Month / October 2025

by thesaffrongael

Ulster Schools Camogie All Stars

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)

by thesaffrongael

Under-21 Football Championship

The under-21 Football Champion returns on Sunday next in a competition which bridges the gap between adult and juvenile grade.

Twelve clubs have entered the competition set to commence on 26th October with those Clubs set to proceed on the Ulster trail possibly having to decide on participation.  

The competition is set for four rounds to be completed with a 16th November decider.

The winners from the opening round will retain home advantage for their second round game with the semi-finals scheduled for the 9th November and the final set to take place the following weekend.

Round One (26th October)

  • All Saints v Kickham’s Creggan
  • Casement’s v Aghagallon
  •  Cargin v St James Aldergerove
  • St John’s v St Gall’s
  • Con Magee’s Glenravel v Cuchullian’s Dunloy
  •           St Ergnat’s Moneyglass v St Brigid’s

Round Two (2nd November)

C v F

E v A

D v St Paul’s

St Enda’s v B

Semi Finals (9th November)

Final (16th November)

PICS FROM THE 2024 FINAL IN WHICH ST GALL’S BEAT CON MAGEES GAELS

by thesaffrongael

Bradley leads the way as St Louis book semi-final place

Danske Bank Mageean Cup Hurlin Group B:

St Louis Ballymena 6-11 St Killian’s Garron Tower

St Louis secured their place in the semi-finals of the Mageean Cup when they came from behind to beat St Killian’s College Garron Tower in Tuesday’s final round-robin game at Fr Maginn Park, Glenravel.

Fiontan Bradley was the man who did most of the damage for the Ballymena school, a hurler in a rich vein of form at the moment, as he showed many of the Ruairi Og team-mates what their opponents have been faced with during this season.

Garron Tower were the better team for most of the opening half, but, each time it looked that they were going to pull clear, St Louis hit them with goals.

Joe Casey’s early goal cancelled a good start from St Killian’s. But the St Killian’s boys hit back and by the end of the first quarter the led by 0-9 to 1-2, three of their scores coming from Oisin Gillan.

However Bradley was causing havoc each time he won the ball and in one of his forays upfield he cut in along the endline and found Caolán McCollum free to bat the ball home to an empty net, despite the protestations from the St Killian’s defenders.

A goal from Jay McAlonan’s  just before the break saw the Ballymena boys go in at the break holding a 4-4 to 1-11 advantage.

Three Garron Tower points just after the re-start brought St Killian’s level and things looked promising but St Louis hit back with goals from Domhnall McKay and Fiontan Bradley to take control of the game. With a 6-6 to 1-14 advantage St Louis were not going to be caught and they saw out the rest of the game to win with a bit to spare,

Despite defeat St Killian’s are still in the competition and they will take on Gaelcholáiste Dhoire in the quarter final just after the Halloween holidays

St Louis: F Bradley 2-6, 0-2 fs, J McAlonan 1-3, 0-1 f, J Casey 1-2, C McCollum and D McKay 1-0 each.

St Killian’s: C McCambridge 1-1, C McIntosh (5fs) and O Gillan (1f) 0-6 each, C Leech 0-2, N McKeown, D McNaughton, N McLaughlin and C McCann 0-1 each

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/mGER2A8GJs5mmZ

by thesaffrongael

CPC win well against Gaelcholáiste Dhoire to re-ignite Mageean hopes

Danske Bank Mageean Cup Hurling

Cross & Passion Ballycastle 7-17 Gaelcholáiste Dhoire 0-9

Cross & Passion College bounced back from their four point defeat to St Pat’s Maghera last week to beat Gaelcholáiste Dhoire in emphatic fashion at Quinn Park, Ballymena on Tuesday. The Ballycastle school was on top from the off and following an early goal by Oisin McCallin they never really looked back as they ran up a big total.

Gaelcholáiste Dhoire had opened thier campaign with a good performance against Magera and depite losing out by jus four points here were expected to give another good showing against CPC, who had also gone down to St Pat’s by same margin. However the Dungiven school could never really get going and now must face St Killian’s Garron Tower in a quarter final after the Halloween break.

Going on Tuesday’s showing, CPC will be very much in the running to retain their title as it was much improved from their outing a week earlier.

The early stages of this tie in Ballymena were competitive enough with free-taker Dylan Ó hÉireamhóinn responding to Conan Johnston’s early point.

However once Cadhán Crawford cut in from the left to hit the net in the 6th minute, the writing was on the wall for the Dungiven Castle team. Oisín McCallin ran clear for a second Ballycastle goal in the 12th minute.

Jude Ó Conaire fired over a point between the two goals, but Gaelcholáiste were relying on Ó hÉireamhóinn frees to keep in touch. After 20 minutes CPC led by 2-3 to 0-5. However the Antrim side hit the next six points, all from creative play, to open a gap before the break. Ó hÉireamhóinn eventually sent a free over only for Páidí O’Kane to set Oisín McCallin up for a third Ballycastle goal.

At 3-9 to 0-6 for the break, there was no way back for Gaelcholáiste and CPC piled on the scores over the third quarter, adding 2-5 to their total with just a free from Ó hÉireamhóinn in reply. Both goals came from the youngest player on the pitch, Páidí O’Kane, both neat finishes after impressive approach work.

Emmett McKendry added a sixth goal in the 49th minute and, in the final minute, substitute Ryan McQuaid forced his way clear to add a seventh.

The result puts Cross & Passion into a quarter-final with St Mary’s CBGS in a fortnight, while Gaelcholáiste will be trying their luck against St Killian’s Garron Tower.

Scorers

CPC: O McCallin 2-6, 0-2 fs, P O’Kane 2-1, E McKendry 1-2, C Crawford 1-1, R McQuaid 1-0, C Johnston 0-4, L McGarry and O Connolly 0-1 each

Gaelcholáiste: D Ó hÉireamhóinn 0-8, 7fs, J Ó Conaire

CPC: L Magee, E Johnston, L Smyth, A Gillan, O Donnelly, D Kinney, L Connolly, L McConville, O Connolly, C Johnston, O McCallin, L McGarry, P O’Kane, C Crawford, E McKendry.

Subs used: O Beaudant, C McAuley, R McQuaid, C McCaughan

Gaelcholáiste: C Ó hÉireamhóinn, Dylan Ó Ceallaigh, L Ó Muirí, Déaglán Ó Ceallaigh, C Ó Catháin, D Ó Lochlainn, K Ó Dubhghaill-Ó Cinnéide,O Mag Uiginn, C Ó Giolláin, D Ó hÉireamhóinn, E óg Mac Íomhaire, C Ó Baoill, A Mag Uiginn, C Ó Muirí-Mac Uilliam, J Ó Conaire.

Subs used: SP Ó Ceallaigh, S Mac Con Midhe, P Ó Ceallaigh, C Ó Ceallaigh

Referee: O Elliott (All Saints)

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/Qm6b2zCDCVmmLf/?invite=300f68d9-8b4b-45d7-b289-033d763bd911