Month / May 2026

by thesaffrongael

Geraldines get their Division 2 campaign back on track

Antrim Camogie League – Division 2

Ballycastle 2nds v Geraldines Portglenone

Report by Colm Friel

Geraldines got their Division 2 campaign back on track with a comprehensive victory in Ballycastle on Tuesday evening, producing a measured attacking display and disciplined defensive performance to claim the points.

After a scoreless opening six minutes that suggested a tight game was in store, Geraldines found their rhythm and opened the scoring when Jojo Darragh pointed after a lovely run before Aoife McGrogan struck for the game’s opening goal in the seventh minute, finishing neatly after Geraldines carved through the Ballycastle defence.

Shannon Darragh and Aoibhinn McCloskey soon added further points as Geraldines started to dominate possession around the middle third, with McCloskey, Eimear McKee and Orlagh Convery setting the tempo and putting the home defence on the back foot with an impressive passing display.

Ballycastle stayed in touch during the opening quarter through scores from Louise McBride and Faye Roddy, but Geraldines continued to create openings at will and struck a decisive blow midway through the half when Clodagh Convery fired home after a long range free from Aoibhinn McCloskey dropped in the Ballycastle square, and added another four minutes later, taking possesion from a measured pass from McCloskey and rifling a shot from 30 yards that dipped under Erin O’Hara’s crossbar. This was the signal for the Geraldines attack to click into gear, with the movement and work-rate of Laura McAleese, Hollie Martin and Jojo Darragh, creating multiple chances.

Further scores from Aoibhinn McCloskey, Shannon Darragh, Hollie Martin and Eimear McKee helped Geraldines carry a commanding 3-11 to 0-4 lead into the break.

To Ballycastle’s credit, they emerged with renewed energy in the second half and enjoyed their best spell of the contest as Louise McBride converted a succession of points from play and placed ball, while strong work from Cara Delaney, Faye Roddy and Niamh Donnelly helped them gain a foothold in the middle third.

However, Geraldines weathered that period with disciplined defending, and reasserted control when Aedin Vallely pointed a free before Clodagh Convery sealed her hat-trick, netting again midway through the half.

From there, the away side closed the game out impressively in the gathering darkness with late points from Aoibhinn McCloskey, Shannon Darragh, Aoife McGrogan and Laura McAleese completing an accomplished all-round team display.

Geraldines: Siobhan Doherty, Hannah Friel, Anna O’Kane, Ellie Tsang, Aoife McKenna, Orlagh Convery, Aedin Vallely (0-1 f), Aoibhinn McCloskey (0-4, 1 f), Eimear McKee (0-1), Hollie Martin (0-1), Laura McAleese (0-1), Jojo Darragh (0-2), Clodagh Convery (3-1), Shannon Darragh (0-6, 1 f), Aoife McGrogan (1-1).

Sub used : Laura O’Boyle (49)

Ballycastle: Erin O’Hara, Dani McQuillan, Noelle McAuley, Ciara Boylan, Christina Hamilton, Niamh Ann Donnelly, Cara Delaney, Faye Roddy (0-2), Fiadh Sands, Aoife McCaughan, Louise McBride (0-8, 2 f), Olivia Connolly, Anna Bakewell, Shannon McQuillan, Eimear McCaughan.

Referee: Tony Breen

by thesaffrongael

St Patrick’s Rasharkin do the double

Above – St Patrick’s Primary School Rasharkin who beat Mary Queen of Peace Glenravel in the final of the South West Antrim Cumann na mBunscol hurling blit at Tir na nOg. Included is county hurler Sean Duffin

2026 South-West Cumann na mBunscol Hurling Blitz

PICS BY BERT TROWLEN

A fantastic day of hurling was enjoyed at Tír na nÓg Randalstown as the South-West Cumann na mBunscol Hurling Blitz showcased an excellent standard of skill, teamwork and sportsmanship throughout.

Shield winners Millquarter with county player Sean Duffin

The Shield Final proved to be a nail-biting encounter between St. Joseph’s PS Crumlin and Millquarter PS, finishing level in normal time before going to a dramatic ‘Golden Score’ finish, with the boys from Millquarter eventually edging victory.

The Cup Final was equally thrilling, as St. Patrick’s PS Rasharkin avenged their earlier group stage defeat to Mary Queen of Peace PS Glenravel, to claim the title by the narrowest of margins. The victory completed a remarkable double for the Dreen school, following their Camogie success last week. They will now go on to represent South-West Antrim in both hurling and camogie at the upcoming All County Finals.

Schools represented on the day included:
Moneynick PS
Millquarter PS
St. Patrick’s PS Rasharkin
Mount St. Michael’s PS Randalstown
St. Joseph’s PS Crumlin
Mary Queen of Peace PS Glenravel
Creggan PS

Well done to all the players and their teachers for contributing to a wonderful day of hurling, full of excitement, skill and great spirit.

by thesaffrongael

Rossa Back on Track after Dominant Display in Randalstown

ACFL Division 1

Full-Time: Tír na nÓg 1-11     O’Donovan Rossa 2-21

O’Donovan Rossa reignited their season on Wednesday night with a commanding victory over Tír na nÓg at Whitehill, leaving Randalstown with two valuable points after a performance defined by clinical first-half finishing.

The visitors signalled their intent from the first whistle, with Diarmaid Rogan slotting a point from play in the opening minute. When Colm Fleming followed up with a spectacular two-pointer shortly after, the home side looked visibly rattled. Despite Emmet Murray’s best efforts to rally Tír na nÓg with a well-taken point, Rossa responded with a devastating fifteen-minute blitz.

During this period, the Belfast men racked up 1-06 without reply. Eoin Fleming provided the highlight of the scoring run, slicing through a static Randalstown defence to fire over. The pressure culminated when Rogan collected the ball at the halfway line and sparked a “route one” attack; a swift exchange of passes saw the ball return to Rogan, who buried it into the back of the net to establish an 11-point cushion.

Tír na nÓg struggled with accuracy throughout the opening period, though Darragh Fagan managed to convert a free to stem the tide. At the other end, Rossa defender Patrick Moyes began to dictate play from the back, though his personal sat nav must have been faulty as he found himself foraging in the Randalstown half on a regular basis.

A moment of magic from Pauric Redmond, who curled over a point from an acute angle on the sideline, gave the home fans something to cheer about, but Rossa ensured they had the final say of the half with scores from Byrne and Rogan.

Half-Time: Tír na nÓg 0-03    Rossa 1-12

The Randalstown men emerged for the second half with renewed vigour, led by the industrious Ciaran O’Neill, who opened the scoring with a two-pointer. They were inches away from igniting a comeback when a goal bound effort struck the post and rebounded clear.

While Rossa’s scoring slowed—boosted only by efforts from Corey Walsh, McMenamin, and Grant—Tír na nÓg began to find their range. Darragh Fagan notched two consecutive scores as Rossa’s discipline started to waver under the increasing pressure.

However, the mountain was too high to climb. Despite a spirited late surge that saw Ciaran O’Neill find the net and add another two-pointer, Rossa’s victory was never really in doubt. Rogan added two more to his personal tally before the ever-dangerous Grego put the gloss on the score-line, bulging the net for the final score of the afternoon.

For Rossa, it is a vital return to form; for Tír na nÓg, the search for that elusive first win continues.

Tír na nÓg: 1. Sean-Paul McAtamney 2. Ryan Crilly 3. Brandon McLarnon 4. Manus Smith 5. Declan Mallon 6. Ciaran McGrellis 7. Aodhan Tolan(0-01) 8. Ciaran O’Neill (1-05) 9. Joshua Higgins 10. Connor Hastings 11. Darragh Fagan (0-03, 2f) 12. Emmet Murphy (0-01) 13. Pauric Redmond (0-01) 14.Conor McKenna 15. Alex O’Donnell

Rossa: 1. Michael Byrne (0-01) 2. Mattie McKernan 3. Patrick Moyes 4. Fiachra McDonald 5. Niall Crossan 6. Stephen Beatty 7. Peter Byrne (0-01) 8. Michael McEnhill 9. Eoghan McManamin (0-03) 10. Conal McDonald (0-02,1f) 11. Eoin Fleming (0-02) 12. Diarmaid Rogan (1-04) 13. Colm Fleming (0-03) 14. Ruairi McDonagh (0-02) 15. Corey Walsh (0-01) 16. Darren Grego (1-01) 17. Setanta McDonald 18. Rory Grant (0-01) 19.Kack McGurk 20. Oisin McVicker 21. Daire Morgan

Referee: Darren McKeown

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by thesaffrongael

St Gall’s hold off Moneyglass fightback to take the points

Antrim Football League – Division 1

Moneyglass 3-11 vs. St. Galls 2-16

In a high-scoring and entertaining Antrim Division 1 encounter, visitors St. Galls secured a narrow victory over home side Moneyglass (Naomh Eargnait), with St Gall’s ability to hit 2pointers playing a critical role in the final tallies. St. Galls’ explosive first half proved just enough to weather a fierce second-half comeback from Moneyglass, resulting in a 2-16 to 3-11 finish.

St. Galls came out of the blocks firing, opening the scoring just two minutes in with a point from Colm Walsh. They quickly established dominance, rattling off further points from Padraig Jnr O Muirigh, Daniel Quinn, and Gerard O’Neill to build an early lead. Moneyglass found their footing around the 9-minute mark through a point from Colm Duffin, who was a constant threat, adding another shortly after. However, St. Galls shifted into another gear midway through the half. Dubhaltach Wilson landed a crucial two-pointer on 16 minutes, which was immediately followed by a devastating one-two punch as goals from Barra McCaffrey at 20 minutes and Padraig Jnr O Muirigh at 21 minutes put the visitors in coontrol. Despite the onslaught, Moneyglass stayed in the fight, picking off points from Sean Boyd, Connor O Kane, and Aidan Mc Erlain, before Colm Duffin nailed a two-pointer of his own in the 28th minute to leave the halftime score at Moneyglass 0-07 to St. Galls 2-08.

The second half proved to be a thriller. St. Galls added early points through Barra McCaffrey and Daniel Quinn to keep the scoreboard ticking, but Moneyglass roared back into contention. Sean Boyd pointed in the 6th minute, sparking a massive momentum shift. In the space of two minutes, Moneyglass completely opened the game up with rapid-fire goals from Seanchan Duffin on 11 minutes and Tyler Cassidy on 13 minutes. Suddenly, the home side was within striking distance. St. Galls relied on their depth and experience to stay ahead, trading points with Moneyglass down the stretch. Dubhaltach Wilson added another point, while Conal Murray chipped in a vital score on 19 minutes. As the game reached its frantic conclusion, Sean Boyd found the back of the net for Moneyglass’s third goal in the 58th minute, setting up a grandstand finish. However, Gerard O’Neill stepped up for St. Galls right at the death with a decisive two-pointer in the 30th minute, clinching the game and ensuring the visitors walked away with a hard-fought win.

Looking at the overall scoring contributions, St. Galls had a wide spread of attackers finding the target. Barra McCaffrey led their charge with a goal and three points, followed closely by Padraig Jnr O Muirigh who tallied a goal and two points. Gerard O’Neill and Dubhaltach Wilson both contributed crucially with a point and a two-pointer each, while Daniel Quinn slotted over three points. Colm Walsh and an unlisted number 18 added a point apiece to round out their total.

On the Moneyglass side, Colm Duffin was the top scorer with a two-pointer and three points to his name. Sean Boyd was heavily involved in the second-half revival, securing a goal and two points, while Seanchan Duffin and Tyler Cassidy both found the net for a goal each. Aidan Mc Erlain added two points, and Connor O Kane finalized the home side’s tally with a single point.

Moneyglass: 1. Jamie McLaughlin, 2. Bobby Kennedy, 3. Zach McCaughan, 4. Matthew Mullen, 5. Callum Murray, 6. Paul Duffin, 7. Eunan Mc Erlain, 8. Seanchan Duffin, 9. Francis Duffin, 10. Sean Boyd, 11. Colm Duffin, 12. Connor O Kane, 13. Tyler Cassidy, 14. Aidan Mc Erlain, 15. Caolan Boyd.

St. Galls: 1. Chris Kerr, 2. Christopher Hale, 3. Gairech Mac Adhaimh, 4. Eoghan McCurdy, 5. Damien Ball, 6. Gerard O’Neill, 7. John McCaffrey, 8. Manus McCrossan, 9. Conaill Murray, 10. Aaron Mackel, 11. Daniel Quinn, 12. Dubhaltach Mac Liam, 13. Barra McCaffrey, 14. Colm Walsh, 15. Padraig Jnr O Muirigh.

by thesaffrongael

Spoils shared in Creggan

Antrim ACFL Division 1:

 St Mary’s Aghagallon 2-11 Kickham’s Creggan 1-14

Report and photos by Brian Hamill

St Mary’s Aghagallon and Kickham’s Creggan shared the spoils after a dramatic Division One encounter in Creggan on Wednesday evening, the sides finishing level on 17 points apiece after a stirring second-half comeback from the home side.

Aghagallon looked well on course for the points at the interval after a controlled opening half saw them establish a six-point cushion, 1-9 to 0-6. Their greater efficiency in front of goal and a strong spread of scorers left them in command, with their opening goal, by Ruairi McCann, giving them a platform they maintained through the second quarter.

Creggan, however, emerged with renewed intent after the turnaround and gradually chipped away at the deficit, driven by the accuracy of Shea McCann, who finished with points from open play and placed balls.

The key moment in the comeback arrived in the 50th minute when Creggan wing-back Dominic McAteer burst through to fire home a well-taken goal, levelling the contest at 1-10 to 1-10 and swinging momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour.

That parity was short-lived, however, as Aghagallon responded impressively. Within three minutes, they struck for their second major, with Gareth Magee finishing clinically to restore the visitors’ advantage and underline their attacking threat.

With the game in the balance entering the closing stages, Aghagallon appeared to have done enough when they nudged two scores clear, but Creggan refused to yield. Their use of the new two-point arc proved decisive in keeping them in contention.

The decisive moment came deep into added time when Jamie McCann stepped up to convert a superb two-point effort, tying the match at 1-14 to 2-11 and ensuring the spoils were shared after a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout.

Aghagallon will rue missed opportunities to close out the game, particularly after twice regaining the lead in the second half, but they can take encouragement from their attacking display.

Defensively, both sides had their moments, with Aghagallons keeper Luke Mulholland, saving two shots on goal and Creggan also registering key saves at vital junctures to keep themselves within reach before launching their late surge.

In the end, a draw was probably a fair reflection of a contest that saw spells of dominance from both sides, Aghagallon impressing early and Creggan finishing with a flourish to secure a hard-earned share of the points.

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