Aghagallon and Antrim county GAA for All teams were in Croke Park on Monday to take part in the GAA Go Games.. Bert Trowlen went along as always to capture the action and some very special memories
Special thanks to Bronagh McCavigan of Aghgallon GAA for All and Tony McCollum of Antrim county GAA for All
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On Monday many of the Antrim clubs travelled to Croke Park of the Under 12 GAA Go Games, a very big day in the lives of these young Gaels who get the opportunity to play on the ‘sacred sod’ of Croke Park.
Bert Trowlen travelled down to capture some historic images
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Senior Camogie League Division One
Dunloy 3-23 Cushendall 4-11
Tuesday 6 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
A much improved second half performance was enough for Dunloy to get over the line on Tuesday evening as they saw off the challenge of Cushendall. The Cuchullains camogs knew coming into the game that if they avoided defeat, they would add the league title to the senior Feis they won last month and while the score line would suggest they won this one without any problems, the Ruairi’s came to Pearse Park looking to spoil the party. Dunloy powered through in the second half however producing 30 minutes of camogie where they showed how unrelenting they can be.
Nicole McAtamney top scored with 0-11 beside her name while the goals came from Cassie McArthur (two) and Eabha McAllister. Katie Molloy and Aine Magill were a constant threat while defensively, the home side really tightened up in the second half. Tenacious defending from Kathryn Boyle and Caoimhe Conlon in particular while the work rate of Caoimhe Molloy and Eimear Johnston in midfield shone throughout.
Cushendall were shorn of a few regulars but Eva McNeill was a shining light once again. She finished with 2-5 while substitute Kady McNeill caused the Dunloy defence plenty of problems. Defensively, they were overworked but the scoring power of Dunloy from all over the pitch was always going to be difficult to curtail.
The visitors to Pearse Park got off to the perfect start when Eva McNeill bagged her first of two goals inside the opening 20 seconds. Dunloy soon settled and with McAtamney accurate from placed ball, they kept the scoreboard ticking. The home side would score their first major in the 9th minute and while it was Eabha McAllister who applied the finish, it came through the work rate of Cassie McArthur. The sliotar spilled into McAllister’s path and she was in the right place at the right time.
Dunloy would run into a five point lead by the 20th minute before a brace of goals in as many minutes got Cushendall back into the game. The first came from Laura McMullan when her pointed effort dropped short, Dunloy ‘keeper Mary Martin misjudged the flight and the sliotar crossed the line.
Another long ball was to lead to the second Cushendall goal but it owed much to the persistence of Kady McNeill. The home side failed to deal with the danger and McNeill punished the error to put her side into a three point lead.
A brace of points from McAtamney followed before Cushendall’s fourth major came on the stroke of half time. Eva McNeill stood over a free over 50 yards from the Dunloy goal and the sliotar somehow managed to drop behind the Dunloy defence and into the net to leave Cushendall 4-6 to 1-11 ahead at the short whistle.
Having already scuppered a chance to take the league honours last week against Loughgiel, Dunloy were in danger of throwing away all the hard work throughout the league in the last two games at half time. But they produced a quite superb second half performance that was full of power, intensity, aggression and skill to leave Cushendall chasing shadows for much of the second half.
Their second goal came in the fourth minute of the second half. The Cushendall lead was reduced to three when Cassie McArthur found the back of the net. She capitalised on the loose sliotar after a strong run from Katie Molloy.
McArthur would double her goals tally in the 42nd minute with Dunloy leading by two points. Collecting a long ball, her movement left the Cushendall defence wrong footed and while the Ruairi’s ‘keeper Louise Mulholland came off her line, McArthur’s speed took her past her challenge as she finished into an empty net.
Points followed from Eabha McAllister and McAtamney before referee Owen Elliott awarded the home side a penalty for an infringement on McArthur. Nicole McAtamney stepped up to take the resulting penalty but her effort was well saved by Mulholland.
Chances for further goals came at either end in the time that remained, Eva McNeill bringing the best out of Mary Martin in the Dunloy goals while Aine Magill was denied by Mulholland.
The home side pushed on and added further scores with Katie Molloy (two) and Aine Magill finding their range to add gloss to the score line and ensure the Cuchullains would celebrate winning the league by the final whistle.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Mary Martin; Katherine Mullan, Caoimhe Conlon, Kathryn Boyle; Annie Laverty, Caitlin Crawford, Casey Crawford; Eimear Johnston, Caoimhe Molloy; Bronagh Magill, Aine Magill, Nicole McAtamney; Eabha McAllister, Katie Molloy, Cassie McArthur
Subs: Micha Cunning for B Magill (58)
Scorers: N McAtamney 0-11 (8fs 1’45); C McArthur 2-3; E McAllister 1-3; K Molloy 0-3; A Magill 0-2; C Molloy 0-1
Cushendall: Louise Mulholland; Annie Leech, Sinead Cosgrove, Aimee McDonnell; Aoife McClafferty, Laura Black, Catherine O’Boyle; Siobhan McKillop, Cara O’Boyle; Laura McMullan, Eva McNeill, Dervla Cosgrove; Amy McAllister, Orlaith McAllister, Orlaith McCurry
Subs: Kady McNeill for D Cosgrove (15); Maeve McAllister for A McClafferty (HT)
Scorers: E McNeill 2-5 (1-3 f’s); K McNeill 1-2; L McMullan 1-1; S McKillop 0-1; O McAllister 0-1; O McCurry 0-1
Referee: Owen Elliott
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U21B Hurling Final
Sarsfields 3-17 All Saints 0-11
Daniel Smyth was in sparkling for as he led Sarsfield’s to the U21B Hurling title when they overcame a young All Saints side at Whitehill on Monday night. Condition were certainly not conducive for good hurling with rain falling throughout the 60 plus minutes.
Despite this these sides served up an excellent game of hurling and matters seemed to be in the balance as they headed for the dressing rooms at half time tied on seven points apiece.
Indeed the Ballymena side will feel that the half time whistle came at just the wrong time as they came from five down to hit six of the last seven scores with Darach Bradley in sparkling form from the placed ball.
He was matched all the way by the excellent Daniel Smyth for the Stewartstown Road side who finished with 1-8 to his name as he gave a commanding performance around mid-field.
Two goals early in the second half turned the game on its head and the Ballymena side will feel they could have been prevented.
The first came after only 30 seconds when keeper, Luke Walsh got caught in possession when he had time to clear with Conlai Mervyn applying the finish with a simple tap in.
All Saints looked to have recovered as their own sharp shooter, Darach Bradley replied from two pointed frees to close the gap to the minimum but when Daniel Smyth fired a 25 meter free through a packed goalmouth in the 9th minute the game swung decisively in favour of the ‘Paddies’.
They went on to play some great hurling and added a further 1-8 as the All Saints challenge flounder with their only response coming from two Darach Bradley pointed frees.
It was fitting that Daniel Smyth would be the man to receive the cup from Antrim committee member Danny McLarnon. Smyth scored 3-6 last week in the semi-final against Tir na nOg and added another 1-8 tonight and looks one for the future.
It certainly wasn’t a one man show however with Oisin Coleman, Eoin McBriarty, Conlai Mervyn, Jay Maguire, Fionn Jemfrey and Brendan Jackson catching the eye in a good all round Sarsfield’s side.
All Saints will be disappointed at their second half performance but a side who are all under age next year can be proud of the effort they put in this year in the clubs first ever U21 Hurling campaign.
Peadar McGuckian, Archie McGreevey, Sean McDermott and Jakub Kaczmarek gave it everything on the night while Darach Bradley was their outstanding performer and contributed all of his side’s 0-11 total.
Sarsfields: 2 Daragh Coleman 3 Oisin Coleman, 4 Ahmad Soda 5 Jay Ward 6 Anthony McGarrigle 7 Jay Ward 8 Eoin McBriarty 6 Michael Johnson 18 Conlai Mervyn, 9 Tiernan Ward, 28 Daniel Smyth, 7 Eamonn O Cuinneagáin 9 Tiernan Ward, 10 Jay Maguire, 13 Brendan Jackson 0-1, 14 Anthony McGarrigle, 17 Conal Jemfrey, 23 Fionn Jeffrey 0-1, 15 Oisin Coleman 0-1, 18 Brian Healy 0-2, 25 Andrew McStay
All Saints: 1 Luke Walsh 2 Finn Connon, 3 Peadar McGuckian, 4 Diarmuid Casey, 5 Senan O’Boyle, 6 Harry Connon, 7 Archie mcGreevey, 8 Sean McDermott, 9 |Daniel Kelly, 10 Jakub , 11 Darach Bradley, 12 Fintan Brady, 13 Eddie McKendry, 14 Patrick Murphy, 15 Michael Connolly.
Subs: Pearse Martin
Referee: Piarais McCaffrey
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U21 Hurling Championship Final
Dunloy 1-20 Cushendall 3-13
Monday August 5
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pairc Mac Uilin, Ballycastle
For anyone who braved the mid-summer weather and attended the U21 final, they were treated to a contest that had everything we love about our game. Thrills, spills, goals and a game played at 100 mph. At the end of a pulsating 60 plus minutes, it was Dunloy who claimed the victory and cup by the narrowest of margins in a contest that was every bit as close as the scoreline suggests.
The pendulum swing of momentum was in full force in this contest with the game ebbing and flowing in a proper ding dong battle between two evenly matched sides. Cushendall’s ability to create and take their goal chances looked to be the winning of this game yet Dunloy just kept ticking along and a series of scoring bursts at the beginning and end of each half proved to be the winning of the game.
Aodhan McGarry would top score for the Cuchullains with 0-10 beside his name while Joseph McLaughlin was top of the charts for the Ruairi’s and 1-6. Both had plenty of support with Oisin McCallin and Padraig Martin impressing for Dunloy while Padraig McKillop was a real handful for the Dunloy defence. The ‘Dall full forward scored 1-2 and caused the Dunloy defence a lot of problems.
Neither side really put their stamp on this game in the opening 10 minutes. Dunloy held a one point lead at 0-3 to 0-2 with a couple of goal chances going begging, McCallin denied by ‘keeper Joseph McNaughton while Ryan Mort was denied by a brilliant last gasp block from Daire Mort.
At the other end of the pitch, the speed of Thomas McLaughlin and Oran McCambridge was yielding success for the Ruairi’s but three wides in the opening exchanges did little for their challenge.
A series of three points in just over two minutes from Joseph McLaughlin (free), McKillop and Oistin Birt put Cushendall ahead while they kept the Cuchullains scoreless for closing in on 10 minutes. A brace of frees from McGarry either side of Joseph McLaughlin’s second of the game (free) put the minimum between the sides going into the final 10 minutes of the half.
Cushendall struck the first meaningful blow of the final with a major in the 23rd minute. McKillop had just put his side two clear once more when Bradley tore down the left and as McKillop dropped into space, Bradley sent the sliotar his way and McKillop riffled his shot to the back of the net to give Eoghan Richmond no chance between the sticks for Dunloy.
Dunloy’s answer to that Cushendall goal was exactly what they needed. A run of four points in barely two minutes from Jack and Padraig Martin and McGarry frees (two) brought them to within the minimum and while Cushendall replied from a Joseph McLaughlin ’65, Dunloy had the final say of the half. McGarry firing over a brace of points (one free) to leave the sides tied at 0-11 to 1-8 at the short whistle.
If anything, half time came at the right time for Cushendall as Dunloy really turned the screw at the end of the first half, outscoring the Ruairi’s 0-6 to 0-1 in the space of just over six minutes.
Dunloy would continue that momentum at the start of the second half when they scored their opening goal in the second minute. They sent a long, high ball into the danger area and while Cushendall forced Padraig Martin out wide, he cut inside and riffled his shot to the back of the net from an acute angle. It was a ridiculous angle and Martin had no right to score from there but it was a touch of brilliance that lit up the final and was a sign of things that would come.
Martin would fire over a point soon after to take the Dunloy lead to four for the first time in the game but it was the Ruairi’s who found a way back into the game once more. McKillop the tormentor in chief once more and while the Dunloy defence looked to have dealt with his threat, he dropped the sliotar low and passed to Joseph McLaughlin in space. He made no mistake with a pulled, first time effort.
The sides traded scores before Dunloy took a three point lead in the 41st minute. Cushendall found another gear however with Joseph McLaughlin splitting the uprights with a quite brilliant score when he had neither time nor space but still managed to get an accurate shot away. His brother Thomas would split the uprights before McCallin raised another white flag for Dunloy.
Cushendall’s third goal came in the 48th minute and again, McKillop was at the heart of it. Dunloy swarmed and looked to quell his danger but he managed to pass unorthodoxly to Bradley and despite an acute angle, he found the back of the net.
Once again, Dunloy found another response. Three points in as many minutes from Luke and Eoin McFerran before McGarry’s eighth free of the final cancelled out the Cushendall major to put Dunloy two clear going into the final five minutes.
Joseph McLaughlin (free) and McCallin swapped scores before the Cushendall man would leave the minimum between the sides as the clock ticked into injury time.
Dunloy packed their defence and looked to the speed of McCallin on the break while Cushendall threw the kitchen sink in the closing stages. They had a free from distance where McLaughlin took aim and with the sliotar dropping, there was carnage on the edge of the square but Dunloy managed to clear the danger with referee Ciaran McCloskey calling time.
This was a quite brilliant advertisement for hurling within our county with two sides that just refused to lay down or give in. The Ruairi’s more than played their part in what was an incredibly entertaining final and even the most ardent of Dunloy supporter wouldn’t have denied them an extra 20 minutes for extra time. But, it was the Cuchullains who claimed the silverware.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Reece Cunning, Sean Og Blaney, Michael Traynor; Daire McMullan, Ben O’Kane, Joseph Magee; Jack Martin, Aodhan McGarry; Eoin McFerran, Luke McFerran, Barry McCloskey; Padraig Martin, Ryan Mort, Oisin McCallin
Subs: Tom McFerran for J Magee (HT)
Scorers: A McGarry 0-10 (7fs 1’65); P Martin 1-2; O McCallin 0-3; L McFerran 0-3; E McFerran 0-1; J Martin 0-1
Cushendall: Joseph McNaughton; Aodhan Campbell, Daire Mort, Michael Quinn; Alex McCambridge, Callagh Mooney, Conor McCollam; Oistin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Oisin Woodhouse, Joseph McLaughlin, Oran McCambridge; Fiontan Bradley, Padraig McKillop, Thomas McLaughlin
Subs: Mark Emerson for C McCollam (37); Stephen McAuley for O Woodhouse (44)
Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-6 (3fs 1’65); P McKillop 1-2; F Bradley 1-00; O McCambridge 0-2; T McLaughlin 0-2; O Birt 0-1
Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)
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