Posts by thesaffrongael

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

April 6, 2025April 7, 2025 by thesaffrongael

A game of ‘two pitches’ as Naomh Comhghall claim first victory

ACFL Division 2

Naomh Comhghall 1-12 Davitt’s 0-13

That well known saying, ‘A game of two halves’ often applies in Gaelic football but for the first time in my lifetime on Sunday I witnessed ‘A game of two pitches’

Let me explain, Naomh Comhghall were playing Davitt’s at Dunsilly’s pitch 3 which is their home pitch.

A superb game of football was heading to conclusion with last year’s division 3 champions, Naomh Comhghall holding on to a two point lead and the visitors pushing hard to salvage something from a fiercely contested game.

Suddenly Christopher Rafferty went down with what looked a serious injury and the Davitt’s substitute was clearly in a lot of pain and discomfort as an ambulance was summoned by someone on the side line.

**Caomhan Slane who led the Davitt’s attack**

There was still four minutes remaining and after a five minute stoppage the decision was taken to move the game to the adjoining Pitch 2 where the remaining four minutes were played out without any further score.

It was Aaron Slane who gave Davitt’s the lead from a ‘2 pointer’ free from outside the ‘40’ and with the wind at their back the Falls Road side moved into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead by the 10^th minute through Deevy Persson.

Naomh Comhghall were pressing hard on the break and were back on level terms when a Miles Devine free from the ‘40’ dropped short but was scrambled home by Ryan Clarke.

The visitors went ahead again through a Deaglan Mooney point with Ruairi Griffin replying at the other end and points from Caomhan Slane and Anthony Rowntree for the visitors had them two in front by the 16^th minute.

Barry Burn’s Naomh Comhghall were displaying an insatiable work rate as they began to force turn overs from the opposition and they finished the half on top as Aaron McGaw, Miles Devine and Kain Smyth pointed to leave them one ahead at the break.

With the wind at their backs the Antrim Town side would have been expected to push on but it was Davitt’s who were first to threaten and had the ball in the Antrim net after two minutes but the score was ruled out for a ‘square ball’ infringement

Caomhan Slane kicked a good point to level the contest before Naomh Comhghall started to get their game together again and Miles Devine began to exert his influence on the game as he converted three frees 1 (2pt’s) and another from play by Ruairi Griffin had the home side 1-10 to 0-8 ahead at the end of the third quarter.

**Miles Devine who was in fine scoring in Naomh Comhghall’s win over Davitt’s at Dunsilly on Sunday**

The introduction of Tony McGrattan and Christopher Rafferty for Davitt’s seemed to lift them and Anthony Rowntree saw his well struck shot rebound of the cross-bar before McGrattan fired over.

Ruairi Griffin’s third point of the evening restored the Antrim Town side’s five point advantage but Davitt’s were beginning to enjoy some success and hit the next three points through Eoin Lynett, Caomhan Slane and Rafferty to close the gap to one with five minutes remaining.

The home side looked in trouble but Miles Devine steadied them with an excellent point, which was to be the last of the game before Rafferty’s injury momentarily interrupted proceedings.

The pitch-switch failed to produce any further scores and it is St. Comgall’s who pick up their first points in division 2 and on the evidence of Sunday’s performance it won’t be their last.

We at the Saffron Gael with Naomh Comhghall wish Christopher Rafferty a speedy recovery from his injury.

Naomh Comhghall: 1 Peter McAuley, 2 Iarfhlaith McKeating, 3 Cathal Donnelly, 4 Sean Hinfey, 5 Eoin Lynett, 6 Michael McCabe, 7 Ruairi Griffin, 8 Louis Higgins, 9 James McCabe, 10 Ryan Clarke, 11 Miles Devine, 12 Aaron McGaw,13 Kian Smyth , 14 Colm Griffin, 15 Liam Phinn

Sub: 22 Tiernan Floyd

Davitt’s: 1 Aaron Slane, 2 Caoimhin Rainey, 3 Paul McKinney, 4 Conor Toner, 5 James Lindsay, 6 Anthony Hargan, 7 Jack Scally, 8 Niall McParland, 9 Deevy Persson, 10 Paul McLaughlin, 16 Anthony Rowntree, 12 Deaglan Mooney, 13 Nathan Maginn, 14 Caomhan Slane, 15 Conor John Sullivan

Subs: 19 Tony McGrattan, 25 Christopher Rafferty

Referee: Charlie Hemsworth

TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM TODAYS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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April 6, 2025April 6, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Offaly take control in the second half to beat Antrim in the Leinster MHC

Leinster Minor Hurling Championship – Tier 2

Pics by Bert Trowlen

A strong finish by Offaly ended Antrim’s chances in their opening game in the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship, Tier 2, at Dundalk on Satruday as the Faithful County boys turned on the style to make it two games out of two in their group.

When left half forward James McDonald grabbed the Safron’s second goal 11 minutes into the second half things looked promising for the Antrim side. However Offaly, with the strong breeze at their backs, seemed to find another gear and driven on by team captain Odhran Fletcher they hit 2 goals and 9 point in the final 18 minutes to just a single point in reply to win by 12.

Antrim got off to a bad start when right half forward Conor Thornton goaled in the opening minute and team captain Fletcher added a point thirty seconds late. Thing looked bleak for the Ulster champions but with the elements in their favour they hit back immediately and three point from Sean Smith, James McDonald and Jay McAlonan close the gap to a single point after four minutes. Things really took off when corner forward Cadhan Crawford fired home a fantastic goal soon afterwards and when the excellent James McDonnell added two quick points they were four points clear in the eighth minute. (1-05 to 1-01)

They suffered a setback when Offaly corner forward Ruairi Woods grabbed his team’s second goal but the Saffrons still held the upper hand and were 1-08 to 2-03 ahead when things began to turn. They suffered a bad blow when goal scorer Cadhan Crawford was forced to retire injured on 24 minutes and things got worse two minutes later when a sideline cut by Fletcher deceived the Antrim keeper and ended up in the back of the net.

Two points down at half time (3-05 to 1-09) Antrim started the second half well and Sean Smyth pulled a point back. They had a couple of good goal chances and were unfortunate not to get frees on a couple of occasions, but when Sean Smyth was brought down close to goal on eleven minutes James McDonnell fired the resultant penalty to the net to put them back in front. Offaly came back with two point to regain the lead but Antrim were still dangerous and when Christy Leach cut through on goal he was taken out by the Offaly goalkeeper James Carroll, but despite protests from the Antrim sideline the match referee played on.

From that stage on Offaly took control and added five more unanswered points. On 48 minutes the Faithful county were awarded a penalty which also saw Antrim corner back Aaron Quinn receive a black card, which left the Antrim fans enraged wondering why the same rule hadn’t applied at the other end earlier. Fletcher fired home Offaly’s fourth goal from the penalty and Antrim had a mountain to climb, as Offaly pushed on, adding goal number five through Ruairi Woods five minutes later.

A disappointing ending for Gabriel Crawford and his team but they can take heart from their play for good parts of the game. They are out again over the next two weekends against Meath and Wicklow so there is still something left to play for.

TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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April 6, 2025April 6, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Antrim take control

LGFA Ulster Minor League

Antrim 2-9 Armagh 2-6

Antrim minor ladies took control of the Ulster league group with a determined and disciplined win against Armagh. In doing so Antrim guaranteed their place in the Ulster Platinum final at the beginning of May.

Antrim started brightly with an early score from Hanna Donaghy but pretty soon it was obvious that this was a game that would require all the resilience that these young Saffs have become noted for.

Armagh with dangerous forwards and dogged defending took control for a time and although pegged back by an excellent Erin Stewart goal the Orchard girls stretched their lead to 1-1 to 0-6 with minutes remaining in the first half. A well taken penalty for Armagh and much needed points from Stewart 2 and the dynamic Aoife Fitzsimons kept Antrim in touch at the half.

Antrim 1-4 Armagh 1-6.

Antrim began the second half with greater urgency and focus and within 10 minutes they had captured the lead through a Stewart free and a well worked 45 play that encapsulated control, patience and an outstanding finish from Fitzsimons. Then Hanna Donaghy scored an individual captains goal with what seemed to be half a dozen Armagh defenders hanging on her to give Antrim the lead.

Donaghy pointed again soon afterwards and then another Stewart point seemed to end the game. However Armagh after 28 minutes of resolute Antrim defending grabbed a goal to set up a pulsating period of 5 minutes extra time. Antrim nerves were settled when a combination between second half substitutes Mills and McAllister put Fitzsimons in for the final point of the game.

Antrim scorers

Erin Stewart 1-4

Hanna Donaghy 1-2

Aoife Fitzsimons 0-3

With Down and Monaghan drawing their group game Antrim clinched top spot with a game to go.

April 4, 2025April 4, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Crawford relishing challenging schedule as Saffrons take on Offaly

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship

Tier 2 Group 1

Antrim v Offaly

Date: Saturday 5 April

Venue: Dowdallshill, Co Louth

Throw in: 2pm

Brendan McTaggart speaks with Antrim minor hurling manager, Gabriel Crawford

Having collected the Ulster Hurling minor cup with impressive performances last month, Antrim minors travel to Dowdallshill, Co Louth for their opening match of the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Saffrons begin their campaign in Tier 2 with the ‘carrot’ of matches in the Leinster Championship ‘proper’ to come, they face Offaly in their first of four frenetic weeks ahead. Before the calendar turns to May, Gabriel Crawford will guide his side to matches against Offaly, Wicklow, Westmeath and Meath in successive weekends. A challenging schedule but one Crawford is relishing.

In their last outing in the Ulster final, Antrim were hugely impressive. Leading 1-15 to 0-1 at half time, they were relentless in the second half as they ran out 4-27 to 2-6 winners by the final whistle. 11 different scorers and as Crawford told us, the group felt like they had something to prove to themselves: “Derry won it last year and for a lot of these boys, it was a second chance. Antrim used their u16 squad for the minors last year.

“You have your physicality from the likes of Derry and Down but I feel like it was our stickwork that got us through those games.

“It was tough. The schedule is so tight. We were only out on grass a week before that first game against Derry, there was no such thing as challenge matches and with plenty involved with school hurling, it’s had its challenges. We had seven lads who were involved with CPC (winners of the Paddy Buggy Cup) so to juggle that brought it’s own challenges but look, Joe Cassidy (CPC teacher/coach) was great to work with and at the end of the day, I have seven lads back with me here who are brimming with confidence after winning an All-Ireland.”

“The panel is made up of clubs from right across the county and I couldn’t be happier with the backroom team. Mattie Donnelly is in there and he’s not long stepped away from inter-county and big Natty (Donal McNaughton) who’s won multiple championships with Cushendall, Alan Rainey from Davitts, Ryan McAfee and Kevin McCann – a former junior All Ireland winner with Antrim are all great coaches in their own right. Chris Ashcroft is in there for S&C and has been unreal also.

“Every person has a role and a voice, they’re definitely good men to have around you.”

The early signs are that Crawford and his team are going in the right direction and while there is plenty of work that goes into that behind the scenes, you got the impression that things are beginning to fall into place when he told us: “Antrim hurling is in a really good place right now. You have Davy Fitzgerald at the top and then someone of the caliber of Mickey McShane in with the 20s and that’s an exciting place to be in for any player coming up through the age groups now.

“We’ve been saying to the lads that this is what they’ll expect to see next year when they go through to the 20s and hopefully in two or three years after that, seniors.

“We’re working a lot on the S&C and psychological side of things that will help these lads to push towards seniors and when you have the likes of Brendan Murphy in there overseeing the S&C side of things, it’s as close to a professional set up as you’re likely to see.

“With the steppingstones in place, it’s about ensuring the players are best placed and ready to make the transition. Crawford said that while they have put in the hard yards, something has fallen into their laps when he told us: “I would say the way we set up and how I want the team to hurl is very similar to that of the 20s. It wasn’t something that happened on purpose, it’s the hurling philosophy that I believe in and like my teams to set up with. I was watching the u20s train one night after us and I saw a lot of similarities to what we’re trying to do.

“That kind of thing will help these lads with their transition next year, instead of maybe starting back from square one with a different ethos.

“And look, Mickey and Davy are only ever a phone call away and they’re always willing to take that call.”

Offaly began their campaign last week with a three point win over Meath, the Antrim manager had the opportunity to watch Saturday’s opposition: “I went down to Birr and watched Offaly’s match against Meath last week in their first game. It will be a step up from Ulster but look, we have a great bunch of lads here and I believe they have what it takes to progress from this group.”

Crawford said that while they can train as hard as they can to get things right on the pitch, that psychological barrier still exists when playing games against teams like that of Offaly. He told us: “It still exists but it comes from not coming up against that opposition often enough. We’ve been drumming it into them that they’re only human, just like us. It doesn’t matter where they’re from and they are every bit as well prepared as what they will be.

“Offaly are in a similar situation to us, apart from that generational team (u20s) last year that make up the majority of their senior team now, they’ve been putting a lot of work into their underage teams. They’re no different to us and we’re trying to tell our boys that.”

Crawford confirmed that he has no injury concerns ahead of their trip: “There’s a couple of niggles there but everyone is fully fit. We’re pushing these lads to get the most out of them and getting them as far as they can. It’s important that they have the right mindset going out in these matches and competing.”

April 4, 2025April 6, 2025 by thesaffrongael

St Columba’s Kilrea cause an upset as they win the Tony McGrath Memorial Tournament

Tony McGrath Memorial Tournament

Tony McGrath’s brother Ciaran presents the bourke Sports Player of the Tournament award to Daniel Barry of St Columba’s, Kilrea.

St Columba’s Kilrea caused something of a shock when they became the first winners of the Tony McGrath Memorial Hurling Tournament at Dunloy Academy on Friday. Most observers expected some of the north Antrim teams to take the honours in the inaugural tournament, which was organised by St Jospeph’s Dunloy, the school where the former Dunloy and Antrim star was caretaker up until his untimely death last year, and the one that his children attended. When one of the St Jospeph’s teams made their way through to the final it all appeared to be falling into place, but standing in their way was St Columba’s Kilrea, the school Tony attended for the last two years of his primary education, when the family moved ‘over the border’ to the Derry town.

***Piper Eamon Downey leads the teams in the pre-match parade***

Of course we were all expected the Dunloy team to take the honours, but the Derry side had different ideas and what a display they turned in to win the game convincingly by 4-4 to 1-06 They had shown just what they were capable of when they beat Antrim Cumann na Bunscol champions St Anne’s Corkey in the in a thrilling semi-final, just a point separating the sides at the end. The other semi-final between St Jospeh’s and St Patrick’s & St Brigid’s Ballycastle was also a close affair with the Dunloy’s school’s quick start getting them over the line. Overall a very well-run and enjoyable tournament and a fitting tribute to the great man it commemorated.