NO fewer than half the 24 players announced in this season’s EOS IT Solutions Ulster Schools’ Camogie All-stars panel last week at the Ulster University Sports Arena are from Antrim clubs – and seven of those named in the team collected All-Ireland Minor A Shield medals when the Saffrons hit 1-27 in the final against Laois in UPMC Nowlan Park Kilkenny.
Two of those players, Marie Laverty and Mary McArthur, were involved in last week’s epic Antrim senior camogie final between Dunloy and Loughgiel. Laverty scored three points for winners while McArthur hit a rasper in the final seconds that went just over the Loughgiel crossbar.
St Killian’s and Cushendall forwards Eva McNeill and Amy McAlister also get a call up for the second year in succession.
Two more Dunloy players from Sunday’s final, Éobha McAllister, who hit two points, and defender Casey Crawford also gain recognition as do Sleacht Néill pair Aoibh Mulholland and Lucy McKaigue who will face Loughgiel in the Ulster semi-final the weekend after next.
The top schools with four All-stars each are St Patrick’s Maghera and St Louis Ballymena while Cross & Passion Ballycastle have three in the mix and there are two each for St Killian’s Garron Tower and St Dominic’s Belfast.
The St Louis quartet are Casey Crawford, Cara Burns, Eimhear McCloskey and Carragh Boyle, while Lámh Dhearg’s Aoife Fitzsimons and Maeve Devlin from St Paul’s are contributing to a resurgence in St Dominic’s.
There are half a dozen Derry under-age players – four at school in St Patrick’s Maghera, Niamh Nig Uiginn from Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and Brónagh Bradley from St Mary’s Magherafelt.
The panel of 24 is completed by two each from Tyrone (Catherine Moohan and Hollie Croucher), Armagh (Eimear McGeary and Maeve Hayes) and Down (Caileigh McConnell and Katie Quinn).
At this point in time, the schools’ inter-provincial competition is very much in doubt due to the compressed nature of the schools’ and inter-county programme. It hasn’t run since Ulster won the competition six years ago.
Nevertheless the 2025-26 team will receive their All-star awards and commemorative jersey at a gala dinner in the Elk Restaurant outside Toome early in 2026.
EOS IT Solutions Ulster Schools’ Camogie All-stars 2025-2026
Aoibh Mulholland, Brannagh Brolly, Ellie Griffin, Lucy McKaigue (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
Casey Crawford, Cara Burns, Eimhear McCloskey, Carragh Boyle (St Louis Ballymena)
Éobha McAllister, Mary McArthur, Marie Laverty (Cross and Passion, Ballycastle)
Eva McNeill, Amy McAlister (St Killian’s, Garron Tower)
Maeve Devlin, Aoife Fitzsimons (St Dominic’s Belfast)
Eimear McGeary (St Patrick’s Keady)
Catherine Moohan (St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon)
JoJo Darragh (St Conor’s Clady/Kilrea)
Caileigh McConnell (Assumption, Ballynahinch)
Niamh Nig Uiginn (Gaelcholáiste Dhoire)
Maeve Hayes (St Catherine’s Armagh)
Katie Quinn (Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock)
Hollie Croucher (St Joseph’s Donaghmore)
Brónagh Bradley (St Mary’s Magherafelt)