Slaughtneil seeks to overcome All-Ireland Hurling semi-final history

A significant number of Slaughtneil players, including Mark McGuigan and Conor McAllister, have been part of the squad since their initial All-Ireland Club campaign in early 2017. However, the Derry team has yet to advance to the Croke Park final. Slaughtneil captain Mark McGuigan expressed his team’s ambition, stating, “If us boys retire without making an All-Ireland Final, it will be a massive regret. There’s no point shying away from that. We really want to get to an All-Ireland Final.” This statement was made during an interview with BBC Sport NI’s Mark Sidebottom, conducted while McGuigan signed autographs for numerous enthusiastic young fans, following Robert Emmet’s recent Ulster Club Hurling Final victory against Portaferry two weeks prior. McGuigan has participated in all four of Slaughtneil’s All-Ireland semi-final losses, starting with the 2016-17 defeat to a Con O’Callaghan-led Cuala at the Athletic Grounds. The current captain of Slaughtneil is one of nine players who started the match against Portaferry on 1 December and also played in February 2017 against the team that ultimately won the All-Ireland championship. Although the Slaughtneil squad of 2024 includes new members, a point both management and players have highlighted, Paul McCormack’s team still contains many individuals familiar with the distress and difficulty of All-Ireland Club semi-final defeats. This section reviews Slaughtneil’s four prior appearances in the All-Ireland semi-finals. In their inaugural All-Ireland Club campaign in early 2017, Slaughtneil faced a formidable challenge from Con O’Callaghan and Cuala. On 25 February 2017, Slaughtneil competed in their first All-Ireland Club Hurling semi-final, hoping to replicate the success of their football team, which had defeated St Vincent’s two weeks prior in the All-Ireland Club Football semi-final. The game commenced at the Armagh Athletic Grounds, with Slaughtneil manager Michael McShane fielding eight players who had also started against St Vincent’s. However, the match was largely decided by half-time, as an 11th-minute goal from Con O’Callaghan contributed to Cuala establishing a 1-13 to 0-5 advantage. While Gerald Bradley and Se McGuigan scored goals in the second half, Cuala maintained a secure lead, finishing 13 points ahead at the final whistle. Cormac McKenna’s late red card concluded a disappointing day for Slaughtneil. Cuala subsequently defeated Ballyea 2-19 to 1-10 in the final, securing their first All-Ireland Club Hurling title. Notably, the Slaughtneil players who started against Cuala and also played against Portaferry two weeks ago included captain McGuigan, goalkeeper Oisin O’Doherty, Conor McAllister, Paul McNeill, Shane McGuigan, Meehaul McGrath, Brendan Rogers, Se McGuigan, and Cormac O’Doherty. Brian Cassidy’s response following Slaughtneil’s All-Ireland Club semi-final loss to Na Piarsaigh highlighted the significance of a major missed opportunity. The 2017-18 semi-final, held on 10 February 2018 at Parnell Park, is considered the All-Ireland Club Hurling semi-final where Slaughtneil notably squandered their advantage. The Ulster champions held a 2-6 to 0-6 lead at half-time. Although a goal from Conor Boylan immediately after the interval reduced Slaughtneil’s advantage, the Limerick team was subsequently reduced to 13 players when both Boylan and Tommy Grimes were issued straight red cards. Despite this significant double setback, Na Piarsaigh scored an unanswered 2-5 after play resumed, with a goal from Kevin Downes giving them a 2-11 to 2-6 lead. Ronan Lynch, the free-taker, went on to score 0-14, including 11 placed balls. The notable player Shane Dowling then netted a third goal for Na Piarsaigh, rendering Gerald Bradley’s late score minimal comfort for the stunned Slaughtneil team. Na Piarsaigh proceeded to engage in two exciting final matches against Cuala, with the Dublin side ultimately retaining the title following their 2-17 to 1-17 replay win. In January 2020, Kevin Fennelly’s two goals were instrumental in Ballyhale Shamrocks’ victory over Slaughtneil in the All-Ireland semi-final held in Newry. Slaughtneil’s pursuit of a third consecutive provincial title was thwarted by an unexpected 4-15 to 1-14 semi-final loss to Ballycran in October 2018. However, the Emmet’s reclaimed their position as Ulster champions a year later, defeating Dunloy by eight points in the final. This led to an All-Ireland semi-final on 5 January 2020, where they faced defending champions Ballyhale Shamrocks in Newry. The Ulster champions delivered a courageous performance but were narrowly defeated 2-24 to 2-19. Jerome McGuigan and Colin Fennelly exchanged goals in the first half, resulting in a one-point difference between the teams at the interval. TJ Reid ultimately scored 0-11 for Ballyhale, and the Kilkenny team extended their lead to five points with 10 minutes left. Although a 58th-minute goal from Brendan Rogers reduced the deficit to two, Fennelly’s second goal promptly ended Slaughtneil’s chances. Two weeks later, Henry Shefflin’s Ballyhale team celebrated consecutive All-Ireland Club victories, having narrowly beaten Borris-Ileigh 0-18 to 0-15 at Croke Park. In January 2022, Billy O’Keefe’s two goals contributed to Ballygunner, who would become the eventual All-Ireland champions, defeating Slaughtneil in the semi-final. The initial year of the Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020-21 All-Ireland Club Championships. However, the subsequent year, Slaughtneil secured what was effectively their fourth provincial title in five seasons by avenging their 2018 Ulster loss to Ballycran with a 1-14 to 0-10 victory over the Ards team. This prepared Michael McShane’s team for another All-Ireland campaign. Yet, for the third occasion, the Derry side was defeated by the eventual Tommy Moore Cup champions, as two goals from Billy O’Keefe propelled Waterford club Ballygunner to a 2-19 to 1-17 win at Parnell Park. O’Keefe’s goal in the fourth minute gave the Waterford team a narrow 1-8 to 0-9 lead at half-time. The pivotal point of the match occurred shortly after the restart when his second goal extended their lead to six points. Slaughtneil was unable to reduce the deficit to less than four points for the rest of the game, and Shane McGuigan’s injury-time goal proved to be too late for the Emmet’s. Two weeks later, Ballygunner celebrated a highly dramatic All-Ireland Final victory against Ballyhale, who were aiming for three consecutive titles. Substitute Harry Ruddle’s last-gasp goal from 25 metres secured a 2-17 to 1-19 win. The Waterford team was widely expected to face Slaughtneil again in Newbridge this weekend. However, Cork’s Sarsfields upset these expectations by preventing Ballygunner from achieving a four-in-a-row in Munster, securing a surprising 3-20 to 2-19 provincial final win two weeks ago. Sarsfields, despite being defeated by divisional team Imokilly in their county final, did not have any players starting for Cork’s All-Ireland Final team in July, though Jack O’Connor and Cathal McCarthy are members of the Rebels squad. Shane O’Regan, who scored 2-3 after being brought on as a second-half substitute, was the match-winner in their Munster Final.