The Magpies are back in familiar Ulster Championship territory and aiming to win​ it

The Magpies will welcome Cavan champions Crosserlough to Pairc Esler on Saturday with their sights now set on the Seamus McFerran Cup.

Crosserlough last won the Cavan Championship in 2020 but like Kilcoo in this year’s county final they held opponents Ramor United to just four points, beating them 2-6 to 0-4 on October 20 at Kingspan Breffni Park.

While the Magpies have had a long break to prepare for their Ulster campaign, it’s like water off a ducks back for most of them who are well used to reaching this stage, not least Ceilum Doherty who has won 10 Down Championship finals with his club and he reflected on this year’s county campaign at the Ulster Championship launch last week.

“It's a very tough Championship and you're just appreciative to win it every year,” he said.

“Winning is very, very good and there's no better feeling in GAA than being successful. Anyone on their day can cause an upset, so you just have to be under no illusions and take every game as it comes.”

There has been much talk that Kilcoo didn’t need to get out of second gear in the Down Championship this year – particularly in the final, but Doherty insists they were tested.

“We do feel we've been tested and we maybe haven't been up to our standards in different games so there are a lot of learnings to take which is good moving forward, but winning is good too that at least you have another day to rectify that.”

Last year Kilcoo lost by a point to Scotstown in the Ulster quarter-final and while that was a painful defeat, it will spur the Magpies on this year and alert them to the dangers.

“Any time you lose it hurts but we're under no illusions. Next Saturday Crosserlough are coming to Newry and they're a top outfit so we just have to be ready for it.

“You train hard and whenever you train hard the output in matches is going to be good. That's the way we've always been for years, so listen it's the same as every other year, we'll just go at it.”

Doherty has come to the fore as one of Kilcoo’s most versatile players but he feels that’s the norm these days.

“You could be asked to man mark someone or you could be going at it. That's the way GAA is played now and I'm just appreciative that I'm playing.”

He is a fan of the potential new rules coming into the game too.

“It will be interesting to see what go through but it will definitely be very good and it will make for an open expansive game. “We'll get to watch more attacking football and I think that's what we want, especially people paying money and getting out of the house to go. They want to watch exciting people light it up, so there'll be good people on show doing that.”

What happens on the field is certainly impacted by the management and Karl Lacey who became manager in 2023 and was named as a potential to take the Derry job, is staying put for now and Doherty is happy to have him.

“He's been magical to the group and he's added a lot of good value so we're just very lucky to have him as a manager for our senior team,” he said with the focus now on their opponents in Saturday’s quarter-final

“They [Crosserlough] made light work of a very tough Cavan Championship. They have a lot of county pedigree and top players in their county so we under no illusions, it's going to be a massive task.”