Month / January 2023

by thesaffrongael

Shamrock seal it in second half

Leadon Timber Frames – Ulster Minor Hurling Cup Final

Loughgiel 3-11 Eire Og, Carrickmore 0-8

Saturday 7 January

Brendan McTagart reports from Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen

Loughgiel retained the Ulster Minor Cup on Saturday afternoon with a brilliant second half display that saw off the dogged resistance of Carrickmore.  The young Shamrocks held Eire Og scoreless for the entirety of the second period as they made the most of the wind at their back.

Led superbly by captain and man of the match, Ben McGarry, two of the Shamrock’s majors came from the younger of the McGarry brothers, Roan.  One in either half coming after Jack McCloskey’s opening goal and were pivotal in deciding the outcome of this final.

Roan McGarry celebrates after scoring a Loughgiel goal

The Tyrone men started with savage intensity from the first whistle, tackling, hooking and blocking everything that moved in a red and white shirt as they tried to make the most of having the wind at their back in the first half, and while Loughgiel struggled with the elements, their two goals late in the half proved essential.

Roan McGarry would top score for the Shamrocks with 2-2 for his hours work while Jack McCloskey was hot on his heels, finishing with 1-4.  The two young Shamrocks with another impressive display that warmed the travelling Loughgiel support on a cold afternoon in south Derry.

The opening score of the contest came in the second minute through Eire Og’s, Aidan Woods.  The talented full forward would finish the game with 0-5 beside his name and was a constant threat for the Tyrone champions.  Roan McGarry opened his and Loughgiel’s account with the next attack but both sides were showing signs of nerves in the opening exchanges.  Conn Sweeney was playing deeper to try and nullify the threat of the Loughgiel inside forward line while Ashdon McGarry was spare in the Loughgiel defence.  Woods (free) and Shea Munroe split the posts for the Carrickmore men before a free from Jack McCloskey kept Loughgiel in touch but it was clear even at that early stage the wind was going to be a major factor in the final.

With Sweeney influential at the heart of the Eire Og defence, they looked to build a lead with Woods (free) and Munroe (two) putting four between the sides with ten minutes of the half remaining.  In truth, it could have been more with the Tyrone men hitting a number of wides during their purple patch.

With the next attack Loughgiel scored the first goal of the final.  A long ball into the heart of the Eire Og defence wasn’t dealt with properly and Codi McGarry collected the loose sliotar.  He found Jack McCloskey in space and he pulled first time to give Kevin Hughes no chance between the sticks.

Eire Og looked to recover and did hit the next point of the game through a Woods free but again a brace of wides either side hurt their challenge.  A fact that was compounded as the game ticked in to first half injury time.  Jack McCloskey’s long free fell short and the Eire Og defence failed to clear the danger.  Roan McGarry pounced on the loose sliotar and punished the Carrickmore men with Loughgiel’s second goal to give them the lead for the first time in the final. 

There was still time for one more attack with Woods splitting the posts for the fifth time in the first time with his fourth free to leave the sides tied on 0-8 to 2-2 at half time.

In a half where Carrickmore had did the majority of the hurling, Loughgiel were fortunate to go in level at half time but they showed their predatory instinct in front of goal to give them a huge advantage in the second half.

With the wind showing no signs of dissipating, Loughgiel started the second half superbly.  A point from Jack McCloskey was preceded by a huge free from Ben McGarry moments later to put Loughgiel two clear.  A ’65 from Loughgiel captain McGarry made it three unanswered as Eire Og were camped in their own half before a touch of brilliance brought about the third Loughgiel goal.

Ben McGarry sending the sliotar to the edge of the square and with the chance looking to have gone, his brother Roan got flicked the sliotar to the back of the net.  A brilliant piece of individual brilliance that all but ended the final as a contest just 11 minutes into the second half.

Further scores from Darragh Patterson and Ronan Fitzgerald before Eire Og’s first attempt at a score came 17 minutes into the second half.  The Shamrocks were well on top but struggled in front of the target with a series of missed chances. 

Roan McGarry, McCloskey (free) and Darragh Patterson put further daylight between the sides as they put further gloss on the score line.

Eire Og went in search for goals to try and revive their flailing chances but Mark Christie was equal to any chances that came his way.

Jack McCloskey scored the last score of the final, a remarkable point considering he had lost his balance as a Carrickmore challenge came late.  A touch of class and a sign of the confidence McCloskey is playing with as he sealed a comfortable victory for the Shamrocks.

TEAMS

Loughgiel: Mark Christie; Ronan McLaughlin, Pearse Patterson, Ashdon McGarry; Tiago McGarry, Ben McGarry, Preston McGarry; Liam Glackin, Charley O’Hagan; Ronan Fitzgerald, Darragh Patterson, Ryan O’Boyle; Jack McCloskey, Codi McGarry, Roan McGarry

Subs: Danny McAuley for R O’Boyle (53); Conan Johnston for C McGarry (53); Ronan Casey for D Patterson (58); Conan McCormick for C O’Hagan (58); Eddie Smyth for P McGarry (58)

Scorers: R McGarry 2-2; J McCloskey 1-4 (2f); D Patterson 0-2; B McGarry 0-2 (1f 1’65); R Fitzgerald 0-1

Eire Og: Kevin Hughes; Cillian Kerr, Cormac McCrystal, Senan Munroe; Darragh McPhillips, Daithi McIlhatton, Michael Coyle; Francey Hurson, Conn Sweeney; Padraig McCrystal, Shea Munroe, Dylan Devlin; Caolan Martin, Aidan Woods, Conor Kerr

Subs: Padraig Gavin for S Munroe (40); Conor McGarvey for D Devlin (53); Darragh Coney for C Martin (53)

Scorers: A Woods 0-5 (4f); S Munroe 0-3

Referee: Alan Nash (Doire Trasna)

by thesaffrongael

O’Brien leads UUJ comeback

McGurk Cup Quarter-Final

UUJ 1-21 Fermanagh2-15

Photographs: Bert Trowlen

Aodhan O’Brien was very much to the fore as he led an excellent UUJ comeback in this Conor McGurk quarter-final win over Fermanagh at the Dub on Saturday.

Fermanagh looked on their way to victory when they led UUJ by 9 points at half time thanks to goals from Brian Teehan and  Caolan Duffy and were good value for their 2-11 to 0-8 interval lead.

However the University side staged a strong wind assisted second half revival to dominate the second 30 minutes and run out winners by three point with a scrambled goal from substitute, Fearghal McManus proving the vital score in the end.

The Ernsiders were the much more productive side during the opening half with Sean Corrigan firing over five points and Ryan Bogue, Ultan O’Reilly, Daniel Teague and Teehan all on target.

Aodhan O’Brien (0-3) and Luca McCusker (0-5) kept Jorganstown in touch as the fought to repel the Fermanagh push during the opening half but they looked to have a lot to do in the second half as referee James Connor sounded the half time whistle.

Aodhan O’Brien who led the UUJ comeback in their win over Fermanagh in ther Conor McGurk quarter-final on Saturday

The students made a bright start to the second half as they attempted to reel in their opponents, hitting 1-2 before Fermanagh opened their second half account with their goal coming from substitute McManus.

Aodhan O’Brien led the UUJ comeback, hitting 0-4 in a man of the match performance with John Kennedy, Ciaran Magill, Luca McCusker, Dannan McGeogh and Fearghal McKiernan all weighing in with important points to see Jordanstown through to the semi-final.

by thesaffrongael

Brídíní Óga are All Ireland Champions

By Daragh Ó Conchúir at Kinnegad

Brídíní Óga (Antrim) 2-7 Knockananna (Wicklow) 1-5 

Second-half goals from Aisling Millar and Molly Woulahan within nine minutes of one another were the key scores as Brídíní Óga became the first Antrim team to win the AIB Camogie All-Ireland Junior A Club Championship title at a packed Coralstown Kinnegad GAA grounds. 

A full house played its part in a wonderful occasion, with players displaying tremendous grit in difficult conditions as well as so many of the skills of the game in a cauldron of red-hot activity. 

Aimee Maher flighted a wonderful opening score after just 49 seconds, having collected possession just outside her own 45, fed Róisín Byrne and then taken the return to finish inspirationally from just outside the opposition 45. 

A tear rolls down the face of Brídíní Óga manager Rodney Kerry as he embraces his players at the final whistle

Rodney Kerr would have been irked by the manner in which Maher was untracked and unmarked but it was a fantastic display of movement and athleticism, followed by a scintillating finish. 

Emily Hadden slotted a free to make it 0-2 to 0-0 after just five minutes but it wasn’t a portent of things to come in terms of scoring rate, due in part to the heavy underfoot conditions and strength of the wind, which was in Knockananna’s favour in the opening period. 

The Wicklow side, looking to make it back-to-back All-Irelands having annexed the Junior B crown last season, didn’t make enough of that elemental advantage, leading by just a point at half-time, 0-3 to 0-2. 

In contrast, Na Brídíní Óga found it easier to get the scoreboard moving although to their credit, Knockananna did too despite playing into the teeth of the gale in the second half. 

Victoria Edgar got the Ulster side off the mark in the 12th minute with a neat finish but back came Knockananna with a point from Sarah Byrne, who clipped over but had a teammate completely unmarked inside her, standing just outside the small parallelogram. 

Goal scorer Molly Woulahan and free taker Eimhear McAleenan celebrate at the final whistle

That was it in terms of scores for more than 15 minutes, although both teams had chances, and it wasn’t until just before the interval when the dangerous Woulohan split the posts for Brídíní Óga after some brilliant defence had denied her a goal opportunity. 

With nerves dispensed with, the teams served up an exhibition after the resumption, and Ciara Byrne made it double scores after good work by Maher but a 36th minute goal off the sod by Aisling Millar put Brídíní Óga in front for the first time. 

Aimee Traynor and the vastly experienced Eimhear McAleenan (free) pointed either side of a Ciara Byrne score that came after a goalbound Laura McGrath shot had been blocked, and when Woulahan finished to the net after bursting through the middle for her sixth consecutive game raising a green flag, it was looking good for the Glenravel crew. 

Birthday girl Rita Higgins, had something special to celebrate at the final whistle.

Knockananna, fielding minus the services of captain and midfielder Jessie Byrne, who has gone to Australia, illustrated their appetite for the battle though and when McAleenan opened the gap to two goals from a placed ball, Tom Byrne’s troops halved the deficit with a 55th minute major from Rachel Byrne, who rocketed a free to the net with a stunning strike. 

Their hopes were extinguished by points from young substitute Clodagh McPeake, making a return from injury, and McAleenan, however, and it was Brídíní  

Team captain Kirlsty Laverty receives the All Ireland Cup from Camogie Association president

SCORERS FOR NA BRÍDÍNÍ ÓGA: M Woulahan 1-1; A Millar 1-0; E McAleenan 0-3(2fs); V Edgar, A Traynor, C McPeake 0-1 each 

SCORERS FOR KNOCKANANNA: R Byrne 1-0(f); C Byrne 0-2; A Maher, E Hadden (f), Sarah Byrne 0-1 each 

NA BRÍDÍNÍ ÓGA: O Donnelly, A Mulholland, M McKenna, J Woulahan, E Coulter, M Mulholland, B Laverty, L McKenna, K Laverty, E McAleenan, S Fyfe, V Edgar, A Millar, M Woulahan, A Traynor. Subs: C McPeake for Millar (38); S McDonnell for Traynor (60), N McKay for Edgar (60+2)

KNOCKANANNA: K Byrne, E Breslin, Á Byrne, E O’Sullivan, Róisín Byrne, E Hadden, S Goetelen, A Maher, C Byrne, Rachel Byrne, L McGrath, E Mulhall, Sinéad Byrne, Sarah Byrne 

REFEREE: Brian Kearney (Kildare) 

Player of the match Laoise McKenna receives her trophy
by thesaffrongael

Loughgiel should hold all the aces

Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor Club Hurling Cup final:

Loughgiel (Antrim) v Éire Óg Carrickmore (Tyrone)

(Saturday, Ballinascreen, 1pm)

Loughgiel go into Saturday final at Ballinascreen as hot favourites after their runaway win over Derry champion Lavey last weekend. The young Shamrocks were a cut above their opponents and without having to extend themselves were convincing winners in the end. Of course if you took Jack McCloskey’s contribution out of it things would have been a bit tighter, the talented corner forward grabbing 3-5 of this team’s 3-18 total, but in truth the Antrim side were dominant throughout the field. Liam Glackin was the man that made things tick, the strong running midfielder a cut above the rest as he pulled the strings in the middle of the park, his ball winning skills eye-catching.

The other semi-final last Sunday was a much more competitive contest, with Tyrone champions Carrickmore taking extra time to get the better of Down’s Bredagh. The boys in black and amber should probably had things wrapped up in normal time but a late surge by Bredagh saw them snatch a draw. Carrickmore regained the upper hand in the ten minutes each way extra time and were deserving winners in the end as they secured their final place.

It may be a little arrogant to assume that Loughgiel will dominate the decider, and the Tyrone boys will be going all out to prove the doubters wrong, but I think that Liam Glackin, Ben McGarry, Ronan Fitzgerald, Jack McCloskey and the Patterson twins will have too much for their rivlas and should retain the trophy they won when the competition was last played back in 2019.

Loughgiel will be without Codi McGarry who was unlucky to see red last weekend but the rest of the team should be very similar to the one that beat Lavery.

The team that lined out last week was Mark Christie; Ronan McLaughlin, Pearce Patterson, Ashdon McGarry; Tiago McGarry, Ben McGarry, Preston McGarry; Liam Glackin, Charlie O’Hagan; Ronan Fitzgerald, Darragh Patterson, Ryan O’Boyle; Jack McCloskey, Codai McGarry, Roan McGarry Subs: Danny McAuley for D Patterson (52); Conan Johnston for B McGarry (54); Oisin Convery for L Glackin (55)
by thesaffrongael

Brídíní Óga bid to write the final chapter in their fairytale

AIB All-Ireland Junior club final:

Saturday 7th January, 2pm in Kinnegad

Brídíní Óga Glenravel (Antrim) v Knockananna (Wicklow)

It will be a case of ‘last one out, turn off the lights’ on Saturday in Glenravel when all roads lead to Kinnegad, Co Westmeath where Brídíní Oga take on Wicklow and Leinster champions Knockananna in the All Ireland Junior A Camogie final. While many of those travelling will feel aggrieved their journey is going to be twice as long as the fans of their opponents, most will be just trying to take in the fact that their club will be competing in an All Ireland final.

Camogie has had a few incarnations in the Glenravel club over the past 90 years or so, the first team photo, taken in 1933, features in the club history of 2016.

A Glenravel camogie team of 1933 Back row, L-R, Mary McToal, Susanna Higgins, Nora McBride, Susie McBride, Mary McBride, Peg Higgins, Jeanie Dunlop, Moira Miskelly. Front, L-R, Kathleen Higgins, Bernadette Higgins, Vera Healey, Elizabeth McDonnell, Mary McQuillan, Mary Higgins.

Like so many clubs throughout the country the game faded away for a year or two, but in the mid-fifties a new group of young women emerged and soon began to be competitive, going on to beat St Agnes in the Intermediate final at MacCrory Park in Belfast in 1957. However with many of that young team leaving the parish to go to boarding schools and to work elsewhere, that strong pool dwindled and the dropped out of the leagues again. Some of them did go elsewhere though and Olive Scullion, Kathleen Forde, Kathleen Scullion were part of a county and Ulster senior championship winning team with Ahoghill.

1975 saw the start of another strong period for the club and backed by many titles at juvenile level the game was strong in the club for many years, culminating in winning their first Junior Championship title by beating Rasharkin in the 1990 final in Glenariffe. Malachy McToal, who managed that team along with his brother in law Killian McElroy, is part of the current management team who steered the club to their first Intermediate crown earlier this season. Catriona Higgins, who was part of that winning team in ’75 went on to win a string of honours at the highest levels in the game, including Ashbourne Cup with Jordanstown and Senior county and Ulster titles with Loughgiel.

The Glenravel team who won the 1990 Junior Championship in 1990. Back row, L-R, Malachy McToal, Shauna Higgins, Noreen McCafferty, Claire Gaul, Patricia O’Loan, Moira Doherty, Edel O’Loan, Anne Marie Hughes, Sheena McKeown, Una O’Loan, Killian McElroy, Front L-R, Rose Reid, Anne Marie O’Donnell (with Sean O’Donnell), Rosie McCafferty, Tessa O’Boyle, Cationa Higgins, Helen Kerr, (Danielle McElroy on Helen’s knee), Roisin Higgins, Bernie McToal, (Shauna Marie McMullan and Karen Davis standing – Donna Marie McElroy and Margaret McToal – kneeling)

Catriona was just one player who lined out for the Shamrocks during different periods of inactivity in the Glenravel club, with her cousin Anne Higgins, Patricia O’Brien and the Duffin sisters Roisin and Maureen wearing the famous red jersey with great distinction. Only this season Chloe Higgins was part of the Loughgiel team who reached the All Ireland final.

The current Brídíní Oga club was started just over twenty years ago, initially as part of an amalgamation with St Brigid’s Cloughmills, and has proved a great success competing in all age groups. The driving force behind it was Seamus McAleenan, a man from Laoitrim Co Down who married a local girl and settled in the parish He has been involved with the club in many roles ever since. The team won their first Junior Champions title under the Brídíní Oga name in 2016 when they beat Dunloy in a thrilling game in Portglenone. They went on to add the Bridie McMenamin Shield, the club’s first Ulster title.

The Brídíní Oga team who the Junior Chamionship in 2016, beat Dunloy in the final in Portglenone.

They competed in Division 1 for a season or two and played their championship Camogie in the Intermediate grade. Winning that Intermediate title has been the aim since that Junior success in 2016 and after suffering defeats in the finals of 17, 18 and 19 to Loughgiel there were those who wondered if they would ever get over the line. However there was young talent emerging in the intervening years and with Rodney Kerr back at the helm he assembled a strong backroom team.

The first round back in August saw them get over the first hurdle when they faced Creggan at home, winning in the end by 0-17 to 1-9 but there little in the performance that day to indicate what lay ahead. It was the next round, when they faced their old rivals Loughgiel that really saw the upturn in their fortunes and when they beat the Shamrocks with a much improved second half display, the belief began to grow.

Aimee Traynor celebrates her goal against Cargin in the semi-final of the Antrim championship

The semi-final win over Cargin was another tough encounter and it took a bit of magic from Brídíní Oga’s version of Lionel Messi, Aimee Traynor, to give them the win. Portglenone were next in the Antrim final and it took goals at vital times in that game to see them take that next big step in the club’s progression by becoming Intermediate champions.

Running alongside all this was their Intermediate Football Championship campaign and the Camogs came through the first round of the Ulster Camogie campaign against An Riocht of Down in Kilkeel in early November before wrapping up the football title against St Gall’s two weeks later. The pressure was really building as the games came thick and fast, and when they lost to Derry senior champions Steelstown in the opening round of the Ulster Intermediate Football campaign, it was probably a blessing in disguise.

With just the small-ball game to concentrate on their Ulster Camogie final against the fancied Armagh champions Granemore saw them turn in the best display of the season to date.

They improved on that display in the All Ireland semi-final against Limerick and Munster champions Adare at Abbotstown. They got a lucky break coming into the game when the original fixture with Adare was called off just the night before the game, with many of the team attending the wedding of team doctor Nicole Laverty, sister of team captain Kirsty. No doubt all of those attending were on their best behaviour, but it is much easier to prepare for the biggest game of your life sleeping in your bed the night before, and they needed to be at their very best to get past the Adare challenge.

Laoise McKenna in action during the semi-final win over Limerick champions Adare

They will need something similar, or maybe even better, if they are to complete the fairytale on Saturday against the Leinster champions Kockananna. If they were to lose they would still be the most successful team in the club’s history, and each and every one of us will be rightly proud of them. However not one of this great group will want to end it that way. Victory, is their only aim, just as it was in the other seven games in this great journey, so give it your best girls one more time and the glory can be yours.