Author / thesaffrongael

Posts by thesaffrongael

Photographer and GAA writer who has been covering hurling, football and camogie for almost forty years
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

by thesaffrongael

Hurling/camogie Participation Day

On Tuesday we welcomed 8 local schools to participate in a Cumann Na mBunscol mixed hurling and camogie event in Dunloy Academy.

Over 140 boys and girls enjoyed plenty of games over the course of the day, with plenty of skill on show. 

One of the pupils was keen to have a go at refereeing and did a super job! 

A great day for all involved. 

Many thanks to:

Mary Queen of Peace, Glenravel

St Oliver Plunketts, Toome

Creggan Primary 

Moneynick Primary 

St Mary’s Primary, Portglenone 

St Brigid’s Primary, Ballymena

St Joseph’s Primary, Dunloy

St Patrick’s Primary, Rasharkin

TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM THE DAY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/4Q4Q5weETCsqo6

by thesaffrongael

Lámhs celebrate 20th anniversary of LGFA.

Lámh Dhearg LGFA held a very successful day of events to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The day began with u7 and 8 blitzes. A feast of football was served on a cold autumnal day by the host club along with Ardoyne, Rossa, St Paul’s and Sarsfield’s.

After the games a group photograph was taken of LGFA players and coaches on the pitch.

In the clubrooms after a hot buffet LGFA members enthusiastically participated in online bingo with the adults enjoying the game as much as the Children. It was very apt to see juveniles, coaches and players all together enjoying the bingo.

The bingo was followed by an entertaining chat show compered brilliantly by the confident and articulate hosts Caoimhe Whinnery and Celine Daly.

The interesting and insightful interviews with many key personalities focused on the origins and development of LGFA which was fascinating to listen to with some witty and happy memories relived.

It was also encouraging to see County Antrim LGFA chair, Ursula Lynch, County Senior Managers Mickey Devlin, Chris Scullion and Colette Ward, Senior Team Admin Manager present and they also contributed to the chat show.

The chat show concluded with Caoimhe Whinnery extending a vote of thanks and summarising the rapid and successful growth and development of LGFA in the club.

Special presentations were then presented to Kieran Megraw for Development of LGFA and Barney McKenna was inducted into the club Hall of Fame and both recipients deservedly received standing ovations.

The day finished with craic agus ceol and music from senior LGFA player Dymphna Cleneghan.

The well organised and enjoyable day was a fitting and poignant tribute to all who have worked hard in developing LGFA in the club and no doubt a bright future lies ahead for LGFA on the hill.

TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM THIS EVENT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/d3jC9u5V8mqhAv

by thesaffrongael

Five star St. Ergnat’s advance to semi-final

Ulster LGFA Senior Club Championship Quarter-Final

Bredagh (Down) 2-5 St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass (Antrim) 5-10

Cathy Carey led the way as St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass overcame the challenge of Bredagh, the Down champions at Cherryvale on Saturday.

The St. Ergnat’s and Antrim star struck with two first half goals to send her side to a 3-6 to 1-3 half time lead, the Bredagh goal coming from Aoife Laverty and even at this stage it looked a long way back for the Down champions.

Moneyglass continued to dominate during the second half, kicking some excellent points and goals from Sarah O’Neill and Jo Jo Darragh ensured there would be no way back for the Bredagh despite a second goal from Eilish Ward.

The Antrim champions must now await the result of the quarter-final between a fancied Clann Eireann, Armagh and Derrygonley of Fermanagh after their game, as cheduled for Sunday was postponed owing to a waterlogged Derrygonnley pitch with that game rescheduled for Wednesday night.

by thesaffrongael

From Croke Park to Glencairn

Above – Antrim’s All Ireland winning team from 1967, Lily Scullion is in the middle of the back row

BACK during Covid the Irish News told the story of a lady who grew up on a farm in Ahoghill and now is effectively the CEO of a large miscanthus, green energy farming initiative in County Waterford.

No huge story there, you might say, except that she is now a nun in her 80s and very much active on the farm!

Along the way Sr Lily Scullion played in four All-Ireland senior camogie finals 1964-73 with her goal-scoring exploits the stand-out headline from 1967 when Antrim collected their fifth O’Duffy Cup and Ulster won the Gael Linn inter-provincial title for the first time. It would take another four decades before they would add a second title.

Lily is also the only player to have won Ulster club camogie titles with two different clubs – her native Ahoghill in 1969 and then with St Bridget’s Newry six years later.

Career-wise Lily was a farmer after she left school, before entering Gallaher’s factory in Ballymena and then moving on to youth work in both Newry and Ballymurphy in the late 1970s.

Her mother had died after a brief illness when Lily was still in her teens and this had led to “rebellion and anger against God”. While working in Newry “I was led by an inner spirit to the Cathedral… It was here, like St Paul, that my conversion took place.”

When she told her friends in 1980 that she was going to become a nun, they were astonished. Then she announced that she was joining an enclosed order. As a notorious prankster on camogie trips and someone with a huge zest for life and company, they thought that it was another of her elaborate hoaxes.

However 45 years ago this month she entered St Mary’s Abbey, Glencairn in Waterford and has been there since.

For the last couple of decades she has been managing the order’s 250 acre farm and has moved the focus from dairy to dry stock and now miscanthus, an energy crop that she began growing 2010.

A few years ago Sr Lily was persuaded to put her remarkable life story to print. The result “From Croke Park to Glencairn” was launched in Waterford a couple of weeks ago and the Antrim launch will take place on Wednesday 29th October in the Acorn centre on the Crosskeys Road in Ahoghill.

It’s a remarkable read following a remarkable lady through her remarkable life.

Her childhood memories are told in the voice of an innocent child finding out about the world around her, growing up as a Catholic in a predominantly unionist area and wondering why her neighbours change their behaviour around July, why all children don’t go to the same school or church.

Her camogie memories are all covered in the form of anecdotes, the friendships she made through sport, the “devilment” she got up to.

The reader is also taken on her inner journey with its twists and turns, from her rejection of God to his total embrace.

In her forward to the book, Sr Ekaete Ekop of the Medical Missionaries of Mary sums up the work:

“Her narrative is brutally honest …. This woman, whose vocation in life is nurtured by her love for nature and farming has lived a life that is at once inspirational and grounded in the mystery of dailiness. In her chronicles, you will find a piece of yourself.”