February 3, 2020February 3, 2020 by thesaffrongael

All Saints Spinathon this Saturday

All Saints GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Club situated in Ballymena, Co. Antrim. For the past 5 years the club has organised a Health & Well-Being programme for both club members and residents of the wider Ballymena community. The “Saints & Slimmers” initiative sees upwards of 160 local people participate in a range of health related activities across a 6 week period each January/ February. As well as the obvious personal benefits such activity brings the group supports others through its charitable work and our selected charity this year is the NI Children’s Hospice.

Last April two of our club coaches, Martha & Ryan Lemon, lost their beloved baby son Ollie. Along with their two girls, juvenile players Eve & Orla, the family has nominated the Children’s Hospice as the beneficiaries of our fundraising efforts this year. Martha is also doing the Saints & Slimmers programme this year and is a member of the Marigolds team.

Our Spinathon provides us with an opportunity to honour Ollie’s memory and to raise funds for the charity. In the months since Ollie passed away the support provided for the family has been something they have valued greatly. It is for that reason that Martha, Ryan and the girls have nominated the NI Children’s Hospice as the beneficiaries of our charitable collections. We are delighted to be able to play a small part in supporting the work of the charity through Saints & Slimmers this year.

On Saturday 8th February 160+ Saints & Slimmers participants will take part in a Spin Cycle Spinathon throughout the day at the Ballymena Harmony Hub (Band Stand). Though the 12 teams involved will all be “Peddling for Points” uppermost in their minds will be the opportunity to raise funds for our chosen charity. Please consider supporting their efforts by donating. Thanking everyone in advance for their support.

We have included the link for anyone who wishes to donate to this very worthwhile cause.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jim-brady2

February 2, 2020 by thesaffrongael

Saffrons defeated by classy Louth

Lidl Ladies National Football League Division Four

Antrim 0-06 Louth 3-11

From Kevin Herron at the Dub

Antrim fell to their second league defeat as last years All-Ireland junior champions Louth showed their promotion credentials with a 3-11-0-06 victory at the Dub this afternoon.

The hosts were second best in the opening half and were dealt a blow with the temporary loss of Aine Tubridy and Louth took full advantage with Lauren Boyle hitting the net in a dominant thirty minute display.

Dee McConville’s side showed some improvement after the break but further goals from Boyle and substitute Aimee McNally ensured that Louth would run out with a bit to spare at the end.

The visitors made a bright start to proceedings and hit the opening score through Lauren Boyle and fellow corner-forward Rebecca Carr doubled their advantage.

Aoife Taggart’s free dropped short in the aftermath and Nikki Jones was on-hand to ensure a point was forthcoming for the Saffrons.

Antrim were then dealt a set-back when captain Aine Tubridy was booked and subsequently sin-binned for an innocuous coming together – referee Gavin Finnegan felt Tubridy was guilty of charging and the hosts were reduced to 14-players for ten minutes.

In that time Louth tagged on further points from Boyle, Niamh Rice (free) and Rebecca Carr, they may also have had a goal – but Anna McCann produced a magnificent stop to deny Niamh Rice.

Five minutes before the break the opening goal did fall for Louth as Lauren Boyle got onto the end of a popped pass from Louise Byrne and guided the ball past McCann to make it 1-05-0-01.

Boyle quickly added another point in the immediate aftermath and a perfectly angled point from captain Aoife Byrne; in-between scores from namesake Eimear- ensured that their side led 1-09-0-01 at the interval.

Niamh Rice doubled her account with a score inside the first sixty seconds of the restart and Aoife Taggart responded from a free in front of the posts.

Further scores were traded between Lauren Boyle and Aine Tubridy before substitute Abi Carleton made her mark with an intelligent point.

Aine Breen squeezed the ball over at the near post in reply to Carleton’s point with a double from corner-forward Ellen Morgan levelling the second-half scoreline.

Anna McCann produced another magnificent stop to deny Alannah McLoughlin late-on but the Saffrons keeper was left helpless soon after as Aimee McNally collected a long-balls and rounded McCann before steering the ball home to give Louth a 3-11-0-06 victory at the conclusion.

Antrim: A McCann, L Wallace, E Kelly, N Killen, N Webb, O Corr, G Shannon, L Dahunsi, A Tubridy (0-01), G D O’Reilly, A Taggart (0-01f), M McGarry, E Morgan (0-02), N Jones (0-01), E Rocks. Subs: A Carleton (0-01) for E Rocks (HT); N McKeown for E Kelly (39); L O’Neill for D O’Reilly (51); R Hemsworth for N Killen (56).

Louth: U Pearson, E Hand, C Donnelly, H Lambe-Sally, A Halligan, S McLoughlin, C Nolan, A Breen (0-01), A Byrne (0-01), L Byrne, E Byrne (0-02), N Rice (0-02, 0-01f), R Carr (0-02), A Russell, L Boyle (2-03). Subs: S Matthews for E Hand; S Quinn for C Donnelly; G Murray for H Lambe-Sally; R Kavanagh for A Halligan; E Murray for C Nolan; G Trainor for A Breen; C Quinn for E Byrne; E Norton for N Rice; A McNally (1-00) for R Carr; A McLoughlin for L Boyle.

Referee: Gavin Finnegan (Down)

February 2, 2020February 3, 2020 by thesaffrongael

Antrim’s late push not enough as Sligo take the points

Allianz NFL Division Four

Sligo 0-15

Antrim 0-14

Antrim suffered another narrow defeat at the hands of old adversaries Sligo at Marievicz Park today. The Saffrons pushed hard in the closing stages and a Paddy Cunningham pointed free in time added on brought them to within a point of the Westerners but that was as close as they got.

With the allotted four minutes of stoppage time already played, Cunningham knocked over a 35-metre free to following a crude challenge on Declan Lynch which earned the Sligo skipper a black card.

However, McKenna blew the full-time whistle after Aidan Devaney’s kick-out with the Antrim players venting their anger at the full-time whistle.

Lenny Harbinson claimed that the Monaghan whistler had indicated he would play an additional 30 seconds after the free but blew from the resulting kick-out.

Antrim on reflection will however look to a number of missed chances, particularly a Paddy McBride attempt on goal from close range in the opening half which was blocked down with the ball cleared to safety in the ensuing scramble.

In truth though Sligo were the better side with keeper Aidan Devaney find a with relative ease from his kick-outs while at the other end they pressed up on the Saffron kick-outs and when Oisin Kerr was forced to go long it was the Sligo mid-field pair of Paddy O’Connor and Paul Kilcoyne who dominated.

It took the home side less than a minute to open their account with O’Connor on target before Cunningham replied for Antrim following good work from Eunan Walsh.

Back-to-back points from Sligo corner-forwards Liam Gaughan and Red Og Murphy saw the hosts move two ahead but both sides also missed good chances to score goals in the opening 35 minutes with Oisin Kerr denying Red Og Murphy on eight minutes while Devaney came off his line well to deny Paddy McBride in the 19^th minute.

Antrim began to settle and enjoy a bit of success however and Conor Murray, Declan Lynch and Eunan Walsh were all on target to keep the visitors in touch as the game approached half time.

Conor Murray’s second point of the day moved Antrim 0-8 to 0-7 ahead as the clock counted down to half time but the impressive O’Connor relied from the kick out to bring matters level. A misplaced kick-out from Oisin Kerr almost gifted Sligo a goal, but Darragh Cummins opted for the point to move the home side 0-9 to 0-8 ahead at the break.

Both sides showed changes at the start of the second half with Kevin Quinn replacing Mark Gardiner in the Antrim side and Gerard O’Kelly Lynch replacing Neil Ewing in the Sligo line out.

The third quarter was scrappy with Peter Healey producing a number of fine blocks to deny the home but the visitors were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes when Quinn was received a black card.

Paddy O’Connor (two) and Keelan Cawley hit three unanswered point to move the home side further ahead as they took advantage of the extra man but points from Cunningham and Colum Duffin kept the visitors in touch as Quinn returned to the fray.

Cunningham had the opportunity to level matters but screwed his shot badly wide in the 56th minute before the impressive O’Connor replied at the other end to extend the gap to two once more. Odhran Eastwood announced his arrival with a fine mark and point but Sligo started to run down the clock with some time-wasting with Murphy picking up a second yellow for kicking the ball into the dug-out.

O’Connor was shown a black for hauling down Lynch with time almost up and Antrim threw everything at their opponents with Cunningham’s last-ditch free leaving just one in it but it was too little too late as the home side survived to take the points..

Sligo scorers: P O’Connor (0-6, 0-4fs), R Murphy (0-3), L Gaughan (0-3, 0-2fs), S Carrabine (0-1), D Cummins (0-1), K Cawley (0-1).

Antrim scorers: P Cunningham (0-8, 0-6fs), C Murray (0-2), D Lynch (0-1), E Walsh (0-1), C Duffin (0-1), O Eastwood (0-1, 0-1OM).

SLIGO: A Devaney; J Carr, E McGuinness, M Gordon; N Mullen, P McNamara, S Carrabane; P O’Connor, Kilcoyne, K Cawley, N Ewing, D Cummins; L Gaughan, C Lally, R Murphy.

Subs: G O’Kelly Lynch for Ewing (HT), P Hughes for Lally (43mins), J O’Reilly for Cawley (54mins), S Coen for Cummins (59mins), A Marren for Gaughan (71mins).

ANTRIM: O Kerr; P Gallagher, R Johnston, M Gardiner; D Lynch, J McAuley, P Healy, R McCann, M Jordan; E Walsh, P McBride, N Delargy; P Cunningham, C Duffin, C Murray.

Subs: K Quinn for Gardiner (HT), C Small for McBride (42mins), O Eastwood for Walsh (54mins), D McAleese for Duffin (60mins), E Nagle for McCann (66mins).

REFEREE: N McKenna (Monaghan).

February 2, 2020February 3, 2020 by thesaffrongael

St Patrick’s Lisburn Awards dinner

St Patrick’s Lisburn partied through the night as they looked back at 2019, celebrating the progress the club has made both on and off the pitch and the awarding of medals and awards from the past season.

Naomh Padraig’s Chairman Peter Burns compèred the event and welcomed Antrim Chairman Ciarán McCavana, South West Antrim Chairman Jim McGrath and Kerry All-Ireland winner Sean O Sullivan to the showpiece event at the Beechlawn Hotel.

The event highlighted how the club has developed with more and more people in Lisburn now playing football through a number of different junior and senior teams, and the even the onset of hurling in the city. The Antrim Chairman paid tribute to the work of everyone involved at the club, stating that the dinner dance signified how the St Pats gaelic community had progressed in the last number of years, with people now proud to wear their Naomh Padraig shirts in Lisburn.

After the dinner, medals were presented to the Men’s Senior Team for winning the Antrim Junior Championship and the McCormick Cup.