Corn Uan Uladh Final Cross & Passion Ballycastle 6-6 | St Patrick’s Maghera 2-17
In one of the most remarkable finals in the history of the competition, Cross & Passion College (CPC) Ballycastle overturned a seemingly insurmountable half-time deficit to deny St Patrick’s Maghera a fourth consecutive title.
The hero of the hour was undoubtedly CPC captain Éabha McAllister. The Dunloy teenager produced a Roy of the Rovers performance, shaking off a difficult first half to score a stunning hat-trick of goals in the closing stages, securing her school’s first provincial title since 2022 by a single point.
A Tale of Two Halves
Few at the pristine Eoghan Rua, Coleraine grounds would have predicted a Ballycastle victory at the midway point. The reigning champions, St Patrick’s Maghera, were dominant, entering the break with a commanding 2-10 to 2-2 lead.
The first half belonged to Maghera’s Emma Quinn. The centre-forward gave a masterclass, hitting seven points and orchestrating an attack that left CPC reeling. Despite an early goals from Adria McAllister, a sister of Éobha, who found the net in the 8th minute before setting up Louise McBride for another shortly after—Ballycastle lost their way midway through the half. Maghera hit an unanswered 2-6, including two goals from full-forward Aoibh Mulholland, to take an eight-point lead into the dressing rooms.
For Éobha McAllister, the first half was a nightmare. Usually deadly from the dead ball, she was uncharacteristically off-colour, missing several frees and accounting for most of her team’s wides.
The Captain’s Redemption
The turnaround began immediately after the restart. McAllister, putting her first-half struggles behind her, struck 1-3 from frees within five minutes, dragging CPC back to within two points.
However, Maghera showed the resilience of champions. They weathered the storm, with Róisín McAtamney, Quinn, and Branagh Brolly firing over points to re-establish a comfortable lead. When Orla McCartney scored with 11 minutes remaining, Maghera led by seven points (2-14 to 3-5), and the title looked destined to stay in Derry.
The Grandstand Finish
What followed was an individual display of brilliance that will be talked about for years in north Antrim.
- 49th Minute: McAllister’s long-range free deceived the defence and ended up in the Maghera net.
- 54th Minute: The CPC captain stepped up to bury a penalty, narrowing the gap further.
Despite Maghera’s Emma Quinn landing her 11th point of the day to keep a two-point cushion, the momentum had shifted. Following a missed free and a penalty appeal waved away, it looked like time might run out for Ballycastle.
Then, deep in added time, McAllister took matters into her own hands. collecting the ball in her own half, she launched a solo run, offloaded to Louise McBride, and immediately demanded the return pass. gathering possession on the 20m line, she fired low into the corner of the net for her fourth goal of the game.
Maghera had no time to respond. The Ballycastle defence threw bodies on the line in the dying seconds to preserve the 6-6 to 2-17 victory.
What’s Next?
Cross & Passion Ballycastle now advance to the All-Ireland senior series. They will face Munster champions Ursuline Thurles (who defeated Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig) in the semi-final, scheduled for February 7th in north Antrim.
Match Stats
Player of the Match: Éabha McAllister (CPC)
Scorers:
- CPC: É McAllister 4-5 (2-5fs, 1-0 pen), L McBride 1-0, A McAllister 1-0, T Cassidy 0-1.
- St Patrick’s: E Quinn 0-11 (9fs), A Mulholland 2-0, B Brolly 0-2, R McAtamney 0-2, A O’Loughlin 0-1, O McCartney 0-1.
Teams:
- CPC: M McToal, S Flavin, S-L Kearns, M Cunning, C Delaney, A Gillan, F Sands, É McAllister (capt), R McMullan, L McBride, T Cassidy, M Laverty, A McAllister, M McArthur, E McCaughan.
- St Patrick’s: O Johnston, E Conway, Ellie Griffin (capt), I Martin, L McKaigue, A McWilliams, O McKenna, O McCartney, B Brolly, R Quinn, E Quinn, MT McCullagh, A O’Loughlin, A Mulholland, R McAtamney.
Referee: J O’Neill (Armagh)
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