Naomh Séamas held their Annual Dinner Dance and awards ceremony last night at the Tullyglass Hotel. With nearly 400 people in attendance the night was a celebration of a club that is clearly intent on getting bigger and better.
There was some important initiatives launched at the evening with their Club Facility Development plan launched. This was followed by the announcement of their 1st club development fundraiser when they will be hosting the Quid games on the 28th Feb 2026.
There was also the significant announcement that their Chairman of 13 years, Paul McCarthy was stepping down. Paul was awarded a gift for recognition of his time and dedication to the club.
Then it was over to the awards for all their players from young to old, girls to boys where they got their awards presented by the Senior Ladies and mens captains Anna Crossan and Seamus McGarry.
There was a special presentation to the club President Seamus Henry for his time and service to the club over the past 60 years.
The club the presented Bert Trowlen of the Saffron Gael with a cheque to help support their sterling work throughout the year.
The dancing and craic kicked on into the late hours. Another hugely succesful night and the club would like to thank the Tullyglass team for a fantastic evening. Also a big shout out to Bert Trowlen for his fantastic photographs.
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PHOTOS FROM THE NIGHT CLICK ON HE LINK BELOW
AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Ladies Football Championship semi-final:
St Ergnat’s, Moneyglass (Antrim) 1-12 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-10
Photographs: Elaine Kelly
Moneyglass wrote their names in the history books today when they pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the history of LGFA by beating Dublin and Leinster champions Kilmacud Crokes in the All Ireland Senior Ladies semi-final at Kilmacud’s home ground Pairc de Burca.
The never-say-die attitude that has epitomised Charlie O’Kane’s side over recent seasons finally paid the dividends their efforts deserved when they beat Errigal Ciaran to collect a first Ulster title last month.
The Antrim and Ulster champions, who went into the game as rank outsiders, battled from start to finish and when they went in at half time trailing by just two points, it was clear that they were not the underdogs everyone had painted them.
With club legend Cathy Carey and Maria O’Neill leading the line the Ulster champions cancelled out early score from the Dublin champions with one apiece at the other end.
The South Dublin outfit moved back ahead with two points from Michelle Davoren and one from Cotter, but two from the evergreen Cathy Carey and one from O’Neill restored parity and it was becoming clear that the gap in standards that many of the so called experts had talked about was not as obvious as predicted.
Crokes struck a telling blow when Daveron grabbed the opening goal of the game four minutes before the interval to move her team a goal clear, but Carey kept Moneyglass very much in touch when she sent over to leave just two between the sides at the interval.
It was clear the self-belief was growing in the Moneyglass side and things got even better when Cathy Carey moved them ahead from a free. The Moneyglass fans were in full cry at this stage and when Maria O’Neill got in for a goal they were in ecstasy, but they were brought back to earth when Cotter came back with three in a row for last year’s All Ireland finalists.
The Moneyglass girls still held a one point lead but when the referee Barry Redmond signalled there was seven minutes of injury time still to be played, the tension was unbearable. However the Moneyglass defence held on and a late score from substitute JoJo Darragh sealed their place in the All Ireland final against reigning champions Kilkerrin Clonberne at Croke Park in two weeks’ time
Scorers – St Ergnat’s, Moneyglass: C Carey 0-6 (4f), M O’Neill 1-3 (0-1f), L Stewart, E Mallon, J Darragh 0-1 each.
Kilmacud Crokes: N Cotter 0-6 (5f), M Davoren 1-2, D Egan, E Rutledge 0-1 each.
ST ERGNAT’S, MONEYGLASS: A Devlin; C Graffin, N McIntosh, L Stewart; A Leahy, S O’Neill, R Bradley; A Kelly, E Louise McAreavey; C Griffin, M O’Neill, N Neeson; B Devlin, C Carey, E Mallon. Subs: L McCann for Kelly (38), J Darragh for B Devlin (44).
KILMACUD CROKES: D Gower; P Greene, E Sweeney, C Regan; S O’Donoghue, A Kane, N Carr; D Egan, K Murray; L Kane, A Davoren, N Cotter; A Conroy, M Davoren, E Rutledge. Subs: K McDaid for L Kane (42), A Bedford for O’Donoghue (45), A O’Grady for Regan, E Kane for Conroy (both 52).
AIB All Ireland Senior Club Camogie ChampionshipLoughgiel 3-14 St. Finbarr’s 3-15
Report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA Club, Co. Meath
As the ink dries in all of the camogie articles written about the games over the weekend, one stands out to go down in history. The Loughgiel v St. Finbarr’s game. It took over ninety minutes of play, six goals and twenty nine points to decide that the Barr would go through to the All Ireland final to play Athenry, Galway, beating Loughgiel in the end by an agonising point. Sixty minutes of regular play, an additional 2 x 10 minutes of extra time and a further 2 x 5 minutes of extra extra time would be needed to bring the matter of who would be the fortunate victor to a conclusion.
St. Finbarr’s started the better of the two sides, pointing first with the chilling breeze over their left shoulder and then a sideline ball well caught and delivered into the back of Loughgiel’s net by Orlaith Cahalane had the Barr sideline excited.
The ominous threat from County Down woman, now a Cork resident by way of a student work placement, Sorcha McCartan, raised the Barr’s second green flag as she gathered up the sliotar from an unmarked position. Despite St. Finbarr’s building momentum, the Shamrock’s stayed in touch with four points, only one of those from play by Marie Laverty with the other three dropping over St. Finbarr’s bar by Róisin McCormick from two frees and a forty five.
Lucia McNaughton brought them even closer with a fine point from an Anna Connolly pass. Connolly, who has been slowly building her recent game portfolio in a quiet fashion worked relentlessly during the entire game. McNaughton brought the game to the short whistle with only four the difference, Loughgiel 0-05 St. Finbarr’s 2-03.
Anna Connolly, a whirlwind of a presence takes physio time out ahead of extra time
Loughgiel came out in the second half the brighter side, owning much of the play, which was at times hugely physical. Dobbin, McCormick and Lynn tipped sliotars over the bar in the first eighteen minutes with just one pointed reply from the Barr’s Keeva McCarthy but it was McCormick’s goal on the twentieth minute that shook more than the net as the Shamrock supporters went wild, calculating that this was the first time Loughgiel went ahead and now the dream was real.
But dreams are fragile things and when the Barr clipped three points over McAllister’s bar at the top of the pitch, one of those a recycled Kate Wall effort by Keeva McCarthy, the pendulum swung over in favour of St. Finbarr’s. A well struck forty five from Loughgiel brought them one point closer and then Loughgiel’s captain, Amy Boyle, saved the game with her point in play just before referee, Liz Dempsey, blew for full time with scores Loughgiel 1-10 St. Finbarr’s 2-07.
Loughgiel’s captain, Amy Boyle, drew sides in normal play to take the game into extra time
The first portion of extra time witnessed the Barr strike first with a point from McCartan, then the Shamrocks eased ahead by two points on the fifth minute with an Annie Lynn goal but McCarthy and McCarton neutralised that difference with two points, McCarton taking hers with the classic turn and over the shoulder effort, with 2-10 apiece at the break.
In the second portion of extra time, Loughgiel wasted no time in making use of their previous momentum and McCormick soared a point over goalkeeper Ciara Hurley’s bar from a sideline pass before Caitrín Dobbin’s point attempt morphed into a deadly drop-in behind Ciara Hurley’s stick and under the bar for the Shamrock’s third goal. Yet again the Barr pulled the Shamrocks back with a point and then a goal from substitute Eimear Hurley, driving hard towards the goal on the left flank. McCarthy would now drift the Barr ahead by one point, leaving Loughgiel’s McCormick to make sure of her free to once again level the game at the end of the second portion of extra time. If the supporters wanted tension, they had it it heaps.
Loughgiel’s taliswoman, Róisin McCormick delivered in abundance during Saturday’s titanic battle
In the third portion of extra time, no side was able to move their campaign forward, despite the Shamrocks having three successive attempts to score from inside the small rectangle but it wasn’t until the fourth and final portion, where the nerves along the sideline were etched away and voices reduced to croaks. Going into this segment of play, both sides were 3-12 apiece and the Barr struck first with a point, followed by McCormick’s point from play. Then a Marie Laverty foul, taking her out of the game, left McCormick to take the Shamrocks into the lead one last time from that free before Orlaithe Cahalane pointed for the draw and a point from an advancing Ciara Golden in a ‘do or die’ effort by the Barr took them to the final whistle as winners, the score board announcing Loughgiel 3-14 St. Finbarr’s 3-15.
Kirsty McKendry clears the threat on her first touch as Loughgiel’s Clare McKillop patrols her zone with full authority in Saturday’s semi final
This was undoubtedly one of the finest games of camogie to have been played for an All Ireland place in the final. St. Finbarr’s were able to tolerate the nerves and game intensity, despite this being their first experience at this level. Loughgiel were heroic to the end and flew the Club, County and Provincial flags at their very highest. This is the game we all love. Sometimes though, as the song sung by the late Amy Winehouse goes, ‘Love can be a losing game’.
You can enjoy photos from Saturday’s epic game here…
Brídíní Óga Glenravel qualified for their second All Ireland final in three years when they beat Munster champions Patrickswell of Limerick in Saturday’s semi-final at Abbotstown to set up a meeting with Roscommon’s St Dominic’s in two weeks’ time.
A feature of the Antrim champions run has been their strong starts in most of the games and Saturday was no exception as they dominated from the start and went at half time 2-08 to 0-01 ahead, with the game as good as won. Like in most of the other games the opposition outscored the Glenravel girls in the second period, but on this occasion the Antrim champions fans had no real periods of anxiety to endure as the lead was always safe.
When Patrickswell opened the scoring in the first minute with a Rachael O’Grady point it looked like the Glenravel girls had a mighty task on their hands but incredibly it was to be their only score of the first half as the Antrim champions hit back and were soon on terms and before the clock had reached the ten minute mark Player of the Match Tori Edgar gave them a lead they would not lose when she blasted home a penalty after Molly Woulahan had been hauled down in Patrickswell square.
Edgar’s free taking was again of the top drawer and she found the target with four in a row, three of them from 45s while Kirsty Laverty grabbed one from play to stretch the lead to five on twenty minutes. Things got even better when an attempted short poc-out by the ‘Well goalkeeper Gillane was fumbled and the ever abrasive Molly Woulahan took advantage of the slip to fire home goal number two to stretch her team’s lead to eleven. It was out to thirteen by the time referee Goff sounded the half time whistle as Edgar slotted over another free and Shauna McDonnell popped one over from play on the right wing to help put her team in a really strong position at the interval.
Playing against the breeze in the second half was always going to be more difficult for Brídíní Oga and so it proved and there was some concerns when they failed to add another score during the third quarter. When left-half forward Leah O’Carroll got in for a Patrickswell goal with ten minutes left for play Glenravel reacted well and Edgar put the icing on a great overall display when she added another point from a free before delivering the Munster girl a killer blow by grabbing her second goal of the game as she finished off a great move between Molly Woulahan and the elusive Aimee Traynor with her second goal of the game.
Patrickswell kept battling to the end but it wasn’t to be their day and Brídíní Oga netminder Orlagh Donnelly denied them with a couple of smart saves. To their credit the Limerick side did manage a late goal as the game went into added time but by this stage the plans for a meeting with the Connacht champions in two weeks’ time as the primary concern of the Glenravel fans.
Scorers
Brídíní Óga: T Edgar 2-6 (1-0 pen, 0-5 fs), M Woulahan 1-0, A Traynor, S McDonnell and K Laverty 0-1 each.
Patrickswell: L O’Carroll and S Fitzgerald 1-0 each, R O’Grady 0-3 each
Brídíní Óga: O Donnelly, M Mulholland, J Woulahan, D Scally, E McCann, B Laverty, E Coulter, L Gillan, O Gould, S Fyfe, K Laverty, S McDonnell, A Traynor, T Edgar capt, M Woulahan.
Sub: E McAleenan for M Woulahan (55)
Patrickswell: S Gillane, K O’Donnell, T Kirby, K Dore, M Fitzgerald, Sarah Carey capt., K Fitzgerald, K Feasey, T Dore, R O’Brien, S Fitzgerald, L O’Carroll, R O’Grady, Sophie carey, C Barry
Subs: S O’Grady for Sophie Carey (46), C McCarthy for L O’Carroll and N Ryan for K Dore (both 57)
Referee: C Goff (Dublin)
TO SEE MORE OF DYLAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
St John’s Ulster dream ended under the Athletic Grounds floodlights on Saturday evening as Slaughtneil proved to be a step too far. 13 points was the difference, in truth the Derry champions were well worthy of that advantage.
It was an awesome performance from Slaughtneil who had nine different scorers over the hour while restricting St John’s to just two points from open play. Cormac O’Doherty took the man of the match accolade, in truth it could have gone to any one of four players from Slaughtneil. O’Doherty’s accuracy from placed ball was exceptional while he was at his playmaking best, dropping deeper and providing an attacking outlet with his vision.
St John’s set up defensively, using Ciaran Johnston and Conal Bohill as sweepers while Donal Carson was a lone target man on the inside forward line. Fionn McEldowney was picking him up and Slaughtneil rotated who would drop deeper for them. St John’s looked to pack the midfield and stop the Slaughtneil threat at source. While it worked and Slaughtneil didn’t really play with much fluency in the opening quarter, any attacks from the Whiterock Road men were few and far between.
Oisin MacManus was a shining light for the Johnnies. He would raise the white flag on nine occasions, eight of those from placed ball but he went through plenty of work further out the field. While defensively, the work of Peter McCallin, Ryan McNulty and Jack Bohill couldn’t be faulted. Sean Wilson and Aaron Bradley worked tirelessly throughout but they got little or no change from Slaughtneil on the night.
St John’s had the opening score of the final with MacManus pointing a free with barely 30 seconds on the clock. That would be their last score for 17 minutes though as Slaughtneil grew into the game. Scores from Shéa Cassidy (two), Sé McGuigan and a Cormac O’Doherty free had Slaughtneil three clear at the end of the first quarter.
MacManus split the uprights with his second and third frees of the game either side of a super score from Eamon Cassidy. Slaughtneil were coming to terms with the St John’s set-up however with Shane McGuigan and Shéa Cassidy opening a four point gap by the 25th minute.
MacManus (free) and Sé McGuigan split the uprights before MacManus scored St John’s first point from play in the 28th minute. It was a brilliant score from the St John’s man and it raised the spirits of the large St John’s support at the Athletic Grounds. They wouldn’t register another score in the half however and while Slaughtneil only added another from the roaming Brendan Rogers, the Derry men were wasteful with eight wides to St John’s four in the opening 30 minutes.
With only four points in the game, St John’s were still in with a massive chance of turning the tide. Slaughtneil were in no mood to let up their grip on the game.
Cormac O’Doherty was instrumental in maintaining the Slaughtneil relentless challenge while Cathal Ó Mianáin, Brendan Rogers and Shane McGuigan were dominant. O’Doherty and MacManus swapped frees in the opening exchanges of the second half and while St John’s looked to play with more attacking impetus, the Slaughtneil defence were organised, disciplined and played with huge intensity. The mercurial talents of Conor Johnston, Shea Shannon and Aaron Bradley couldn’t bring the Johnnies challenge to life.
A brilliant, sweeping move from Slaughtneil resulted in a Cathal Ó Mianáin point before Sean Wilson scored St John’s seventh point of the game.
A brace of scores from Rogers and O’Doherty (free) were responded to by another MacManus free to leave five between the sides going into the final quarter. Four unanswered points in a little over five minutes put daylight between the sides as Slaughtneil clicked through the gears. Three frees from Cormac O’Doherty and the first of two from Chrissy McKaigue.
Another brace from MacManus took his tally to nine points for the night but Slaughtneil and O’Doherty were relentless in those closing stages. He would land a further four points (3 frees) while substitute Prionsas Burke added his name to the list of scorers in injury time.
Oisin Donnelly saw red for a wreckless foul on Cathal Ó Mianáin but it made little difference to the outcome of this game.
Slaughtneil move on to the All Ireland semi final and a meeting with Loughrea of Galway while St John’s season comes to an end. It wasn’t the ending the people from the Corrigan Park club had hoped for but it’s been a memorable season for the Johnnies. Beaten on the day but not broken, the Kings of Antrim bow out.
TEAMS ST JOHNS: Domhnall Nugent; Ryan McNulty, Ciaran Johnston, Jack Bohill; Conal Morgan, Peter McCallin, Enda McGurk; Sean Wilson, Aaron Bradley; Oisin Donnelly, Conor Johnston, Conall Bohill; Donal Carson, Shea Shannon, Oisin MacManus
Subs: Michael Bradley for A Bradley (45); Caoimhin Hanna for P McCallin (57); Michail Dudley for D Carson (60)
Scorers: O MacManus 0-9 (8fs), S Wilson 0-1
SLAUGHTNEIL: Oisin O’Doherty; Fionn McEldowney, Paul McNeill, Conor McAllister; Ruairi Ó Mianáin, Meehaul McGrath, Shane McGuigan; Cathal Ó Mianáin, Chrissy McKaigue; Mark McGuigan, Sé McGuigan, Eamon Cassidy; Brendan Rogers, Cormac O’Doherty, Shéa Cassidy
Subs: Jerome McGuigan for S Cassidy (40); Peter McCullagh for E Cassidy (52); Conor Coyle for M McGrath (57); Gerard Bradley for Sé McGuigan (59); Pronsias Burke for C McKaigue (60)
Scorers: C O’Doherty 0-10 (9fs); S Cassidy 0-3 (2fs); C McKaigue 0-2; E Cassidy 0-2; B Rogers 0-2; Sé McGuigan 0-1; C Ó Mianáin 0-1; Shane McGuigan 0-1; P Burke 0-1
Referee: Peter Owens (Down)
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
