Kilcoo take first step to Ulster glory

Kilcoo take first step to Ulster glory

12 November 2025

KILCOO got their Ulster Championship campaign off to the expected start with a five-point victory over Tyrone champions Loughmacrory.

The Magpies entered the bout as heavy favourites, facing a side which was playing in its maiden provincial game, and they never left second gear in truth.

The weather put paid to any hope of high-quality, but Martin Corey’s men, as they often do, ground out the result necessary to set up a semi-final clash with Fermanagh’s Erne Gaels.

Loughmacrory gave as good as they got in the early exchanges, however, while their advances quickly dissipated, the Down juggernauts simply went through the motions.

Kilcoo knew, if they were to negate any threat of an upset, they would have to smother their opponents’ star player, Eoin McElholm, and that they did.

Although they lost veteran Aaron Branagan, one of the men tasked with the role of suppressing McElholm, to injury, Darryl Branagan, Niall Branagan, Callum Rogers and Ceilum Doherty all rallied to keep the Tyrone talisman at bay.

Corey’s game plan paid dividends in the first half, as Kilcoo, despite playing against the roaring wind, established a two-point lead at the mid-way point.

McElholm, limited to just two points throughout the contest, showed his frustration in an ambitious, 20-yard goal attempt, one that was easily intercepted by Aaron Morgan and led to the visitors strengthening their grip on a place in the last four.

Morgan immediately released the ball to his brother, Anthony, who picked out Paul Devlin for a trademark two-pointer, and rather than the hosts snatching the lead, they found themselves trailing by four.

The Lough eventually played their way back into the game, cutting the deficit back to two, yet Kilcoo never appeared to be in danger, restoring their four-point buffer once more.

Devlin should have killed the tie when he dipped past goalkeeper Oisin O’Kane and, staring at an open goal, blasted over the bar for a point. 

Nevertheless, with only three minutes left to play, the five-point gap was enough to provide safe passage to the semi-finals.

Unlike Loughmacrory, Erne Gaels, who have won back-to-back Fermanagh titles, do have Ulster experience, and will provide a different prospect at the Box-It Athletic Grounds, Armagh, on Sunday, November 23.

Loughmacrory: O O’Kane, D Curran, N Kelly, A Macidulskas, S Dobbs, R Fox, S Conway, A Donaghy, C Donaghy, G Donaghy, E McElholm, C Gallagher, P Meenagh, R McCullagh, M McNamee. Subs: E Donaghy, R Grimley.

Kilcoo: N Kane, A Branagan, R McEvoy, N Branagan, M Rooney, D Branagan, C Rogers, Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan, E Branagan, C Doherty, R Johnston, S Johnston, P Devlin, J Johnston.

Subs: J Devlin, S Og McCusker, B McEvoy.

Loughmacrory 0-11

Kilcoo 0-16

ULSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL