Official Antrim GAA Schools Cup Hurling Year 10 All-Star Nominations 2024.25. The Winners will be announced on Friday 9th May 12pm via email to Schools & on our Social media Channels (Antrim & Gaelfast Facebook & Twitter). These players were recommended by School Teachers/Coaches, Antrim GAA Gaelfast staff and Match day Officials throughout the competition. The process to select our Antrim Schools Cup All-Stars was extremely difficult due to the high levels of performance from our players over the blitz days and knockout phases of the competitions. We had over 12 schools and over 300 pupils taking part in our Antrim Schools Cup Hurling Year 10 Competition from September to November. I would like to thank and congratulate our Parents/Guardians, Academy squad mentors, Schools & Club coaches for providing our children with opportunities to develop, take part in our games and be surrounded in the overwhelming Physical, Psychological, Social and Emotional Health & Wellbeing benefits associated with playing GAA Sports. The winners will be invited to St Marys University College on Friday 16th May 1230pm as part of the Antrim Schools Cup Hurling All-Star Awards Event. Other details to follow.
Please see our Official Antrim GAA Schools Cup Year 9 Camogie and LGFA All-Star Nominations 2024/25. The Winners will be announced on Friday 9th May 12pm via email to Schools & on our Social media Channels (Antrim & Gaelfast Facebook & Twitter).
These players were recommended by School Teachers/Coaches, Antrim GAA Gaelfast staff and Match day Officials throughout the competition. The process to select our Antrim Schools Cup All-Stars was extremely difficult due to the high levels of performance from our players over the blitz days and knockout phases of the competitions. We had over 17 schools and over 450 pupils taking part in our Antrim Schools Cup Hurling Year 8 Competition from March to May.
I would like to thank and congratulate our Parents/Guardians, Academy squad mentors, Schools & Club coaches for providing our children with opportunities to develop, take part in our games and be surrounded in the overwhelming Physical, Psychological, Social and Emotional Health & Wellbeing benefits associated with playing GAA Sports.
The winners will be invited to St Marys University College on Friday 16th May 1230pm as part of the Antrim Schools Cup All-Star Awards Event. Other details to follow.
THERE will be a repeat of last year’s south Derry derby St Clare Cup final in a couple of weeks after St Patrick’s Maghera powered past St Louis Ballymena in the second semi-final on Friday. Holders St Mary’s Magherafelt had an equally resounding semi-final win over Cross & Passion Ballycastle on Tuesday.
Maghera’s biggest problem in the first half in Portglenone was St Louis Ballymena goalie Córa McClean who was in top-class form. Although Maghera dominated the opening half, they couldn’t get past McClean for goals and led by 0-11 to 1-1 at the turnover.
St Louis Ballymena
Five of the six Maghera forwards recorded points over the opening 11 minutes as they opened up a seven points lead. St Louis didn’t build a proper attack until the 14th minute – but it paid off. Midfielders Amber Anderson and Niamh Morgan combined to find Rose McVeigh unmarked and she hit the Maghera net. Within a minute Morgan pointed a 45 and the gap was down to two points.
Maghera’s progress was stalled and St Louis tried to push on. The Derry side still had most of the play but goalie McClean and inaccurate shooting kept them scoreless for nearly 15 minutes before Rose Quinn pointed a free and Hollie McErlean, Quinn and Bláthnaid McElhinney stretched the lead to six before the break.
McElhinney eventually found the net at the start of the second half and further goals followed for her twin sister Róisín, sub Erin McCann and top-scorer Rose Quinn with just a single point from St Louis in reply from Kilrea midfielder Niamh Morgan.
St Patrick’s: N McCullagh, A Lee, T Cartin, A McFerran, O Bradley 0-1, N Duggan, O McKenna, E Scullion 0-1, S McCullagh, C McCloskey 0-1, B McElhinney 1-4, R Quinn 1-7, 0-2 frees, H McErlean 0-1, A Faulkner 0-1, R McElhinney 1-1.
Subs used: E McCann 1-2, F McMullan 0-2, N Lagan 0-1, K McGrath, A Bradley
St Louis: C McClean, O McFaul, A McGilligan, C O’Boyle, A Kelly, A Convery, M Kelly, A Anderson, N Morgan 0-2, 0-1 free, E Blaney, E McCann, R McVeigh 1-0, A McCart, C Maguire, H Watson.
Subs used: N O’Mullan, K McLernon, L Cunning, O Czubinska.
Lámh Dhearg and Dunloy were forced to share the points at Hannahstown on Wednesday evening after the sides played out a 1-16-3-10 draw.
Dunloy hit the front through a converted 45’ from Deaglan Smith and Jack Martin-McShane blasted over a second point a few minutes later.
The hosts eventually got off the mark through an angled Ciaran Boyd score and a fisted Terry McCrudden score restored parity.
Points were traded between Conor Murray and Charlie Cunning and the game’s opening goal arrived midway through the half.
After forcing a turnover, a quick move through the hands saw Kevin McQullian with a golden chance that he executed to give his side a 1-3-0-3 lead.
Adam Murray shot over an immediate reply, though Barry McCloksey curled over a further point at the other end.
The Lámhs clawed their way back into proceedings as Daniel Murray opened his account, Terry McCrudden fired over on the turn and Adam Murray would draw the sides level for the third time.
Momentum was firmly with the Hannahstown side; Mark Finnegan kicked a close range free, back-to-back scores from play followed from Conor Murray and although Ryan McFarlaine hit back, just before the break Murray’s two-pointed free was helped over the bar by Dunloy keeper Sean Doherty as Lámh Dhearg held a 0-11-1-05 lead at the interval.
Within four minutes of the restart the Lámhs extended their advantage in fortuitous circumstances.
Conor Murray’s attempt to fist the ball to the back post saw the ball bounce off the post and ricochet off the unfortunate Doherty and into the net, giving his side a 1-11-1-05 lead.
Martin-McShane doubled his account in response and Conor Murray kicked his second free of the evening shortly after and Mark Finnegan then kicked an angled free.
Dunloy were guilty of spurning a series of chances though a two-pointer from James Scally was quickly followed by a goal from Tom McFerran to make it 1-13-2-08.
Kevin McQullian dropped a shot over to leave a single point between the sides, but Mark Finnegan swung over a two-pointer.
Lámh Dhearg had the chance to seal victory on the stroke of full time when they were awarded a penalty, however substitute Kieran Fay-Kelly saw his effort saved by Doherty in the Dunloy goal.
It was a chance that would come back to bite them when a clearance across the face of goal was intercepted and Barry McCloskey swept home an equaliser to make it 1-15-3-09.
Mark Finnegan looked to have got his side off the hook when he kicked a free to give the hosts the narrowest of leads in added time, but they failed to see the game out with Kevin McQuillan kicking a close range equaliser from a free with the last kick of the game as the sides shared the spoils at the conclusion.
Lámh Dhearg: G Smyth, R Murray, P Mervyn, M McGarry, B Rice, D Lynch, D Martin, P FItzsimons, E Stanley, C Boyd (0-1), C Murray (1-5, 0-2f), D Murray (0-1), M Finnegan (0-5, 1×0-2, 0-3f), T McCrudden (0-2), A Murray (0-2). Subs: R Diamond for C Boyd (46), K Fay-Kelly for E Stanley (55), S McCarthy for P Fitzsimons (60+1).
Dunloy: S Doherty, M Traynor, C Kinsella, C McCloskey, A McGrath, J Scally (0-2, 1×0-2), P Martin, L McFerran, D Smith (0-1 45’), R McFarline (0-1), T McFerran (1-0), C Cunning (0-1), J Martin-McShane (0-2), K McQuillan (1-02, 0-1f), B McCloskey (1-01). Subs: R Cunning for M Traynor (28), B O’Kane for C Cunning (41), K Fitzpatrick for J Martin-McShane (47), P McGilligan for R McFarline (47), C Scullion for A McGrath (60+4). Referee: Darren McKeown (St Galls)
Unbeaten in the league to date Cargin looked to be very short priced favourites to remain so when they played hosts to basement dwelling St Paul’s on Wednesday evening last but such a pre-ordained script was not the way the story was to unfold.
Despite starting as extreme outsiders without a positive result thus far this season the Shaws Road men were on the front foot from the outset and they gained early advantage and a two point lead when Barrie Burns despatched a two pointer about ten minutes into proceedings but they were to lose a player shortly after when one of their forwards received a black card.
The home side regained their composure for a time and Tomas McCann added a couple of points which brought Cargin level, but the visitors were never overawed and kept in close contact with their hosts. The home side missed a couple opportunities to find the net in the early stages as Kevin Mc Shane and Tom Shivers came close, and further scores to increase advantage were hard to come by.
The visitors, despite the loss of a man, never yielded an inch and as the home side struggled to gain their composure, their usual fluency in movement seemed absent at times as passes went astray.
Tomas Mc Cann did split the posts following a foul on his sibling Michael in the latter stages of the period and although a Tom Shivers delivery seemingly net bound was flicked over the bar by the visitors net minder in the last minute of the first half, the home side had gained a 0-06 to 0-04 advantage at the break.
Having failed to impress in the first period the Toome men improved somewhat in the second period and a point from Tomas Mc Cann increased their advantage a couple of minutes in.
Tom Shivers came close to finding the net in the 36th minute but his shot hit the crossbar and was cleared cleared but John Carron long range effort shortly after earned a couple of points and ensured a 0-09 to 0-04 advantage for the home side.
The city men were still in there fighting and back to back whites by Caomhinn Duffy and Conor Hughes ensured they were still in there with a shout.
The arrival of a few substitutes helped matters as Jamie Gribbin followed the example of his sibling Callum to split the posts.
Benen Kelly added a super point to the home side’s tally, with replacement Gribbin following suit, but the St Paul’s lads were not finished and they came back strongly with the Burns boys Barrie and Shea adding points apiece and when the pace laden corner forward Caomhin Duffy created a well laid counter attack to finish to the back of the Cargin net, the comeback and a major shock looked more than possible.
The end was in sight when Conor Hughes fired between the posts for a super long range strike to reduce the deficit to a single point, but that was as close as they would get and a Jamie Gribbin strike at the other end was enough to see his side over the line with a less than impressive 0-13 to 1-08 winning scoreline.
Overall a great effort by the Shaw’s Road side and one which will give them great encouragement as the league progresses.
Cargin: Shea Laverty, Sean og Quinn, Kevin O’Boyle, Niall Quinn, Benen Kelly (0-01), Kevin Mc Shane, James Laverty, Michael Mc Cann, John Carron( 2*)Tom Shivers (0-01), Tomas Mc Cann (0-04), David Johnston (0-01), Ben Mc Larnon, Callum Gribbin (0-01), PJ Quinn,
Subs
Jamie Gribbin (0-03)
Brendan Laverty
Hugh O’ Donnell
Pat Shivers
St Paul’s: Eman Mc Greevey, Nathan Cavanagh, Michael Duffy, Pearse Magee (1-00), James Farrell, Conor Hughes (0-02), Conal Duffy (0-02),( Barrie Burns (0-01),Shea Burns (0-01), Pat Crawford, Caomhinn Duffy (0-02)
