Author / thesaffrongael

Posts by thesaffrongael

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

Brídíní Óga hold off St Dominic’s comeback to seal the second All Ireland title

AIB All Ireland Junior A Camogie final

Brídíní Óga  Glenravel 1-08 St Dominic’s Roscommon 1-05

Brídíní Óga Glenravel held off a determined fightback by Roscommon champions St Dominic’s to claim their second All Ireland Junior A title in three years at Ashbourne on Saturday afternoon. Playing with a strong wind at their backs in the first half the Antrim champions opened up a seven point gap by half time, but considering how strong the wind was that was by no means a safe lead. When the Connacht champions grabbed a goal six minutes into the second half to cut the gap to four there were a lot of anxious Glenravel fans wondering  if they could hold on, but their team did them proud as they hassled and harried their opponents to the very end to seal a memorable win.

To be honest it wasn’t pretty to watch for the neutral, but in these conditions it was never going to be. St Dominic’s looked a real threat in the early stages when they went 0-02 to 0-01 ahead, despite playing against the strong wind. However Brídíní Óga team captain Tori Edgar settled the nerves as she began to picks off points from frees. At 0-04 to 0-02 with just five minutes from half time it didn’t look like it would be enough but an attempt at another point from Edgar came back off the inside of the upright and bounced down on the edge of the ‘square’ where  Molly Woulahan reacted quickest to kick the sliothar to the net.

That score gave the Antrim girls a big boost and things got even better when Edgar added two more pointed frees to stretch her side’s lead to seven at the interval.

When St Dominic’s free taker Niamh Fitzgerald’s mishit shot free ended up in the back of the Glenravel net on 36 minutes it looked to be a pivotal moment in the game and with the gap down to four the smart money would have been on the Connacht champions, but two minutes later Edgar slotted over another free after Molly Woulahan was fouled and that eased the pressure a little.

The scores were hard to come by for the reaming 20 minutes of play but the intensity of the game never wavered as time after time the Glenravel girls got a hurl in to deny their opponents. Fitzgerald got the gap back to four midway through the second half and there was a heart stopping moment soon afterwards when Glenravel goalkeeper Orla Donnelly fumbled a high ball, but she recovered the situation brilliantly to clear the danger.

With time almost up Player of the match Edgar got her sixth pointed free of the game after a foul on Aimee Traynor and there was a degree of comfort for the Ulster champions as the game ticked into three minutes of injury time. Fitzgerald did close the gap to three again near the end of that extra time period but the whistle sounded on the poc-out to spark scenes of great celebration among the travelling Glenravel fans and players.

SCORERS FOR BRÍDÍNÍ ÓGA: T Edgar 0-6(6fs), M Woulahan 1-1, S Fyfe 0-1

SCORERS FOR ST DOMINIC’S: N Fitzgerald 1-3(fs); L Murray (f), K Egan 0-1 each

BRÍDÍNÍ ÓGA: O Donnelly, M Mulholland, J Woulahan, D Scally, E Coulter, B Laverty, E McCann, L Gillan, O Gould, S McDonnell, K Laverty, S Fyfe, A Traynor, T Edgar, M Woulahan

ST DOMINIC’S: E Cafferkey, SJ O’Connor, E McNally, M Rogers, H Murray, L Murray, A O’Connor, K Egan, C Dowling, N Watson, N Fitzgerald, L Mahon; A Campbell, Á O’Meara, C Kilcommons. Sub: M Lohan for O’Connor (39)

REFEREE: Simon Redmond (Dublin).

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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by thesaffrongael

Ladies Day!

For the day that’s in it

As two Antrim teams head south today in search of All Ireland titles all of us at the Saffron Gael wish them both the very best. Good luck to Brídíní Óga Glenravel, who take on St Dominic’s of Roscommon in the Junior A Camogie final at Ashbourne at 2pm, and to St Ergnats Moneyglass take on Kilkerrin-Clonberne of Galway in the LGFA Senior Club Football final at Croke Park at 4pm

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL

by thesaffrongael

Brídíní Óga bid for their second All Ireland title in three years

Long hard road! It has been a long road for Brídíní Óga since their opening round game against Dunloy 2nds back in early September. They are seen here before the semi-final win Cushendall in Ballycastle. Tomorrow will be their ninth game of the campaign.

All Ireland Junior A Camogie Final

December 13, 2pm in Ashbourne

Brídíní Óga Glenravel (Antrim) v St Dominic’s (Roscommon)

Brídíní Óga Glenravel travel to Ashbourne on Saturday bidding to collect their second All Ireland title in just under three years. Standing in their way are Roscommon and Connacht champions St Dominic’s who made their way to their first final courtesy of a semi-final win over Leinster champions St Peter’s Dunboyne in their semi-final.

It has been a long road for the Glenravel girls who began their campaign against Dunloy 2nds with a big win in the group stages of the Intermediate Championship and they accounted for Creggan in the second group game to qualify for the semi-final.

Those victories set up a semi-final meeting with a very good Cushendall team in Ballycastle back in September in what turned out to be the toughest game of the campaign. A goal from a free by team captain Tori Edgar in injury time got them over the line by two points 1-09 to 2-14.

The faced Loughgiel in the final in Ahoghill where Edgar was again one of the stars, along with young midfielder Orlaith Gould as they beat the Shamrocks by five points on a scoreline of 1-12 to 0-10, the goal coming from Molly Woulahan.

In the Ulster semi-final they had their biggest win of the campaign, beating Down champions Ballyholland by 1-19 to 1-05 on their home pitch at Fr Maginn Park, Molly Woulahan  again the goal scorer as they qualified for and Ulster final against Dungiven at Portglenone.

Goals were the key in that game as they beat the Derry champions by 4-06 to 0-12. Lady luck was not on the Dungiven girls side as they came close to goals on three occasion, though the Glenravel goalkeeper Orla Donnelly also had a lot to do with it. Two goals from elusive corner forward Aimee Traynor proved vital while at the back Jaime Woulahan gave a player of the match performance in holding the Dungiven danger woman Aideen McGonigle scoreless from play.

The Ulster champions were drawn to play an All Ireland quarter final this year so it was off to Dublin to take on British champions Fullen Gaels. The Ulster champions started well and appeared to be in cruise control nearing half time but the Manchester based exiles hit back with a goal and a point to close the gap to four at the break. Fullen Gaels pushed hard in the third quarter and once again goalkeeper Orla Donnelly was called upon to keep their goal intact but during the final quarter the Antrim girls opened the gap to six. The exiles finished with and injury time goal to cut the gap to just three but Brídíní Óga held out for the win.

When  the won the title three years ago their toughest  game of that campaign was against Limerick and Munster champions Adare and when they faced the Limerick champions again in this year’s semi a really tough battle was expected. Patricksell were the opposition this time at Abbotstown and just like three years ago the Antrim champions gave their best display of the season to book a final place. The led by 1-08 to a 0-01 at a stage in the first half and though the Limerick champions performed much better in the second half Brídíní Óga still had six to spare at the end.

In tomorrow’s final they face the Roscommon and Connacht champions St Dominic’s at Ashbourne. The Roscommon girls played really well in their semi-final win, but they are an unknown quantity, though no doubt Chris Dornan and his management team have studied the video of that game and will have a plan ready.

It has been a long for the girls in green and tomorrow’s game will be the ninth of the campaign. They have scored 22-96 so far and conceded 8-67. Let’s hope they stretch that gap tomorrow and bring the cup back home again to Fr Magiin Park.

by thesaffrongael

Four Masters going for 3-in-a-row

Above – The Four Masters team who beat Magherafelt in last year’s final

St. Paul’s-Fona/cab Ulster Minor Football Tournament

Four Masters (Donegal) v St. Canice’s Dungiven (Derry)

Sunday 14th December 1-pm

The 4th quarter-final of the St. Paul’s-Fona/cab Ulster Minor Football tournament is scheduled for this Sunday, 14th December at Shaw’s Road and it brings together two of the big hitters in the tournament.

Four Masters of Donegal won the competition in 2023 and 2024 and are going for three in a row but they face a formidable opponent in St. Canice’s. Dungiven.

Dungiven were winners in 2022 when they defeated Four Masters in a tight final which finished 2-7 to 1-8 in favour of the Derry side and they are back again this year to cross swords with the Donegal men.

Four Masters will probably start Sunday’s eagerly awaited contest as slight favourites but this is unlikely to bother the Dungiven side and the record of Derry clubs in this tournament is superb.

Clubs from the Oak leaf county have won the prestigious St. Paul’s tournament a mind boggling 18 times since its inception and have been runners up on six occasions.

Indeed no other county has come close to matching the success of the Derry clubs but Donegal have come closest with 5 successes and have been runners up on six occasions.

That 2022 final between Sunday’s opponents served up a real cracker and the Saffron Gael’s Kevin Herron was there to cover the game and here is his report from that game.

St Canice’s 2-07-1-08 Four Masters

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Naomh Pól

Padraig Haran netted two minutes from time to ensure that St Canice’s became the 38th winner of the FonaCAB Ulster Minor Tournament at St Paul’s when they defeated Four Masters 2-07-1-08 in a thrilling final at Pairc Naomh Pól this afternoon.

It has been three years exactly since the decider was last played on the Shaw’s Road, on that occasion Lavey defeated Termon and little did all assembled imagine, it would be three years before St Paul’s showpiece event would return- due to the Covid pandemic.

But it was well worth the long wait as St Canice’s and Four Master’s served up a breath-taking spectacle.

Canice’s controlled the play in the early stages after surviving a scare in their defensive third. Seanán Carr charged down an attempted Padraig O’Kane clearance and headed for the target, but his driven shot crashed off the underside of the bar.

The Derry side quickly turned defence to attack and opened the scoring themselves through a measured point from Eoin Higgins.

They doubled their advantage when Odhran Murphy dropped a high shot between the posts and Murphy would turn provider for Darach McGonigle making it 0-03-0-00.

Action from the 2022 final between Dungiven a Four Masters

Four Masters were quiet in the opening quarter- but hit back approaching the midway point in the half.

The angle was against Conor Meehan- whose free dropped shot and into the path of Seanán Carr to rifle past Odhran McElhinney and into the net to draw the team’s level.

St Canice’s restored their lead after Eoin Higgins was upended and he slotted the resulting free between the posts.

It was short-lived though as Four Masters replied, another angled free from the opposite side dropped short and Conor McCahill produced a stunning point, shooting over his shoulder and the bar.

Higgins gave his side the lead for the final time in the half after Darach McGonigle was impeded.

Four Masters hit back for the third time and McCahill doubled his tally for the half, despite being dragged back on route to steering his high between the posts.

The Donegal Champions hit the front for the first time in the half when Kevin Muldoon claimed a mark, took a few steps and guided his shot over.

It looked as though the sides would depart with the scores level when Eoin Higgins steadied himself and shot over his second from play and fourth of the half, though Leo McGowan popped up at the other end to give Four Masters a 1-04-0-06 lead at the midway stage.

Four Masters increased their lead upon the games resumption when Callum McCrea took a lay-off from Daniel Quinn and shot over the bar. Conor Meehan then opened his account for the afternoon from the placed ball.

On 39 minutes St Canice’s hit back and drew level, Darach McGonigle saw his attempted shot drop short into the hands of Shea McLaughlin- who sent a low shot into the bottom corner past Daniel McGinty to make it 1-06 apiece.

A converted Eoin Higgins free ensured his side were back in the driving seat for the first time since the 26th minute, but Conor Meehan restored parity from the same scenario as the sides were locked together for the sixth time.

With five minutes remaining Four Masters put themselves back in the driving seat though a splendid Kevin Muldoon point and that score was the difference until the 58th minute when the score arrived.

St Canice’s were in search of a leveller and Odhran Murphy swung the ball out left to Darach McGonigle, the wing-half forward decided to cut in at the by-line and steer the ball into the area where Padraig Haran intercepted, steadied, and showed composure to fire to the net and give his side a 2-07-1-08 lead.

There were three minutes added on and still time for further drama, although there were no further score both sides would finish with 14-men as Leo McGowan and Eoin Higgins departed with black cards.

Canice’s successfully saw out the remainder of time and there were scenes of delirium at the final whistle as the Dungiven outfit bridged a 32-year gap to leave Pairc Naomh Pól with the Jimmy McConville Cup at the end of a breath-taking afternoon of excitement.

Dungiven supporters celebrate the clubs 2022 success over Four Masters but who will be celebrating on Sunday?

Different Day-Different game

Sunday of course is a different day and a different game. Two different panels of players and this is only a quarter-final but it could be a defining one for the winners.

As we said earlier, Derry clubs have a superb record in this competition and you can be sure Dungiven will go into this one brimming with confidence but Four Masters recent dominance in Donegal and at St. Paul’s will fill them with a similar belief.

Padraig O’Kane, Ryan McGilligan, Daithi McCloskey, Padraig Harnan and Paddy Higgins will spearhead the Dungiven challenge while Aidan Quinn, Eoghan O’Neill, Tomas Carr, Conal Flannery, Turlough Carr and Thomas Lenihan are some of the names hoping to keep Four Masters bid for 3-in-a-row on track.