Why Storm Ashley could prove a blessing in disguise for one leading GAA club team

Errigal Ciaran star Darragh Canavan in action against Carrickmore during the 2022 Tyrone SFC final
-Credit: (Image: ©INPHO/Evan Logan)


As the weather warnings were upgraded from yellow to orange across many counties on Sunday, it seemed inevitable that several GAA games would be postponed.

One-by-one, the announcements began to filter through on social media. Fermanagh, to their credit, got the ball rolling first, informing fans in ample time that their county final would be delayed for one week due to Storm Ashley.

Tyrone waited until the afternoon while Armagh and Derry played their Intermediate football and Intermediate hurling finals respectively before deciding that their senior games wouldn’t go ahead.

Read more: New Gaelic football rules mean pre-season competitions deserve a temporary reprieve

Read more: County finals rescheduled for next weekend after Storm Ashley hits Ulster GAA fixtures

While there was understandable frustration from fans who’d already travelled to venues, the sight of scaffolding collapsing at the Box-It Athletic Grounds during the Armagh Intermediate final was a reminder that health and safety is paramount.

As the winds subside, teams who were due to be in action on Sunday most refocus their attention to next weekend and the five extra days afforded to Tyrone finalists Errigal Ciaran could be crucial to their chances of dethroning Trillick on Friday night.

Had the Tyrone decider been played on Sunday, there is a good chance that their star forward Darragh Canavan wouldn’t have started after picking up a shoulder injury in their semi-final win over Killyclogher.

The Tyrone ace, who is nominated for an All Star, might have been hoping for an extra week of recovery time, but the county board rescheduled their clash with Trillick for Friday night at 7.30pm in O’Neill’s Healy Park.

The game might still come too soon for the talented attacker to play the full game and Errigal boss Enda McGinley might opt to keep him as a impact sub for the second half.

Either way, Storm Ashley appears to have bolstered Errigal’s chances of regaining the O’Neill Cup and stopping Trillick claiming back-to-back titles.

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