to win any competition would be huge. 'Although it's been the same the last few years, we've always been a number one seed and we sort of come in thinking we are good enough to win it and we've underperformed. 'Look at some of the other teams, Laois and Antrim have performed really well in the Tailteann Cup and we haven't so that's something we need to try and get right this year.' Most read in GAA Football But they have to do so without star man Ultan Kelm. The Erne Gaels clubman was all set for a move to the AFL last winter, but he remained on home soil. A hip injury has sidelined him all year as he missed their entire NFL Division 3 campaign and their gutting Ulster SFC quarter-final loss to Down. 'It's a failure on the camogie association' - RTE GAA pundits don't sit on fence over 'no-brainer' skorts saga And McCusker admits their hitman might not feature in their bid for Tailteann Cup glory either. He said: 'Ultan Kelm has missed the whole league and he's still injured at the minute. It's his hip. "A few years ago when he signed the contract with AFL he made a balls of his hip and then it kind of reoccurred. 'I actually don't know how far away he is, he's weeks away anyway. So whether he gets back to play for Fermanagh at all this year or not I don't know, it would be a massive boost if he could get him back.'
