Donegal SHC final
Burt v Setanta (Saturday, O’Donnelly Park, 5pm)
BURT veteran Ronan McDermott is hoping that the Inishowen men can stop Setanta’s hat-trick drive when the sides meet in today’s DOnegal hurling decider
It has been a tough twelve months for the bustling Burt icon but he recovered from a cruciate ligament injury to come back and win a Nickey Rackard Cup title with Donegal.
“It’s good to be back as I missed all the earlier part of the season through injury.
“We played Setanta in the earlier group stages and had a good first half but they really turned us over after the break.
“They have a very powerful attack, and we will need to contain them.”
Burt are a mixture of youth and experience with Liam McKinney and Conor Gartland two great leaders, and they are both still only 21.
Stephen Gillespie, Kiernan Brady and Dara Grant are all experienced performers.
Burt have more Donegal titles than any other club but have not taken a county title since 2018 which is a very long time for a club of their pedigree.
“Yes that is a very long time for us but this is an exceptional Setanta side. We will have to be at our very best if we are to get a result.”
It is a sign of the quality in the ranks of reigning Setanta that they travelled to Loughgiel and ran the Shamrocks to two points recently.
A few years ago, this would have been unthinkable and centre-back Bernard Lafferty admits that he had to pinch himself on the way up to the Glens.
“It was a bit surreal, but it is a good place to be in and it certainly would not have happened a few short years ago.
“If we were to win on Saturday we would be playing in the Ulster senior championship which would be quite a step up in class for us. But that is where you want to be.
“But we have been working hard at our game and have probably our strongest panel ever.
“We have Ruairi McLaughlin and Ryan Coyle coming back to strengthen us and we are delighted that Steven McBride has been nominated for an Irish News All-Star. He is only very young, but he is a real leader and drives us all on at training.
“He is always looking to improve and sets a great example.”
Setanta are going for three-in-row titles and Lafferty is going for his sixth county tile after winning his first and sweetest back in 2014.
“My first county final was in 2013 and they gave us a right trimming that day and they had a Stephen Boyle who played up front for them and he was from Buncrana and he got three goals for them.”
It was much better the following year when Lafferty got his first title and it “was amazing.”
“With all the championships we have won after, nothing else compares to the first.’’
Lafferty operates at centre-back and admits that the squad is even stronger this year.
