County secretary Frankie Quinn has stepped down from the post last weekend after seenteen years of service. Last night he attended senior hurling training at Dunsilly with members of his family where the hurlers presented him with a signed jersey. Two weeks ago the senior footballers presented one before the Ulster Senior Championship game against Armagh at Corrigan Park.
We at the Saffron Gael would like to wish Frankie a happy retirement and thank him sincerely for all his support since we started the project eith years ago
Donal Murphy, Andy McEntee and Peter Healy make a special presentation to Frankie Quinn before the Antrim v Armagh Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter final at Corrigan Park two weeks ago.
Lámh Dhearg are delighted to announce that the leading vertically-integrated international construction materials group in Ireland, Breedon, have generously become a partner of the club and sponsor of their senior teams.
At the launch Chairman Brian Smyth warmly welcomed Breedon’s Fraser Thom, Products and Materials Director and David Cleland Manager of Breedon Ireland along with club trustees Jackie Duffy , Pat McCague and Sean Maguire , committee members and representatives from their senior teams.
Brian spoke proudly of how the club is rapidly expanding in terms of facilities and teams and acknowledged the members working hard in the functioning of the club . He commented “Breedon partnership is very exciting and will undoubtedly be a major help and boost in running the senior teams in the club. We are very excited and looking forward to building a very strong and productive partnership with Breedon in the next few years. The club are very appreciative of Breedon securing the partnership .”
Breedon’s Fraser Thom thanked the club for such a hospitable welcome and commented “Building on our previous sponsorship of the women’s team, we are delighted to progress our partnership with Cumann Lámh Dhearg CLG to become the official sponsor across all senior teams.
Creating a positive impact in the local communities in which we work is an ongoing commitment for us at Breedon. Supporting Lámh Dhearg, a club with a long-standing dedication to developing sport and community in their West Belfast locality, is a perfect fit for us
We look forward to following and wishing the senior teams well as they advance this season and into the future”.
The club would encourage all members to support Breedon and any of our other many generous partners if the opportunity arises as they are all vital in facilitating the successful promotion and development of Gaelic games in the club.
St. Mary’s Ahoghill finally got some points on board when they travelled to Corrigan Park on Wednesday evening and recorded a three point win over a St. John’s side who remain pointless after 5 rounds of fixtures.
Conchur Adams pointed the Johnnies ahead in the opening minute and Ronan Donnelly’s 2 pointer moved the Whiterock Road side further in front before a second from Adams had the home side four to the good as they came flying out of the traps.
A Ronan Graham pointed free and a couple of two pointers from James O’Connell in response to another point from the excellent Adams had it all square by the 11th minute as both sides battled to get their first points of the season on board.
Another long range point from Conor Hand and points from Adams and an Aaron Bradley double seemed to have given the Johnnies back control but Ronan Graham replied from three pointed frees and Patrick Graham added a late minor from play to leave just one it at half time.
Conchur Adams extended the Corrigan side’s lead with a point on the restart with Jimmy O’Connell replying from a free to close the gap to the minimum once more with 5 minutes of the new half gone.
St. John’s then took control of the contest for a period and Odhran McAuley, Ronan Quinn and Conchur Adams moved them four ahead by the 10th minute as they laid siege on the visitor’s goals.
It was looking good for the home side at this stage but amazingly they would add only one further point as St. Mary’s wrestled back control and slowly clawed back the St. John’s lead.
A couple of points from Ronan Graham and another from Noel Crossey had it back to one by the 24th minute before Conchur Johnston struck the home side’s final point of the evening to move his side two ahead.
Back came the Ahoghill men and a Dan O’Neill 2 pointer tied the game once more with four minutes remaining and the Ahoghill side finished strongly with Ronan Graham, James O’Connell and Dan O’Neill adding unanswered points to secure victory.
A good win for St. Mary’s who showed a lot of character to come back from four down after 10 minutes of the second half and this win could kick start their season.
St. John’s must be wondering just what they have to do to get a win. They have battled well in most of their games and enjoyed periods of dominance but haven’t been able to sustain it over the 60 minutes.
However, I’ve no doubt that a first win is just around the corner and when they get all hands back on board they will again be a serious force.
St. James Aldergrove kept in touch at the top of division 1 as they recorded their fourth win from five starts over St. Paul’s at Shaw’s Road on Wednesday evening.
A hat-trick from corner forward, Ryan McCarthy and an exhibition of long range points from Seamus McGarry proved the difference in the end against a St. Paul’s team who competed well throughout.
McCarthy got the ball rolling with a goal in the second minute and points from Conor Browning and Declan Gough had the visitor five ahead by the 6th minute.
The home side took a time to settle but began to get a foothold as Patrick Crawford opened their account with a 2 pointer and Caoimhin Duffy added a goal and further points from Crawford (1 2 pointer) had the home side ahead.
Seamus McGarry who was in fine form for Aldergrove and (Featured Image) hat trick scorer,Ryan McCarthy
The game appeared to be swinging in favour of St. Paul’s, who were searching for their first win of the season but St. James replied through Chris McSteen before McCarthy fired home his second goal.
Brian mcQuillan and Seamus mcGarry added points with Patrick Crawford replying from a free to leave the visitors leading 2-6 to 1-7 at the end of a very competitive opening half.
HT 1-7 TO 2-6
Two points certainly didn’t look like an insurmountable lead and when Patrick Crawford kicked a 2 pointer for the ‘Hoops’ at the start of the second half to tie the contest it was all square.
It would be as close as St. Paul’s got however with McSteen and Seamus mcGarry edging the visitors two in front before Niall mcStravick split the posts to keep the hosts in touch.
Another 2 pointer from the imperious McGarry and when Ryan McCarthy’s completed his hat-trick it looked as good as over though St. Paul’s were still battling hard.
Patrick Crawford and Micael Duffy replied with points but McGarry kicked another magnificent 2 pointer in reply and added another from a free.
St. Paul’s continued to give it everything and Oisin McGarry pulled off two excellent frees to deny Shea Burns and then Pearse Magee at the expense of two points.
McGarry was on fire however and he would land two more long range missiles going down the home straight before Ronan Hanna escaped the attention of excellent teenage full-back, Ewan McGreevey to add another.
Caoimhin Killyleah, St. Paul’s evades the attentions of Declan Gough
Another good win for St. James’ who showed a lot of character to recover from last week’s heavy defeat to Cargin and they now sit joint third with All Saints Ballymena who they welcome to Crumlin on the 7th May.
St. Paul’s: 1 Jack McAufield, 2 Aodhan Kavanagh, 3 Ewan McGreevey, 4 Ciaran McAlea, 5 Conall Duffy, 6 Diarmuid O’Sullivan, 7 Caoimhin Killyleah, 8 James Farrell, 9 Mark Munce, 10 Pearse Magee, 11 Miceal Duffy, 12 Niall McStravick, 13 Shea Burns, 14 Patrick Crawford, 15 Caoimhin Duffy.
Aldergrove: 1 Oisin McGarry, 2 Aiden Ervine, 3 Chris Browning, 4 Logan Fleming, 5 Declan Gough, 6 Chris McVeigh, 7 Eoin Gough, 8 Brian McQuillan, 9 Conor Browning, 10 Patrick Fay, 11 Oisin Graham, 12 Chris McSteen, 13 Ryan McCarthy, 14 Ronan Hanna, 15 Seamus McGarry
Subs: 18 for Chris Browning
Referee: Ray Matthews
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On a warm evening and in perfect conditions championship aspirants St Brigid’s and Portglenone went toe to toe in a contest that ebbed and flowed, but ultimately ended up in the same place where it started, level.
St Brigid’s Oran Downey
Little separated the teams on the scoreboard in the opening quarter, a bright start from the visitors saw them ease in front with lofted efforts from Fergal O`Kane and Ronan Kelly, and while it took St Brigid’s nine minutes to open their account, they went on a ten minute spree which saw them score five in a row, courtesy of Sweeney (2) King and Carleton (two 45s) to take the lead.
County captain Dermot McAleese seized the initiative with a massive two pointer from well outside the zone, and when cousin Aidan chipped in with a couple more, it was game on.
A well contested end to the opening half saw Ronan Kelly bring his tally to three, but four quickfire points from the well drilled St Brigid’s, courtesy of Carelton, Campbell, Downey and Bradley saw St Brigid’s jog off with a three point advantage when Brendan Toland blew his short whistle to signal for the interval.
The second half saw two well matched teams going head to head in pursuit of a couple of league points and of course, sizing each other up for more significant events later in the season. With little quarter asked or received, Brendan Toland was kept busy, and his job was made easier at times when numerous frees were fast forwarded, deemed to be on the wrong side of the new rules.
Paul Bradley opened the scoring for the hosts to go four ahead, and that signalled a response when the visitors chipped in with a trio of their own to close the gap to the minimum. Ronan Boyle and Paul Bradley stretched it to three once more, before Dermot McAleese fired over yet another two point sky-launcher to reduce the margin once more.
With a quarter remaining both sides went chasing the two points on offer and when Oran Downey, Ronan Kelly and Oisin Doherty exchanged white flags at opposite ends it was fifteen apiece, with around seven minutes remaining.
The Musgrave Park men then found a way to breach the Portglenone defence when Oran Downey found a way to stab the ball home from a goalmouth scramble, a green flag was raised and once more it was advantage St Brigid’s, three clear with three minutes remaining.
Casements showed a bit of character to fashion two final scores, both expertly dispatched from distance from the accurate foot of Aidan McAleese, one orange flag and one white, to draw an absorbing contest after an hours honest and at time excellent football.
Casements Connor McGhee
Dermot McAleese, cousin Aidan and neighbours Ronan Kelly and Oisin Doherty stood tall for the visitors on a night the Huncheon neighbours claimed all but one of the visitors scores. Oisin Doherty looks like he is enjoying a three quarter berth at present, with Daniel McNicholl and Conor McGhee showing well too.
Reuben Carleton continues to impress and his St Brigid’s colleagues Shay Campbell, Oran Downey, Ronan Boyle and Paul Campbell can be pleased with their displays, as can evergreen Big Jack Dowling who continues to claim plenty of vital possession from Declan Heery’s well-placed kick-outs.
St Brigids manager Ruairi O`Neill will sleep easily knowing his side are ticking over nicely as he awaits the return of a handful of leading contributors to the St Brigid’s cause, amongst them several of the Downey clan and and county regulars Patrick and Joseph Finnegan.
The Portglenone management team will have seen enough to know they are on the right track, as they ease some of their own players back to fitness after lengthy periods on the sideline and picked up a tough point at a venue that they have returned empty handed from on many occasions.
St Brigid’s; O Downey 1 – 03, R, Carleton 0 – 04, P Bradley 0 – 03, N Sweeney 0 – 02, S Campbell 0 – 01, R Boyle 0 – 01, P King 0 – 01.
Casements; A McAleese 0 – 07, D McAleese 0 – 04, R Kelly 0 – 04, O Doherty 0 – 02, F O`Kane 0 – 01.
