Sunday the 25th of August saw Gort Na Móna host their annual Bronagh Kelly Memorial u16 7-A-Side Camogie tournament. The competition which is now in its 17th year is historically hosted on the last Sunday of August and 2024 was no different. Throughout the years the camogie contingent of the club have hosted clubs from various counties but this year seen a first as all entrants were from belfast. A testament to the work going on for camogie development in the city. With last year’s Cup winners Swatragh unable to defend their position due to other club commitments the cup was up for grabs. The group stages seen some fantastic end to end fast paced quick touch camogie with St Paul’s and Lamh Dhearg coming out on top of their sections. The shield was more closely contested as it came down to score difference to determine what club progressed. High scoring Gort na Móna secured their spot to meet St Brigids. A close encounter saw Gorts just edge their competitors for the win. Much to the delight of the manager Lisa Pierce. The cup final was tight as both teams in red and white battled end to end with the Shaws Road girls taking the spoils. As the shield and cup was presented Gort na Móna took their opportunity to thank the Kelly family and all those who make the annual tournament a great success
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Saffron Gael’s Brendan McTaggart met up with new Antrim’s new hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald yesterday at Dunsilly to check out his thoughts on taking over the Saffrons…
Davy with Tony Shivers and North Antrim chairman Paddy Gray at the Ballycastle v St Enda’s game on Saturday evening
There are times in life where you realise, you’re in the presence of something special. On Sunday at Dunsilly, a 20 minute official interview and the same again off the record, I got to see first-hand what makes Davy Fitzgerald tick.
It went from being a run of the mill, standard interview to a passionate insight into what Clare native wants to bring to the Saffrons and how he plans to go about taking Antrim hurling to the next level.
“It’s been a busy two weeks. I’ve had to look at the backroom situation and that’s had the majority of my attention for the last two weeks” started Fitzgerald. “It’s a learning process just at the moment. It’s evaluating everything and seeing where we’re going, what we’re going and who’s going to be involved.”
The rumour mill has been in full flight surrounding who Davy would bring into his backroom team and despite being pressed, he had a glint in his eye when he said: “I wouldn’t be telling you either.” Famously guarded when dealing with the media, Fitzy was joking from the work go and while he was giving nothing away in regards details, he did say: “People have got to trust me and who I pick. Will it suit everyone? Probably not. But I’m there to pick the people that I want to work with. I know what I want and people will have to trust me on that.
“I’ve been putting a lot of thought into it. There are no favours or getting someone in for the sake of getting them in.
“I’m coming up here (to Antrim) a good bit of time. I have a fair idea on who I want and if I’m doing this job, I have to be trusted with that, to make the best decisions possible to help me achieve what I want to.
“There are a certain type of people I need to get to help me achieve that.”
Fitzgerald got tongues wagging throughout the hurling landscape in the country after his ratification and before. He told us that he did turn down an offer from Waterford to stay on and while there was a definite plan to take a break, after speaking with the Antrim county board he was sold: “I stepped down from Waterford, I was offered another two years down there, I declined it. I took the summer off, it was my first time having a June and July off with Daithi Og (his son) and it was grand.
“The only persons I spoke to were Antrim. I had so many clubs coming to me, looking to give a hand here and there. I just didn’t want to and because I have a lot of friends up here – I travel up and down here for a number of years I said we’d have a conversation. Did I expect anything to come from it? If I’m being truthful, no. But their enthusiasm, Seamus (McMullan) enthusiasm was undeniable. There’s been progress made in Antrim over the last number of years but their vision, their goal and desire to make this happen, it really caught my attention.
“I’ve been hearing it for years: “ah they’re great up there”. Not many people get off their backside and get up to do something about it and I thought now was the time, it was now or never.
“I talked to my family at home, spent a good few days talking it over and the logistics of it. I wanted to see if they could come up some of the time and we came to an arrangement. We have two years and I have an option of a third if I want it.
“Sharon (Davy’s wife) knows that I like it up here, I love coming up. This is my chance to finally see, can we help out. Can we do something. I’m sick of people talking about it, at least I’ll be able to say that I gave it my all.”
It wasn’t hard to conclude from our conversation that the new Antrim manager is a devoted family man. How he spoke regarding his family and reverence surrounding them, to make a decision like this was going to be a team effort but in the past, it always has been: “When I went to Wexford, the love I endured down there was incredible. My family, the way they were treated – incredible whether we won or lost. I’m hoping, and it’s something me and Sharon has spoken about, I’m hoping that when people see the that I’m giving it my all then we’ll have the same situation here.
“I can’t say that I’m a magician. I can’t say that we’re not going to get some of the beatings that we’ve got away from home over the last number of years. We have made progress here at Corrigan – great. But we need to be better than that when we go away from home and that’s one of my goals.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen straight out but I have a plan, an idea of what I want to do but when you’re trying to change something and bring new ideas, you have learn those ideas. When you’re learning those ideas, you might be a small be slower on the field – when you have to think on something it takes a split second longer. That’s going to happen. I’d expect that the commitment levels will be off the charts but the game stuff we’ll be looking to bring in will might take that small bit longer to get it to where it needs to be. Once we’ve done it enough, that split second of time will be gone and it will become easier.
That might mean that we will be beaten by a team or two that we shouldn’t or some of the top teams will get us but I’m hopeful that in the long run, fairly soon, not saying it’s four or five years down the road, sooner than that, we’ll be consistent. Playing the way we want to.
“Consistency is a big part of what I’m looking at and to get a style of play and to get something that gives us an identity. I want people to look at us and know that this Antrim team are going to be hard working, they’re never going to give up. I want us to have that identity.”
The new Antrim manager was impressed with the surroundings at Dunsilly, stating that they have all the tools they need but he needs another ingredient: “Things are definitely going in the right direction but I have to see joined up thinking all the way down the line. That’s a big thing.
Davy in his playing days with Clare in 2005
“I’m not coming in here saying I’m going to sort out underage structures but I hope to be asked my opinion. I hope that we get the best people. Personally, myself and it’s my opinion only, we shouldn’t be putting positions out for nomination. We should be going out for the best people we can get for our squads. That’s my own opinion and it could be totally different from those in the county board but my opinion is we should be getting the best people for our squads and then we should all be in line of how we hope to play, how we coach and how we go about that.
“I don’t need to hear about people saying what needs to be done. Don’t give me that crap. Get up and do something about it. Get onto Seamus or get onto someone and say you want to be involved, you want to help out. I’m sure from talking to him that, trust me, this lad is willing to listen. If we all join up together and get the best structures in place, it can all be inclusive.
“There’s so much good stuff being done in clubs but it needs to be bigger than that. We need the best people we can involved here. There is good people and I like people who are constantly thinking outside of the box. You won’t evolve if you don’t. I don’t manage the same way I did six, seven or eight years ago, you have to evolve in hurling like the way you have to in life.”
Inevitably, styles of play came up in conversation. Davy went and gave me a masterclass in how he went about the 2024 championship with Waterford before dispelling myths surrounding his tenure with Wexford: “With Wexford, I played a plus one. Some people looked on that as an extra defender. It’s not. Anyone who knows anything about hurling knows it isn’t. For three quarters of the game it’s attacking up front with seven, eight and nine players.
“If you tell me that Limerick or Clare played with a straight 15, they never did. People are delusional if they think 15 v 15 hurling is out there. I’m going to see what suits us best. I want the players to play in a way that they have decisions to make may that be hand pass ball, long ball, dink ball, scoring from distance, I want them to have those decisions.
If you get the ball and just lump it down the field all the time, you get a scrum between four or six people. That was ok back years ago and people might like that but that’s not me. I want to see the skills in the game.
“There’s 110 dead ball situations in a game of hurling. 40 puck outs either side, 25 frees and seven or eight side lines. I want to see us be the best we can be in that. That takes a lot out of a game of hurling and people maybe don’t think of that.
“Did the people of Wexford care that I played a plus one? Yeah, maybe some of the older boys from the ’96 team but you look at the record. We won a Leinster Championship; we should have won an All-Ireland. We gave ourselves opportunities and that’s where I’d rather be. I’d love to see a heap of Antrim people coming down to Croke Park on a big day, that’s where I’m coming from.
“I will respect people’s opinion, there’ll never be a problem with that, but I’m also entitled to my opinion and how I think we should be playing. I want that support.”
Davy with Clare in 2013 when he became one of a unique group of men to have won an All Ireland title with his county and then go on managed one
Outside of hurling, the Antrim manager is looking to grow and sustain a culture. He added: “I believe that Antrim GAA can create a culture that will help young people evolve and grow into better young people. I believe that we can have more values and that can help with their home life. I believe our young people and senior team can do things that they’re not doing at home. This can be bigger. Antrim GAA have the chance to be a leader in certain areas and I hope I can help. I have a vision on how that can happen.
“Kids these days, they’re on their tablets and phones too much. I want to create a culture where they’re putting their phones and tablets down. I want them to be tidying up the changing rooms, don’t be leaving it to the caretaker. Tidying up around the field where we have so much pride in our facilities and making sure that we’re leaving the place in the same condition we found it. Those things, that culture, can be taken into home life also. Make you better as a person at home. Have talks on specific things, be it gambling or drugs, I want to see talks on different things. I want to have an impact on things outside of hurling. A happy home leads to a happy mind and helps to create a good hurler.”
Ultimately, Antrim have brought Fitzgerald in to get them to the next level. Progress has been made and an appointment of such a high profile manager is a massive step. Is it a risk? I think it’s one worth taking. Davy is right in that, hurling has evolved. Antrim hurling may need to evolve too. Fitzgerald concluded by adding:
“People need to stop worrying about styles and look to us getting competitive. Do you want people to continue saying: “ah they’re a great bunch up there”? I’ve no interest in that. I’m up here to change that, to get competitive. Let’s try and get to that next level.”
A couple for the McTaggart family album as Davy poses for pics with Brendan’s daughter Caoimhe and his dad Malachy
St. Joseph’s Glenavy got their Antrim LGFA Senior Championship campaign up and running with an excellent away win over St. Paul’s at Shaw’s Road. A blistering start to both halves proved to be the catalyst for victory for the Chapel Hill side as they raced into a five point lead by the 17th minute
Facing the breeze for the second half, the question was, would their four point half time lead be enough but again the visitors were quickest out of the start traps with Keela McAlister goaling from the throw in and Megan McGarry adding a second with three minutes gone.
St. Paul’s battled to the end and a goal from the penalty spot from Emile Rodgers put them into contention but the St. Joseph’s defence, superbly marshalled by Cathy Scannell held on for a deserved victory.
Ellen Morgan led the early Glenavy charge with two pointed frees and another from play and further points from Aiobheann Monaghan and Anna Rice had the visitors 0-5 to 0-0 ahead with 17 minutes gone.
St. Paul’s had struggled to find their rhythm but an excellent move from deep in their own half saw Aine Tubrity finish to the net in the 19th minute and suddenly there was only two between the sides.
Aisling Hyndman followed with a point to close the gap to the minimum with 8 minutes remaining to the break but Ellen Morgan replied from a pointed free before the Chapel Hill side struck with a somewhat fortunate goal When Keela McAlister’s shot took a bad bounce to deceive Shauna Murphy in the home goals.
Ormorla Dahunsi replied with the final point of the half for St. Paul’s to leave her side trailing by four at the break but with the wind on their backs for the second half.
Playing into the breeze in the second half, Glenavy got off to the best possible start with goals from McAlister and Megan McGarry within three minutes to stretch their lead to nine with St. Paul’s response coming from a Niamh Ritchie free.
Aiobheann Monagh stretched that lead to ten and it looked a long way back for the home side but they showed tremendous fighting spirit to slowly close the gap on their visitors.
Emile Rodgers led the way with a point from play, a converted free and when she fired home from the penalty spot in the 13th minute there was only five between the sides.
Aiobheann Monaghan for St. Joseph’s and Aoife Mervyn for the ‘Hoops’ exchanged further point but despite a concerted effort from the home side, the Glenavy defence closed shop and a late pointed free from Niamh Ritchie was all the home side could manage.
Brendan McTaggart reports from Quinn Park, Ballymena
Cushendall sealed a comfortable win against St John’s at a rain drenched Quinn Park on Sunday evening to make it two from two in the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship. The reigning champions led from start to finish in a contest that saw both sides battle with the treacherous underfoot conditions.
With the rain unrelenting, there was talk of this tie being moved to Dunsilly but the pitch passed the inspection conducted at 3:30pm. Whether or not it would have passed the same inspection by the time throw in came at 5pm is another story. The water on the pitch throughout made this one dangerous for hurling and when you throw in the blood and thunder of a championship tie into the mix, it’s maybe a miracle that no one was seriously injured.
The contest itself was dominated by the Ruairi’s. Joseph McLaughlin adding to his burgeoning reputation with a final tally of 1-10 while on another day, Scott Walsh would have been an easy pick for man of the match. The Cushendall man was imperious in defence along with Paddy Burke who excelled.
The champions played with their usual panache and a mix of guile and power, running from deep while defensively they kept scoring opportunities to a minimum. The Johnnies made a number of changes from their opening day defeat to Dunloy with Domhnall Nugent, Oisin Donnelly, Jack Bohill, Ryan McNulty and Enda McGurk all making the starting 15. Nugent was used as a target man and caused plenty of problems with his strength and awareness while Donnelly and McNulty had strong games for the Corrigan Park side. They were shorn of time and space in attack however with a game that was played largely on Cushendall’s terms. Shea Shannon, Aaron Bradley and Conor Johnston all looked lively but couldn’t make much inwards in an imperious Cushendall defence that yielded just two points from open play for the whole contest.
Cushendall would finish the game down to 14 men after substitute Sean McAfee was given a straight red card for an off the ball altercation but there was no time for the numerical advantage to help the St John’s cause.
Cushendall started brightly and had a three point lead after the opening eight minutes. Fergus and Ryan McCambridge splitting the posts added to a brace of frees from McLaughlin. Conor Johnston with the solitary response for the Johnnies.
The Belfast side were struggling with the elements with a couple of efforts missing the target before Shea Shannon’s first free of the match reduced the Cushendall lead to two. They wouldn’t register another score for 17 minutes however as the Ruairi’s went through the gears. McLaughlin’s third free of the match was followed by a super score from Paddy Burke. Soaring down the left and leaving the St John’s challenges in his wake, Burke split the posts with ease. A score that’s fast becoming a trademark for the Cushendall man.
The first goal came in the 18th minute through a route one ball into the heart of the Johnnies defence. Fergus McCambridge sending the sliotar long and with it just dipping below the cross-bar, Simon Doherty had to deal with the danger. He couldn’t hold onto the sliotar and Ciaran Neeson was on hand to fire into the net with a first time swing.
A further three points followed from Paddy Burke and a brace of McLaughlin frees before the Ruairi’s were celebrating a second goal. Dominic Delargy winning the ball on the left before finding Andrew Delargy. He passed square to McLaughlin and he made no mistake in the 23rd minute to give his side a 2-9 to 0-2 lead.
McLaughlin’s major made it 2-5 without reply for the Ruairi’s and with any St John’s attacks fleeting, they weren’t making the most of their limited opportunities in attack. Four further wides in that same period of time did little to help their cause but they did manage to breach Conor McAllister’s goal line in the 27th minute. Domhnall Nugent stood over a 21 yard free and the line was filled with maroon and white but the St John’s man still managed to find the back of the net with a low, fierce strike in what was the last score of the half.
With the elements in their favour for the second half, St John’s had a mountain to climb with the 10 point half time difference. They got off to a strong start with a brace of points from Conor Johnston and Shannon (free) but they came up against a Cushendall defence in imperious form. It would be a further 14 minutes before they would register another score and while Cushendall managed just two points from McLaughlin frees in the same period, they were controlling the contest.
The Johnnies introduced Lorcan Heenan, Oisin MacManus and Danan McKeogh into the attack and while they gave them fresh impetus, Cushendall weren’t giving away anything easily. They did manage to reduce the deficit to six points with a run of four frees from MacManus but it was as close as they would get to the Ruairi’s.
A brilliant pointed free from McLaughlin, his eighth of the game, briefly halted the Johnnies charge and he would add a further brace of scores (one from play) as the game ticked towards the end of the hour.
Nine points separated the sides when Cushendall fashioned another goal chance through McLaughlin. He looked to have been fouled before finding McAfee in space. The substitute was brought down in the square when through on Simon Doherty’s goal. With tensions high, handbags were swung with referee Colum Cunning doing well to restore calm. McAfee would see red for his efforts in the skirmish and the penalty decision was overturned.
It was the last meaningful action of the game as Cushendall dealt with the numerical disadvantage well and time ran out for the Johnnies. Cushendall now turn their attentions to a meeting with Dunloy in two weeks’ time while St John’s will welcome their west Belfast rivals, Rossa to their back yard in a tie that will be winner takes all and elimination from the senior championship on the line.
TEAMS
Cushendall: Conor McAllister; Liam Gillan, Paddy Burke, Martin Burke; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Ruairi McCollam; Fred McCurry, Alex Delargy; Andrew Delargy, Ryan McCambridge, Fergus McCambridge; Ciaran Neeson, Dominic Delargy, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs: Edward McQuillan for F McCurry (HT); Ronan McAteer for D Delargy (HT); Stephen Walsh for L Gillan (51); Sean McAfee for C Neeson (51)
Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-10 (9fs); C Neeson 1-00; P Burke 0-2; R McCambridge 0-1; F McCambridge 0-1
StJohn’s: Simon Doherty; Enda McGurk, Ryan McNulty, Jack Bohill; Darragh McGuinness, Ciaran Johnston, Andrew McGowan; Aaron Bradley, Shea Shannon; Conor Johnston, Oisin Donnelly, Conal Bohill; Donal Carson, Domhnall Nugent, Peter McCallin
Subs: Oisin MacManus for D Nugent blood sub (41), replaced D McGuinness full sub (46); Danan McKeogh for D Carson (48); Lorcan Heenan for D Nugent (49); Ronan Donnelly for O Donnelly (59); Conor McEvoy for Ciaran Johnston (60+)
Scorers: O MacManus 0-4 (4fs); D Nugent 1-00 (free); S Shannon 0-2 (2fs); Conor Johnston 0-2
Referee: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)
FOR MORE OF SEAN PAUL’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.
Dunloy produced another solid performance on Sunday afternoon to ensure they remained unbeaten in the championship and make it two wins from two. 10 points separated the Cuchullains and Rossa at the end of the hour, in truth this contest was probably over at half time.
It was in the second quarter where the Cuchullains pulled away. Aodhán O’Brien had just scored the Rossa goal to edge the Shaws Road men ahead but Dunloy’s response was emphatic. Outscoring their opponents 2-7 to 0-3 and dominating the middle third, Dunloy controlled the second half keeping Rossa at arm’s length.
Seaan Elliott top scores for the Cuchullains with 1-7, five of those coming from placed ball while Keelan Molloy continued his fine form with 1-4. Defensively, Ryan McGarry and Kevin Molloy formed the spine of a watertight defence but the whole unit worked well together to deny space for the Rossa forwards.
Aodhán O’Brien finished with 1-3 for his side while Gerard Walsh and Seaghan Shannon pitched in with seven white flags between them, but they couldn’t live with how sharp the Cuchullains were winning breaking ball and retention. It allowed them to build sustained pressure and their forward line flourished.
Despite the unseasonal and unrelenting weather, the Dunsilly surface was in good condition. The wind was playing havoc in the early stages, not really favouring either side and swirling around the front pitch but it was Dunloy who adapted quickest.
They would lead three points to one after five minutes – Keelan Molloy with two outrageous scores from wide on the right along with a ’65 from Seaan Elliott while Seaghan Shannon had the solitary response for Rossa.
Dunloy began to cut loose and with Nigel Elliott in top form, they created two goal chances in those opening minutes. Elliott was twice denied by Donal Armstrong in the Rossa goals before Thomas Morgan split the uprights to double Rossa’s tally.
A Seaan Elliott free was answered by Gerard Walsh who split the posts with a classy strike to leave the minimum between the sides in the 10th minute.
Chrissy McMahon’s first of the game came before Nigel Elliott found himself through on the Rossa goal once again. He passed to McMahon who tried to deflect the sliotar beyond Armstrong but his instinctive effort pushed wide of the posts.
The first goal of the game came in the 14th minute. Eoin Trainor send the sliotar high towards Ryan Elliott’s goal and with the ball dipping viciously, the Dunloy ‘keeper was called into action. The sliotar went loose and O’Brien was on hand to hit the back of the net.
With Rossa ahead for the first time in the game, the Dunloy response was definite. A brace of scores from Keelan Molloy and Seaan Elliott (free) followed further scores from McMahon and O’Neill. O’Brien had a Rossa score in that same three minute period but Dunloy evidently found another gear.
Seaghan Shannon reduced the Dunloy lead to the minimum before the Cuchullains scored their first goal of the contest. Seaan Elliott delivering a crossfield ball into the path of O’Neill and while he couldn’t gather cleanly, Keelan Molloy gathered at pace. He still had some work to do before evading the Rossa tackles but finished off his hurl with aplomb.
Rossa had a goal chance of their own with O’Brien in the thick of things once more. This time he made a dashing run down the right and cut inside, with the angle against him, he passed to Diarmuid Rogan but he couldn’t get the required touch to beat Ryan Elliott in the Dunloy goals.
As if to compound the Rossa misery at missing that chance, Dunloy would score their second goal with the next attack of the game. Seaan Elliott breaking free and with plenty of grass to run into, Elliott finished to give Armstrong little chance in the Rossa goal.
Seaghan Shannon (free) and Keelan Molloy swapped scores to leave the Cuchullains ahead 2-12 to 1-6 at the interval.
Rossa managed to score the opening two scores of the second half, O’Brien and Walsh (free) splitting the uprights, but the Cuchullains were wasteful in front of the target with three wides in the same period of time. Dunloy did have another sniff of a major when McMahon was felled inside the large square, referee Ciarán McCloskey awarded a penalty. Paul Shiels strike was hit with venom but Armstrong managed to deflect the sliotar over the bar with an excellent save.
Walsh (free) reduced the lead to seven once more while Dunloy’s wide count continued to grow at the other end of the pitch, another three efforts missing the targets while McMahon was unlucky not to score another major. Getting on the end of a long delivery from Oran Quinn, McMahon looked to deflect the sliotar with some purchase in mid-air but Armstrong pulled off another excellent save to deny him.
Walsh’s third free of the match and fourth point overall was followed by a trio of unanswered scores from the Cuchullains. Substitute Deaglan Smith, Shiels and Seaan Elliott (free) all finding their range to put some further daylight between the sides.
Stephen Beatty and O’Brien (free) found the target in response to scores from Seaan Elliott (free) and Eamon Smyth to leave 10 between the sides at the full time whistle.
Dunloy will travel to Cushendall in two weeks time in a contest that will decide who goes straight to the semi-final’s while Rossa will make the short journey to the Whiterock Road and a match that is do or die with the losers out of the championship.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Ryan Elliott; Oran Quinn, Ryan McGarry, Phelim Duffin; Eamon Smyth, Kevin Molloy, Ronan Molloy; Paul Shiels, Seaan Elliott; Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Eoin McFerran; Nicky McKeague, Eoin O’Neill, Chrissy McMahon
Subs: Aodhán McGarry for N McKeague (HT); Anton McGrath for E McFerran (35); Deaglan Smith for C McMahon (46); Ciaran Elliott for S Elliott (55); Kevin McKeague for Kevin Molloy (57)
Scorers: S Elliott 1-7 (4fs 1’65); Keelan Molloy 1-4; E O’Neill 0-2; C McMahon 0-2; P Shiels 0-2 (1 pen); E Smyth 0-1; D Smith 0-1
Rossa: Donal Armstrong; Christopher McGuinness, Ciaran Orchin, Conor Boyle; Stephen Shannon, Declan McCartney, Gerard Walsh; Seaghan Shannon, Eoin Trainor; Stephen Beatty, Pearce Short, Aodhán O’Brien; Dominic McEnhill, Diarmuid Rogan, Thomas Morgan
Subs: Conall Shannon for D Rogan (35); James Connolly for Seaghan Shannon (42); Niall Crossan for C Orchin (51); Oisin McVicker for S Beatty (57)
Scorers: A O’Brien 1-3 (0-1 f); G Walsh 0-4 (3fs); Seaghan Shannon 0-3 (3fs); S Beatty 0-1; T Morgan 0-1
