It was a fantastic day at Saturday’s Antrim GAA Health & Well-Being event in the Dunsilly Hotel! Grma to all our clubs and those who took part
Guest included Oisin McConville, Carál Ní Chuilín, Sean Smyth from Eimears Wish, our County Captains Peter Healy, Eoghan Campbell, Lucia McNaughton and Cathy Carey!
Mental Health & Well-Being for sports stars is a topic that is worth sitting down and having a real chat about. Bert Trowlen went along for the Saffron Gael.
Under 15A Hurling Championship
Ruairi Og Cushendall 1-22 Ard na Rí 3-7
Ard na Ri U15 Hurlers will rue the slow start that gave Feile Champions Cushendall a commanding first half lead, in Tuesday evening’s thrilling Championship Semi-Final played in Cushendall.
The unbeaten Ruairi Ogs displayed unerring accuracy, and gave an exhibition of point scoring to build up a 14 point half time lead.
They started with points from Fiontan Bradley (2), Fiontan McKillop, Shane McQuillan and Ryan McAuley, before Ar na Ri came back with a point from Ronan Taylor. Two more from Bradly and one from McKillop stretched the lead and though McGurk came back with one for the visitors, the Ruairis finished the half strongly with a flurry of scores, Including a Thomas McLaughlin goal, to lead by 1-13 to 0-2 at the interval.
The Ard na Ri players regrouped at half time and came out fighting for every ball in the second half. With county player Michael Marlow starting to dominate at full back, Ard na Ri grew in confidence as the game progressed. Following three well worked goals from Donnacha McGurk, Joe McKay and Finn McCann, Ard Na Ri had narrowed the gap to just 4 points with 10 minutes remaining. However Ard Na Ri began to tire towards the end, and Cushendall found their range in the last five minutes to ease home on a scoreline of 1:22 to 3:07.
Under 15A Hurling Championship semi-final
Glenariffe/Glenravel 0-4(4) Loughgiel: 1-16(19)
Loughgiel booked their place in the Under 15A Hurling Championship final when they beat Glenariffe/Glenravel in the semi-final at Waterfoot on Tuesday evening. The Glenariffe/Glenravel boys were well in the game during the opening quarter and after Loughgiel started with an Oisin Connolly point Joe McKay drew them level in the third minute. Daniel O’Mullan and Caolan McCollum pointed to put the Shamrocks two ahead after nine minutes but Gerard Burns and Joe McKay came back with points for the home side to square things up once again
However the rest of the half belonged to the Shamrocks as they hit 1-6 without reply before half time, the goal coming from left half forward Oisin Connolly, while Daniel O’Mullan got three of the points and Caolan O’Mullan, Ryan O’Boyle and Conan Johnston the other three.
The first ten minutes of the second half saw Loughgiel add four more, two from Conan Johnston and one each from O’Mullan and O’Boyle to put the game out of site. Joe McKay pulled own back for Glenariffe/Glenravel on 52 minutes but Johnston, O’Mullan and Connolly wrapped it all up to set up a final meeting with Cushendall.
U-15 A Football Championship
St Brigids 1-09-0-09 St Galls
Kevin Herron reports from Musgrave Park
St Brigid’s will take on St Pauls in the semi-final of the U-15 football championship after running out 1-09-0-09 winners over St Galls in the quarter-final clash at Musgrave Park on Thursday evening.
Both sides played out a thrilling 3-09 apiece draw at the same venue earlier on in the league campaign but both had contrasting ends in the aftermath with St Brigid’s lifting the league title and St Galls finishing in the lower half. Nonetheless an intriguing clash lay ahead.
St Galls were first off the mark through a Ségdee Mac Adhaimh point inside the opening minutes, but Luke Louge fed James Higgins to confidently level and the hosts hit the front through Donnacha McGurk’s effort that swung between the posts.
Padraig O’Muirigh restored parity and the sides traded further scores, Joseph Logan nudged his side back in front- only for O’Muirigh to float over an effort from distance and double his tally for the half.
The visitors ended the half stronger and would lead at the interval, Aodhan Pierce had his jersey tugged and the resulting free was converted by O’Muirigh – who was later conjure up his fourth score of the half as St Galls were 0-05-0-03 up at the midway point.
St Brigid’s started the second half on the front foot and were quickly back on terms as substitute Jacob Kennedy combined with Joseph Logan to drop a shot over the bar and Logan added a second shortly after to bring his tally to 0-03 for the evening.
A foul on Paul Austin allowed St Galls the chance to regain the lead and Padraig O’Muirigh took advantage.
It was short-lived though with Donnacha McGurk converting a 45’ to tie things up once again and the hosts then hit the front through an excellent free from Conor O’Connell.
The lead changed hands again when Odhran Bellew combined with O’Muirigh to swing over his sixth point of the contest and level, O’Muirigh then converted a free after a foul on midfield partner Ségdee Mac Adhaimh.
Back-to-back James Higgins frees had St Brigid’s back in front for the final time as they closed the game out with 54th minute goal.
Jack Heatherington slipped a pass into the path of Ronan Taylor whose shot dipped and crashed off the post and in to give his side a 1-09-0-08 advantage,
St Galls pushed for a goal of their own that would have set-up a grandtstand finish to a tight and tense encounter, but their only score in the remaining minutes came courtesy of a O’Muirigh free as the hosts saw the game out to set-up a semi-final meeting with St Paul’s.
All Saints GAC Ballymena held a very successful family fun weekend at their Slemish Park grounds and clubrooms with events running from Friday night to Sunday and large crowds in attendance.
Bingo, talent competitions and many other events took place on Friday and Saturday while Sunday once again was the climax of an excellent week end with blitz tournaments and a hurling challenge getting events under way.
As part of super Sunday festivities All the All Ireland winners from the county’s three codes were invited in to celebrate their success with the juveniles of All Saints GAC
Present from the LGFA with the All Ireland Junior football trophy and their Ulster winning trophy were: Aoife Taggart and Caitlin Taggart (Aldergrove), Danielle Connolly (Moneyglass), Maeve Mullholland (Glenravel)
Present from the Antrim All Ireland Junior Camogie winning team with their trophy: Captain Emma Laverty (Ballycastle), Lisa McConville (Dunloy), Caitlin Crawford (Dunloy) Dervla Cosgrove (Cushendall)
Present from the successful Joe McDonagh Antrim hurling squad was former All Saints hurler and now with Dunloy Ryan McGarry.
The arrival of all the female trophies was timely as the All Saints girls were celebrating recent success by their lady footballers. The U14 girls won their championship final on Thursday past against Glenavy and the U16 girls won their league going ten unbeaten. This was all topped off by the senior ladies gaining promotion to the 1st division this week.
Following the visit of our county stars the day continued with children’s and adult’s races with the Hugomount Mile concluding a very successful weekend’s events. As part of family fun weekend at the All Saints club the Hugomount mile took place on Sunday afternoon in perfect conditions.
This race which originated from the clubs old premises at Hugomount off the cushendall road always attracted the cream of the local running fraternity from years gone by.
Current holder of Hugomount Mile title Seamus Kelly presented the adult winner Kieran Scullion of Ballymena Runners with his trophy. Runner up Micky O’Kane from the All Saints Club, and 3rd place to Robert Clyde from Ballymena Runners also presented with their trophies by Seamus Kelly.
Club coach Micky O’Kane presented the juvenile winners of The Hugomount Mile to 1st Place Shane Dorrity, 2nd Place Keely O’Mullan and 3rd Place Catháir Casey.
