Slaughtneil favourites to make it 13 titles in a row

Derry Senior Hurling Championship Final

Slaughtneil v Kevin Lynch’s at Owenbeg, 3.30pm Sunday

SLAUGHTNEIL have not lost a Derry senior hurling championship since 2013 and they are strong favourites to keep that unbeaten run going.
For the sixth time in the last seven years they will meet Kevin Lynch’s who have not handled the Father Collins Cup since 2011 when they beat Lavey by 5-11 to 1-7.
Until the Slaughtneil emergence it was the Dungiven and Lavey teams who had dominated from 1970 onwards.
Slaughtneil are not exactly a recent force in hurling. They won four in a row from 1965 to 1969 with the late Denis Cassidy one of the leading lights.
After 1969 they had to wait until 1993 when they beat Lavey to claim their fifth title. That total has now risen to 18, the same as Lavey. Kevin Lynch’s - previously known as St. Patrick’s Dungiven - have the biggest haul with 23 titles.
There are just eight adult teams taking part in this championship where, at one time, there were 11. Drum, Drumsurn and Glenullin dropped out quite a few years ago but the game is reviving in clubs like St. Finbarr’s, Faughanvale, Magilligan and Doire Trasna.
With football the dominant game too many young hurlers drop out before they become adults.
However, Slaughtneil is the exception: they mix both games successfully and, on Sunday, they will have three All Star footballers - Brendan Rogers, Chrissy McKaigue and Shane McGuigan - lining out.
They won their fifth Ulster senior title last year and lost narrowly to Cork and Munster champion Sarsfields of Cork in the All Ireland semi final. They have the unique record in the last decade of holding the Ulster senior football, senior hurling and senior camogie titles in the one year.
Their emergence as a major hurling force did not come by accident.
The late Thomas Cassidy, who died at a relatively young age, was the man behind the upsurge in this ancient game.
He would load up his work van with young lads and play challenge games against strong teams from Ulster and beyond.
As players reach an age where they hang up the hurl young lads come through to fill the space.
Last year, Jack Cassidy was one of their rising stars but now he is carving out a career in American football. Now, the rising stars are Fionn McEldowney, Cathal and Ruairi O’Mianain, Shea Cassidy and Conor Coyle. The conveyor belt just keeps rolling on.
The man who ignited Derry hurling again was the late Liam Hinphey, a Kilkenny native with Derry parents. He came to teach in St Patrick’s Dungiven in the early sixties and found an unused set of hurleys in a cupboard. He started coaching and clubs gradually got under age teams up and running.
While Slaughtneil are firm favourites they will not be over confident given they the Lynch’s ran them to a four point margin in the group stages.
In that game the Dungiven men came with a late surge before losing by 0-27 to 1-23.
They have the ability to make this a close contest considering that they have regular Derry players John Mullan, Richie Mullan, Tomas Brady, Sean Kelly, Paddy Kelly, Mark Craig and Niall McGonigle in their squad.
Then add in Corey O’Reilly, Niall Ferris and Darragh McGilligan who played for their county in the recent past.
Where Slaughtneil are strong is in an attack featuring Brendan Rogers, Cormac O’Doherty, Shea Cassidy and Mark McGuigan.
Kevin Lynch’s can get the upper hand at midfield through O’Reilly and McGilligan but if they are to stop the Slaughtneil run they will need to be more vigilant in defence.
The strength of the champions was underlined in their semi final win over a strong Swatragh team where they won comfortably, despite being without Chrissy McKaigue, Sean Cassidy and Meehaul McGrath.
All three are expected to line out on Sunday.
If the challengers are to upset the odds they must take the game to Slaughtneil. If they sit back and try to defend they could be overrun.
Slaughtneil have players like Cormac O’Doherty, Brendan Rogers and Ruairi O’Mianain who are adept at taking long range scores.
Slaughtneil are rightfully favourites but Kevin Lynch’s are capable of making it the closest final yet between the pair.