How does it feel to win a macrory cup absolutely class

Paul Fitzpatrick

St Patrick's College ended their 43-year famine in style with a devastating second-half performance to blitz St Pat's, Dungannon in the final of the MacRory Cup yesterday at Armagh – and the scenes on the pitch afterwards were joyous.

The players and their many supporters hung on to savour the moment for over an hour and one of them, midfielder and BBC Sport Man of the Match Thomas Galligan, described his emotions.

“I'm absolutely delighted, I couldn't care less about the performance, just delighted to win.

In the first half we were a bit nervous and a bit tentative, I don't know what it was, but in the second half when we started to play, we seemed to tear them to shreds nearly,” stated the big Lacken man.

Thomas was confident at half-time, when the Cavan boys led by 0-6 to 0-4, that they would complete the job.

“Our game management is good and I knew if we were winning at half-time we would be hard-beat. Any of the games we have played so far, we have just seemed to control them when we got into that position, so I'm just delighted.”

And this isn't the end of the road for this side, either. Already, thoughts are turning to the All-Ireland semi-final against reigning champions Pobalscoil Chorcha Dhuibhne from Kerry.

“This is what it's been all building up to – it's absolutely class. It's the best feeling ever, it makes all the hard work worthwhile. We just need to go on now and win the Hogan and everything will be complete now!”