Author / thesaffrongael

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

Super Saffrons Sink the Slaneysiders

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship – Round 2

Antrim 2-22 Wexford 2-20

Saturday 27 April

Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast

What a turnaround.  Antrim produced one of the great displays in recent times to defeat Wexford on Saturday afternoon.  A huge win against the odds, the Saffrons produced the kind of hurling we know they have in their locker and were thoroughly deserving of their win at the end of the 70 plus minutes.

It wasn’t without drama, it rarely is with the Saffrons.  This game had everything with a dubious penalty, dubious square ball decisions and a super saffron comeback in the second half that had the patrons in attendance at Corrigan Park purring.

Keelan Molloy made a big impact on his return to the Antrim colours

If last week was a hard watch from an Antrim perspective, no one wanted to leave Corrigan Park as those who attended basked in the glory of a quite magnificent display from Darren Gleeson’s men.

Plenty has been said in the media since the Kilkenny game and as captain Eoghan Campbell said afterwards, they were itching to get back out on the pitch to try and show that they are much better than that performance showed: “The preparation we’ve had, just didn’t show last week.  Everything we wanted to do, we did the opposite.  It was so flat.

“We were glad it was a six day turnaround, to get back out on the pitch.  If it was two weeks, we might have overthought it.  We had to park it and focus on Wexford.

“We know what we’re capable of up here.  Get a few bodies right and implement our game on them.  It was very evident that we did that out there today.  We played how we wanted to play instead of being dictated to and that was the difference.

“There was no panicking.  They got a couple of goals and there was still no panicking.  We kept chipping away.”

Aodhan O’Brien celebrates after scoring and Antrim ‘goal’ but unfortunately the score was ruled out by match referee Colm Lyons for a ‘square’ infringement.

From the first whistle, Antrim looked to have more drive and were more than a match for the visitors who overall, relied heavily on the brilliance of Lee Chin.  The Wexford ace finished with 2-11 but showed some outrageous skills and ability throughout.  I’ve never witnessed a player hold a man off with one arm to create room and catch a dropping ball at his ankles before.  Hello Mr Chin.  He did it on more than one occasion as if to show the previous was no fluke.

The first goal came from the penalty spot, referee Colm Lyons spotting an infringement as the sliotar came back off the upright and awarding the visitors the penalty.  Antrim were flummoxed and Chin sent the sliotar to the back of the net.

The Saffrons had the lead reduced to the minimum with the clock ticking into first half injury time when Chin was at it again.  An outrageous catch before rampaging at the Antrim defence.  There was certainly a questionable number of steps taken but what couldn’t be questioned was his finish.  Like a tracer bullet to the bottom right hand corner of Ryan Elliott’s goals from the more acute of angles.

A three point half time deficit was harsh on Antrim.  The first half was a very even affair but as Campbell also said, they just had to stick to their game plan: “We just kept chipping away and knew that we’d get another goal chance.  We threatened two or three in the first half and once it came, we just opened up.  Boys started throwing them over, Keelan (Molloy), big Gerard Walsh only back and was fantastic.

“We showed serious grit and that’s what was needed today.  We needed the boys to dig in and fight for each other and for the Antrim jersey.

“We got the ball in a bit quicker than last week.  We probably played about with it too much when we shouldn’t have been.  We knew that if we got ball into the forwards quicker then they’d do damage.”

Wexford had stretched into a seven point lead after just eight second half minutes and any Antrim fan in attendance would have been forgiven for having that sinking feeling but the ‘grit’ Campbell talked about came to the fore.  A run of five unanswered scores with Conal Cunning’s frees and the brilliance of James McNaughton, Seaan Elliott and Keelan Molloy on show, they were within touching distance of Keith Rossiter’s men.

Wexford fired over a couple of quick fire scores, Chin and Conor McDonald finding their range before Antrim thought they had their first goal.  Molloy’s long ball was fired towards substitute Aodhan O’Brien on the edge of the square.  The Rossa man celebrated but referee Colm Lyons was blowing his whistle like he was on a Saturday night rave.  After consulting with his umpires, the goal was disallowed. 

That sinking feeling was turning into the feeling of another one of those days.

Seaan Elliott fires in Antrim’s first goal – Pic by Bert Trowlen

“We knew there was goals”, said Campbell: “we just needed one of them to drop for us.  “The one that was the square ball looked to be fairly dubious from where I was but we got one soon after.

“We just kept chipping away and knew that we’d get another goal chance.  We threatened two or three in the first half and once it came, we just opened up.  Boys started throwing them over, Keelan (Molloy), big Gerard Walsh only back and was fantastic.”

In the final 10 minutes, Antrim outscored Wexford 2-2 to 0-2.  A hat tip to the conditioning of the players and maybe the trip to Portugal wasn’t the big waste of money some had touted in the days since the Kilkenny game.

Antrim’s first major came from just downright belligerence and a sheer unwillingness to give in to Wexford pressure by James McNaughton.  Winning ball from ruck, McNaughton broke and took on the Wexford defence.  He had the presence of mind to pick out Niall McKenna in space and he buried to the back of Mark Fanning’s net.

The second came just three minutes later and McNaughton turned provider yet again.  Taring his way through the Wexford defence, he lured the challenges one way before finding Seaan Elliott in space.  The Dunloy man wasn’t making any mistake with a super strike to take his tally to 1-3 for the afternoon in what was quite possibly his best display in an Antrim shirt.

Wexford and Chin just wouldn’t go away however and the sides were tied in the last minute of the 70.  Antrim looked to manoeuvre the sliotar with a side-line ball awarded.  Close to the ’45 and under the west terrace at Corrigan, Gerard Walsh can’t have hit many sweeter than what he produced two minutes into injury time.  He’s a quiet, unassuming genius of the game and he afforded a fist pump in celebration as he went back to his position and Corrigan erupted.

Cunning’s seventh free of the contest finished the scoring and as full time was called, the cheers of euphoria rang around the west Belfast venue.  Those in purple and gold sank to their knees, those bedecked in Saffron were greeted like heroes. 

Antrim’s Conal Bohill picks a high ball out of the air

Matches like these in recent past, Antrim have had the unfortunate knack of coming out in the wrong side off.  This felt like a massive moment for hurling in the county.  Last week was torturous, this was momentous.  This was coming and the Antrim captain told us, they want more: “We stuck to the game plan.  We edged ahaead and they came back at us but we worked the ball and stuck to what we wanted to do.  We didn’t just lump the ball up there.  It shows our own ability and it was fantastic to show that out there today.

“It’s only one win in Leinster at the end of the day, we still have a hard road to go now in two weeks time.

“Wexford and Dublin games were probably the two that we are targeting but we’ll rest now and recover.  We want to put in another performance in Parnell Park in two weeks’ time.”

Antrim’s Conor Boyd goes highest to block the ball away

TEAMS

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Paddy Burke, Ryan McGarry, Niall O’Connor; Gerard Walsh, Conor Boyd, Conal Bohill; Seaan Elliott, Eoghan Campbell; Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, James McNaughton; Conal Cunning, Niall McKenna, Conor McCann

Subs: Aodhan O’Brien for C McCann (31); Cormac McKeown for N Elliott (48); Michael Bradley for N McKenna (70+3)

Scorers: C Cunning 0-7 (7 f’s); S Elliott 1-3; N McKenna 1-1; J McNaughton 0-4 (3 f’s); G Walsh 0-3; K Molloy 0-2; N Elliott 0-1; C Boyd 0-1

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Shane Reck, Conor Foley, Niall Murphy; Simon Donohue, Damien Reck, Matthew O’Hanlon; Conor Hearne, Kevin Foley; Liam Og McGovern, Lee Chin, Cathal Dunbar; Cian Byrne, Conor McDonald, Rory O’Connor

Subs: Eoin Ryan for N Murphy (55); Richie Lawlor for C Dunbar (56); Seamus Casey for C Hearne (59)

Scorers: L Chin 2-11 (1-00 pen, 0-7 f’s); C Byrne 0-4; C McDonald 0-2; R O’Connor 0-1; C Dunbar 0-1; L Og McGover 0-1

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)

by thesaffrongael

First win could ignite St. Ergnat’s season

ACFL Division 1

St. James Aldergrove 0-11  St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass 2-14

It’s taken a time for St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass to collect their first points of the season but on Thursday night in Crumlin they did it in style as they overcame the challenge of St. James’ Aldergrove.

The visitors were keen to put a difficult period behind them as they took the game to the home side right from the start with Paul Duffin, Colm Duffin 0-2 and Aidan McErlain kicking them into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the 12th minute.

McErlain added another to move St. Ergnat’s five ahead before Fearghal Hanna finally opened St. James’ account with a point in the 16th minute.

Aldergrove would manage only two further first half points through Hanna and a Seamus McGarry free as a rejuvenated Moneyglass continued to build up a lead with Connlaodh McCann 0-2, Colm Duffin, Seanchan Duffin, Jimmy McMeel and Conor Boyd all on target as they moved 0-10 to 0-3 ahead at the interval.

St. James needed a good start to the second half if they were to make inroads into the Moneyglass lead and when they kicked the first three points through Cormac McGarry 0-2 and Declan Gough things appeared to be going to plan.

Conor Boyd opened the Moneyglass second half account with a point in the 6th minute but Seamus McGarry reduced the deficit to four again as Sean Boyd replaced Eamon Kelly in the St. Ergnat’s side.

The visitors needed a lift at this stage and Kevin McCann provided it as he fired home the game’s opening goal in the 14th minute but Aldergrove replied with points from Cormac McGarry and Declan Gough to keep in contention.

Both sides were giving it everything as Colm Duffin and Seanchan Duffin on target for the visitors and Brian McQuillan, Declan Gough and Seamus McGarry keeping the Crumlin side’s fading hopes alive with points at the other end.

Then came a somewhat bizarre moment with time almost up and Aldergrove pressing forward in numbers in search of a goal. The visitors forced a turnover and with St. James’ keeper Ryan McCarthy stranded around mid-field, Dermot McErlain sent his shot into an empty net to conclude the night’s scoring.

A good win for Benny Marron’s side and one that will surely ignite their season and on this performance they look capable of climbing up the table.

Aldergrove: 1 Ryan McCarthy, 2 Conleith O’Toole, Emmet Irivine, 4 Eoin Gough, 5 Conor Browning, 6 Chris McVeigh, 7 Gerald Mallon, 8 Brian McQuillan, 9 Oisin Graham, 10 Declan Gough, 11 Fearghal Hanna, 12 James Trowlen, 13 Cormac McGarry, 14 Seamus McGarry, 15 Andy Flood.

St. Ergnat’s: 1 Daniel McErlain, 2 Colm McStocker, 3 Diarmuid Scullin, 4 James McCormick, 6 Paul Duffin, 7 Connlaodh McCann, 8 Connor O’Kane, 9 Dermott McErlain, 10 Jimmy McMeel, 11 Seanchan Duffin, 12 Eamon Kelly, 13 Conor Boyd, 14 Colm Duffin, 15 Aidan McErlain, 16 Rory Gribbon, 17 Matthew Mullen. 19 Sean Boyd, 23 Kevin McCann

Referee: Ray Matthews (Rossa)

by thesaffrongael

Gaelfast All Star LGFA and Camogie

Yesterday we released the last of this academic years All-Stars. We know it isn’t easy getting cover, transport and teams out. I would like to thank yourself and your school for the continued support, flexibility and drive to make our Antrim Cup competitions and celebrations a massive success.  

As highlighted in previous emails, we would like the school to bring their winning All-Stars (Year 9 LGFA and Camogie) to St Mary’s University College on Wednesday 15th May to be presented with their All-Star Jersey.  There will be tea & coffee available for teachers/school staff from 130pm – 1.50pm and the presentations will start at 2pm sharp.

We will have Belfast Lord Mayor Ryan Murphy in attendance to celebrate thew event with us all & photographer available to capture individual and team photos, these will be shared with schools after the event and posted on our social media (Official Antrim GAA, Gaelfast Facebook & The Saffron Gael Facebook pages).  The winners (See attachments) will bring their jersey back to school or home with them after the event.

Due building works in St Marys University College, we will have a limited capacity in the lecture theatre 3 (LT3), we are also currently unable to accommodate anyone who needs assisted access into LT3 (Chair lift waiting to be fixed)

Parking will be available at the back of the campus via Beechmount Ave entrance.

Please confirm your attendance via the link below and see attachments for other information.

by thesaffrongael

We Want a Reaction!

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Antrim v Wexford

Date: Saturday 27 April 2024

Venue: Corrigan Park, Belfast – Throw In: 3pm

Brendan McTaggart looks ahead to the Saffrons clash with Wexford in the Leinster Championship

Antrim’s Leinster Championship journey see’s them welcome Wexford to Corrigan Park on Sunday after what is certain to have been a soul-searching week for Darren Gleeson’s men.

While Antrim tasted defeat against Kilkenny, Wexford will have come away from their opening round match against Dublin with a feeling of loss given how their match ended.  Two goals in injury time at the end of the 70 minutes from Danny Sutcliffe and Cian O’Sullivan gave the Dubs a share of the spoils.  With Lee Chin looking at his ridiculous best and ably assisted by Rory O’Connor with the likes of Conor McDonald coming off the bench in that game, this is sure to be another huge task for the Saffrons.

Gerard Walsh makes a return from injury and lines out at right half back

When these sides last met at Corrigan Park, it was one of the great games of the modern day that had everything.  It finished in a draw with Keelan Molloy sending over an equalizing score in the depths of injury time to send the limited numbers in Corrigan Park into a frenzy and the teams with a share of the league points.  It was a helter-skelter game of hurling and one you daren’t take your eyes off.  Red cards, side line ‘discussions’, huge scores and brilliant turnovers.  It was a game that Antrim rallied in the second half having trailed by five at half time but looked to have lost their momentum with the second half water break (thank God they’re no longer in the game).

It was a match that no one really wanted to finish but a match that no one deserved to lose.  For all of Antrim’s brilliance in that second half, Wexford were equally as good in the first.

When the sides met in the Leinster Championship last year in Wexford Park, the home side took the honors with four points separating the sides (1-30 to 1-26).  It was another game where Antrim started poorly and trailed by nine at half time (1-19 to 1-10) but a super second half saw them reel the yellow bellies in and the home side had to rely on late scores from Rory O’Connor and Richie Lawler at the death to fend off the Saffrons charge.

Niall O’Connor moves from midfield to corner back

From the 15 that started that league game three years ago, Antrim will have seven changes for the weekend and three from the Kilkenny match.  Gerard Walsh and Conor Boyd come into the half back line with Keelan Molloy starting on the three-quarter line the changes from the last Sunday – Michael Bradley, Scott Walsh and Phelim Duffin taking their place on the list of substitutions named.

Having looked back and had some more time to digest the Kilkenny game, the home side’s execution of their own game plan was phenomenal whereas Antrim’s fell well short of what Gleeson and his backroom team would demand of them. 

Both teams set up similarly and went about their business likewise but where Kilkenny were excellent at finding the runners or man in space, too often Antrim’s delivery of ball into the final third was short or fumbled.  While you have to tip your hat to Kilkenny and Derek Lyng for how they went about their business, it just wasn’t good enough from an Antrim perspective.  It’s a game of risk and reward.  We’ve seen them get plenty of reward in recent times and when it comes off, it’s brilliant.  Last Sunday was the polar opposite.

Niall McKenna moves to full forward for the Wexford clash

There weren’t many who made the journey up the road again last Sunday with a plus mark beside their name.  James McNaughton, Eoghan Campbell and Nigel Elliott showed glimpses of quality but the manner of the second half capitulation was hugely worrying.

While Kilkenny were relentless, too many of those in a Saffron jersey were found wanting.  It was a chastening defeat and one that Gleeson will be looking for a reaction from.  It’s one that we all want to see a reaction from.   

Conal Cunning moves to corner forward for the clash with Wexford

Antrim Team vs Wexford: Ryan Elliott; Niall O’Connor, Ryan McGarry, Paddy Burke; Gerard Walsh, Conor Boyd, Conal Bohill; Eoghan Campbell, Seaan Elliott; Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, James McNaughton; Conal Cunning, Niall McKenna, Conor McCann

Wexford team vs Dublin:

Mark Fanning; Shane Reck, Niall Murphy, Matthew O’Hanlon; Simon Donohoe, Damien Reck, Conor Foley; Conor Hearne, Liam Og McGovern; Cathal Dunbar, Kevin Foley, Rory O’Connor; Richie Lawlor, Lee Chin, Seamus Casey

Scorers: Lee Chin 1-12 (1-00 pen, 9f’s); Rory O’Connor 0-4; Mark Fanning 0-1; Conor Hearne 0-1; Cathal Dunbar 0-1; Conor McDonald 0-1; Cian Byrne 0-1

Keelan Molloy makes a welcome return against Wexford on Saturday
by thesaffrongael

Mickey Kelly R.I.P.

By Paddy McIlwaine

It was great sadness that we at the Saffron Gael learned this week of the death of one of Casement’s GAC, Portglenone’s great servants, Mickey Kelly. Trips to Kelly Park in Portglenone will not be quite the same for me and other members of our team.

Likely as not when I walked onto the pitch the first person to greet me was Mickey Kelly. Mickey would have been leaning over the fence, ready for a chat about the state of football in his beloved club and clubs around the county.

A knowledgable Gael who dedicated his whole life, first as a player, selector, committee member, chairman, County selector, groundsman and any other task he was asked to perform for his beloved Casements.

To his wife Morag, sons Patrick and Michael, daughter Anna, the extended family circle and his colleagues at Casements Portglenone we extent our deepest sympathy.

A Thiarna, deán trócaire air.

Mickey’s Funeral arrangements

https://www.funeraltimes.com/michael-mickykelly220147055?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1y4STvmRo1_FyvAHJLydZF1in-xiyi6F_JdSDIGYiCHudpf8WY5MQVO5o_aem_AfeStylcWTy7mqTO5ItRsh3IvGl4-_tm3p0Fa9Qc6L68ZEYrgMEzYVIWDtnNO8TV9MQaQ0IszALW5B8UIM_v6DOj