Danske Bank Gallagher Cup Hurling
Cross & Passion College 4-16 St Patrick’s College, Maghera 2-14
Cross & Passion College, Ballycastle, delivered a masterclass in underage hurling at Slemish Park, Ballymena, on Friday, overcoming a resilient St Patrick’s Maghera side in a deeply entertaining Danske Bank Gallagher Cup final. The 4-16 to 2-14 victory extends the Ballycastle school’s remarkable unbeaten run in third-year Ulster schools’ hurling to three full seasons. The bedrock of CPC’s victory was their devastating attacking duo. Powerhouse centre forward John Óg Darragh and full forward Tom Richmond led the line impeccably, combining for a staggering 3-15 to keep Maghera at arm’s length. For St Pat’s, Patrick O’Loughlin stood out as their most potent forward, spearheading a spirited fightback that kept the game fiercely competitive.
Despite Maghera opening the scoring in the very first minute with a Harry McCloskey 65, CPC wasted no time asserting their dominance. Just 90 seconds in, Darragh scooped the sliotar through to Richmond, who ruthlessly found the back of the net. By the 13th minute, Darragh himself raced through to raise a second green flag for the north Antrim school, pushing them to a commanding 2-5 to 0-3 lead. Maghera desperately needed a spark, which came courtesy of a superb point from half-back Ryan Murray following a bursting run through the centre. Three subsequent frees, two from O’Loughlin and one from McCloskey, helped Maghera claw their way back into the contest. However, the relentless scoring pace of Richmond and Darragh, who both finished the half with 1-4 to their names, ensured CPC carried a comfortable 2-9 to 0-7 advantage into the break.
The gap quickly stretched to ten points immediately after the restart thanks to two rapid-fire scores from Darragh. Refusing to capitulate, Maghera dug deep, and by the 40th minute, they had slashed the deficit to just four points. The surge was ignited when O’Loughlin masterfully took down a long McCloskey free and buried it for a goal, followed quickly by a flurry of points from McCloskey, Murray, and O’Loughlin. Darragh and Richmond answered the call for CPC, temporarily restoring order, but Maghera hit back again through Quentin Farren and O’Loughlin. With just 12 minutes remaining, a mere five points separated the two sides, and CPC began registering their first wides of the afternoon.
Any rising tension among the CPC supporters was swiftly alleviated by Richmond. Showing exceptional deftness, the full forward controlled a long delivery from the defense, creating the space needed to hammer home his second goal of the game. Less than 90 seconds later, Daire Kearney struck the final blow, netting CPC’s fourth goal to put the game out of reach. Maghera fought admirably until the final whistle, finding a glimmer of consolation when Harry McCloskey buried a penalty with three minutes left on the clock. Fittingly, however, it was John Óg Darragh who had the final say, firing over his tenth point of the day to seal the victory.
For the newly crowned champions, Darragh finished with an impressive 1-10, including six frees, while Richmond contributed 2-5, with three from placed balls. Kearney added 1-0 and team captain K Cassidy chipped in with a point. Maghera’s valiant effort was led by O’Loughlin with 1-8, including five frees, supported by McCloskey’s 1-3, Murray’s two points, and a single point from Farren.
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