Report and pics by Seamus McAleenan

FOUR players from last year’s selection have been included for a second season in the EOS Solutions Ulster Schools’ All-star panel announced yesterday. All four featured in Antrim’s 2-15 to 1-13 win over Limerick in the All-Ireland minor final last spring.

Erin Coulter has added a second All star to a plethora of awards collected over the past 12 months. The Brídíní Óga Glenravel defender won an All-Ireland club title and then a second national medal with her school St Louis Ballymena early in 2023 before helping Antrim to the minor crown and then featuring for their county Intermediate team that also won the Ulster title.

Also in that Intermediate team was Cara O’Boyle. A second St Killian’s player, Orlaith McAlister, picks up her second award while the fourth Saffron minor to make the grade the second year around yesterday is Janey McIntosh from Cross & Passion Ballycastle. Janey joined twin sisters Faye and Elen in last year’s team, the first time three siblings made the same All-star selection.

The team is dominated by the three north Antrim schools with McIntosh joined by Erin O’Hara, Noelle McAuley and Shannagh Heggarty from CPC and Ciara O’Boyle, Anna McKillop, Dearbhail Dobbin and Aisling O’Donnell from St Louis with St Killian’s Louise Mulholland making it 12 in total from the three seats of learning.

There is a 13th Antrim player – Sarah O’Neill, a student in St Mary’s Magherafelt. Sarah plays camogie for Cargin and scored a late goal in Glenravel on Saturday that took her club through to this Saturday’s Antrim Intermediate final against Loughgiel. Sarah, of course, plays football with Moneyglass and Antrim and she has featured in their All-Ireland Junior win last year and this season’s Ulster Intermediate championship.

There is hope that the inter-provincial tournament will be resurrected this year; it hasn’t happened since the year before Coivd when Ulster won their third title. If it doesn’t take place the panel will play a representative game against one of the county squads at the start of 2024.

The EOS IT Solutions Ulster Schools’ Camogie All-stars 2023-2034 are:

Erin Coulter, Ciara O’Boyle, Anna McKillop, Dearbhail Dobbin, Aisling O’Donnell (St Louis, Ballymena)

Erin O’Hara, Noelle McAuley, Shannagh Heggarty, Janey McIntosh (Cross and Passion, Ballycastle)

Cáit Conway, Carla Collins, Leah Cassidy, Orlaith Hull (St Patrick’s, Maghera)

Cara O’Boyle, Orlaith McAlister, Louise Mulholland (St Killian’s, Garron Tower)

Anna McErlean, Sarah O’Neill (St Mary’s Magherafelt)

Ella Haughey (St Joseph’s Crossmaglen)

Eva Cullen (St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon)

Fiadhna Loughran (St Patrick’s Keady)

Méabh Boylan (Loreto Coleraine)

Niamh McGrath (Sacred Heart Newry)

Caitlin Byrne (St Paul’s Bessbrook)

Aoife McOscar (St Pius X Magherafelt)