By Alanna Cunnane

Rivalries run deep in West Sligo, a fact of life Eoghan Rua Mc Gowan is well accustomed to.

Playing hurling together but pursuing their football ambitions separately, the parishes of Dromore West, Templeboy and Easkey form a stronghold to be reckoned with in the county’s senior hurling championship.

St Farnan’s got one over on Easkey in the semi-finals of the intermediate football grade, which they then went on to win last Saturday, and while there was “plenty of stick” dished out from both directions in that nail-biting clash, comradery is what triumphed overall.

“We were training with the same bucks the following week because we had Coolera in the semifinal” he says.

“It’s funny the way it works but as long as you leave it on the pitch everything is grand. The other thing is sure we all grew up together and were playing with each other all the way through.”

McGowan feels a similar sentiment too when he looks to Naomh Eoin, their opponents in the Senior County championship hurling final this Sunday at 3pm.

The Celtic Challenge was one of his fondest memories with a sliotar and hurl, but many of his teammates from Sligo’s 2018 victory will be in opposition this weekend in a game which is sure to be “tit for tat” and marks a good metric for the quality of the sport now in Yeat’s County.

“I know the underage is improving massively so it’s looking good for Sligo hurling all around really. Another five years or so and there will be massive competition with all the teams” says McGowan.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a hurling county but its dual now and anyone can see that it’s both hurling and football which is a good thing.”

“There’s a lot of hurling aspects you can bring into football now and vice versa. It’s a good thing that we’re doing well in both.”

Concentrating now on the final preparations in the coming week, the 20-year-old isn’t worried about pre-match apprehensions but is “more focused on pushing on this week and getting started.”

And if retaining last year’s title win wasn’t motive to do so, there’s always the opportunity to even the score up with some old foes/friends.

“It was hard enough looking at the Farnan’s boys celebrating this weekend, but hopefully we have something to celebrate now this weekend.”

The Senior Hurling Championship Final between Easkey and Naomh Eoin takes place on Sunday at 3pm in Markievicz Park.