Irvinestown minors take on Clann Éireann this Sunday in Belfast in the Ulster Minor Club Championship quarter-final.

They face the Armagh champions who are thriving at every level of football at the moment.

Their senior side were beaten by a point, last Sunday, against Errigal Ciaran in the Ulster Senior Club semi-final while their ladies team secured back-to-back Ulster Senior Club titles last week after defeating Kinawley in their quarter-final game.

Irvinestown defeated Derrygonnelly at the start of the month, in the county championship final, with St Molaises assistant manager Eugene Swift explaining it's been about trying to maintain intensity in training since then.

“Yeah it’s just been about trying to keep the boys focused, I suppose it’s not easy trying to get challenge matches at this time of year and keep boys motivated,” he said.

“The boys have been putting in a lot of hard work at training at the minute themselves and we just hope all goes well on the day now for us.

"There’s a lot of fella’s playing different sports with college football and for clubs with other sports as well. It's hard to get them all together at the one time.”

Irvinestown saw off Derrygonnelly in the league final in September before recording a 3-08 to 0-11 win at St Joseph’s Park, just over three weeks ago, after Oisin Swift and Barry Goodwin hit first-half goals with substitute Jay Largo Elis' goal rounding off the win late on.

“We knew Derrygonnelly were always going to be tough opposition from the league final,” added Swift.

“They put it up to us in that league final, but Derrygonnelly went three or four points up at the start of the game and it took our boys a few minutes to get into it.

"Thankfully, they played football, held their nerve and played to what was asked of them and got the result we wanted in the end.”

Swift added: “There’s a couple of lads carrying a couple of knocks and niggles at the minute. Some of them haven’t trained fully, it’s about trying to rest them as well, we’ve been training on grass pitches now because the 4G pitches have taken its toll on some of the players with the hard compact when your not used to it.

"We’ve seen very little of them because Croke Park don’t allow minor games to be videoed, so, we know very little and have seen very little of them. Its probably likewise for them too.

"We’ve just been focusing on ourselves, that’s what we’ve been doing in training and you just want the boys to buy into it and hope for the best.

"It all depends on the day who is hungrier for it, hopefully we will be hungrier.”

It’s been a disappointing year in Ulster for Fermanagh sides at senior club level with all mens, womens and both hurling sides losing in their quarter-final games.

“It would be a big boost for the county and personally for us, the players have put in a lot of commitment throughout the year with a few of them with the Irvinestown senior team too as well,” continued Swift.

“There’s five or six of them involved with the senior team, it would be nice to get a bit of a lift with the club and the county.”

Asked why he believes teams have struggled in Ulster, Swift responded: “From outside of the county, some clubs and counties seem to be a bit more advanced, preparation wise, just with resources and players.

"I think they’re maybe better set up with regards to the facilities to help with that. Clann Éireann is coming off their county winning the All-Ireland, the senior men are after contesting to get into Ulster final, there’s a bit of depth and bit of hunger at their club. Their Ladies won the Ulster Club Championship.

"Obviously there is a bit of pedigree and a bit of depth to the club at the minute.”

Swift has witnessed six of Irvinestown’s minors step into the senior team this year and is hoping there will be plenty more to follow in the coming years.

“It’s a long-term project, it’s not just going to happen overnight, you have to blend your more senior players with your youth and thankfully that’s sort of worked with us this year,” he concluded.