Derry begin defence of Ulster Championship title in Fermanagh

The reigning champions will be short odds to progress in Brewster Park this Saturday (5pm) against the one county in Ulster still waiting to lift the Anglo Celt Cup.

However Gallagher know the strengths of his native county better than most, strengths illustrated this season by their return to Division Two for 2024, with the Derry manager pointing to the Erne County's league consistency as proof of the danger they pose.

Since being promoted to Division Two in 2014, Fermanagh have spent four of the ensuing eight years playing second tier football, including 2019 when, under the current Derry boss, they finished third ahead of Kildare and Armagh but missed out on promotion by just two points after draws against Tipperary and Cork cost them. dear.

It's a record that highlights a county which often punches above it's weight, something current boss, Kieran Donnelly, seems to have the Erne men doing once more and Gallagher says he has the utmost respect for the job Donnelly's is doing.

"Obviously I had my own spell with them and I would have watched them before and after that," explained the Derry boss, "Look, Fermanagh have operated at a consistently higher level than Derry over the last eight years you'd have to say. They may not have not hit the highs we have, particularly last year, but there are an awful lot of those Fermanagh players with consistent Division Two experience and now they find themselves back in it for next season.

"The way they responded to losing their second league game this year, by winning the next five, that was a brilliant. I would know nearly all their players, a few of them personally having worked with them and they are very down to earth, very hungry lads who want to keep progressing their careers.

"Off the top of my head, Fermanagh have spent 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and now 2024 in Division Two and at no point did they drop to Division Four in the period. That's a consistently high standard and obviously they've been to an Ulster final in that time. That illustrates well the players that are there.

"The vast majority of those players have had very little under age success as in even winning games let alone winning competitions, so it shows the pride they have. Every one knows Fermanagh don't have the massive numbers other counties do, there are only 20 clubs, but in many ways that harnesses them together.

"Fermanagh will be delighted to have achieved promotion but they are going to come to Brewster Park and throw absolutely everything at it and that's what is exciting about championship."

For Derry the last 12 months has seen a considerable change in the championship landscape. This time last season, with promotion having slipped from Oak Leaf fingers, few expected Gallagher's men to advance past a quarter-final date with Tyrone, let alone end their 24 year wait for Ulster Championship glory. Now, with a return to top flight football and a place in the All Ireland Series already assured, Derry are cast in a new heavyweight light.

"Not really," replies Gallagher when asked if being reigning champions changes the Derry approach to this year's championship.

"Don't get me wrong, it's definitely different for the players going in never having won an Ulster Championship but from my point of view it's my responsibility to make sure the levels of hunger and desire, the commitment to each, are all kept to high levels of excellence. We have to make sure they don't drop, that's from myself, the rest of the backroom team, even the County Board as well as the players.

"We will not be satisfied until we fulfil our potential and we feel we have a considerable way to go to achieve that. We have certainly seen progress in the National League this year, I think the league was a lot better this year than last. From that point of view we'd be very pleased with the lads but we have to stay very focused on the present and continue to improve."

As a player Gallagher was the Ulster Championship top scorer for three successive seasons but he admits the change from his own playing days have been stark, the latest of which, the split season, brings league and championship football closer than ever. It's a move that has drawn some criticism but the Derry boss is a fan.

"I can tell you one thing, Rory Gallagher the player preparing didn't think too much about what he would do without the ball," laughed the Oak boss recalling his own playing days.

"The game has moved on massively. In the majority of my playing days it was more old school, you tried to get the better of your own opponent and helped out where you could. It's completely different now with the level of coaching, the knowledge and the information that people have on each other; even then you have the level of exposure with television and media, the game is far bigger than it has ever been.

"There are people say it is not as good but I'm not going to judge that. I think it's a great product at this point in time and we're in a very privileged position to be competing at inter county level, something we have to enjoy and never take for granted.

"The new structure is a great thing. Some people say you need more time, etc, but there are people just looking to point out problems too much. For years, I mean, when I started playing inter county football if you were beaten in one game that was your championship season over. You had three games pre-Christmas the previous year when no one was fit and it was ridiculous.

"It has evolved brilliantly and if you had the weather here it would be perfect. Unfortunately in the early part of the year that's not always great but then again pitches have improved so significantly that even that is not really an issue now.

"The new format is something to be really embraced. I used to love to watch the Premier League on tv but now you don't have time because there is that much GAA on. There is that much enjoyment in matches, from watching, preparing, I think it's good. Ask any top sports person, they want to be playing week on week."