Chrissy McKaigue says Slaughtneil “can’t look beyond” the challenge of Galway champions Loughrea in Sunday’s All-Ireland Club Hurling semi-final at Parnell Park (13:30 GMT).
The Robert Emmet’s club clinched their sixth Ulster title in nine seasons with back-to-back victories over Portaferry and St John’s.
The 13-in-a-row Derry champions have lost all five of their previous All-Ireland semi-finals, so reaching the showpiece decider would represent significant progress.
This is the first time that Slaughtneil will face Connacht opposition in the All-Ireland series. Only the Galway champions qualify for the last four, with Loughrea pipping 2024 All-Ireland champions St Thomas’ to claim their county title.
It’s the third time Loughrea have reached this stage of the All-Ireland series. They lost the 2006 final to Ballyhale and suffered a one-point reverse to eventual winners Na Fianna of Dublin at this stage last season.
“We can’t look beyond it [the semi-final], for the very simple reality is, we have never got over this stage before,” McKaigue told BBC Sport NI.
“That’s the big incentive, Loughrea come with tremendous pedigree, but our big thing now is to try and get into an All-Ireland final, and that’s all we are focusing on because it’s going to be a mammoth task.”
McKaigue’s return to small-ball action after a one-year hiatus has provided a huge boost for Paul McCormack’s side after last year’s agonising one-point extra-time defeat by Cork outfit Sarsfields.
His return also means that nine of the team that beat Loughgiel to become the first Derry club to win the Ulster title back in 2016, returned to lift their sixth title last month against St John’s.
“I had little to offer last year in terms of body, but I’ve got my body into a state of mind now where I am not able to do the same things I used to do, but I can contribute in some way, and that is all you want to do,” McKaigue admitted.
Let’s take a look back at Slaughtneil’s five previous All-Ireland semi-finals encounters.