Author / thesaffrongael

Posts by thesaffrongael

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

Miracle in Portstewart as McAllister heroics seal comeback win for CPC

Corn Uan Uladh Final Cross & Passion Ballycastle 6-6 | St Patrick’s Maghera 2-17

In one of the most remarkable finals in the history of the competition, Cross & Passion College (CPC) Ballycastle overturned a seemingly insurmountable half-time deficit to deny St Patrick’s Maghera a fourth consecutive title.

The hero of the hour was undoubtedly CPC captain Éabha McAllister. The Dunloy teenager produced a Roy of the Rovers performance, shaking off a difficult first half to score a stunning hat-trick of goals in the closing stages, securing her school’s first provincial title since 2022 by a single point.

A Tale of Two Halves

Few at the pristine Eoghan Rua, Coleraine grounds would have predicted a Ballycastle victory at the midway point. The reigning champions, St Patrick’s Maghera, were dominant, entering the break with a commanding 2-10 to 2-2 lead.

The first half belonged to Maghera’s Emma Quinn. The centre-forward gave a masterclass, hitting seven points and orchestrating an attack that left CPC reeling. Despite an early goals from Adria McAllister, a sister of Éobha, who found the net in the 8th minute before setting up Louise McBride for another shortly after—Ballycastle lost their way midway through the half. Maghera hit an unanswered 2-6, including two goals from full-forward Aoibh Mulholland, to take an eight-point lead into the dressing rooms.

For Éobha McAllister, the first half was a nightmare. Usually deadly from the dead ball, she was uncharacteristically off-colour, missing several frees and accounting for most of her team’s wides.

The Captain’s Redemption

The turnaround began immediately after the restart. McAllister, putting her first-half struggles behind her, struck 1-3 from frees within five minutes, dragging CPC back to within two points.

However, Maghera showed the resilience of champions. They weathered the storm, with Róisín McAtamney, Quinn, and Branagh Brolly firing over points to re-establish a comfortable lead. When Orla McCartney scored with 11 minutes remaining, Maghera led by seven points (2-14 to 3-5), and the title looked destined to stay in Derry.

The Grandstand Finish

What followed was an individual display of brilliance that will be talked about for years in north Antrim.

  1. 49th Minute: McAllister’s long-range free deceived the defence and ended up in the Maghera net.
  2. 54th Minute: The CPC captain stepped up to bury a penalty, narrowing the gap further.

Despite Maghera’s Emma Quinn landing her 11th point of the day to keep a two-point cushion, the momentum had shifted. Following a missed free and a penalty appeal waved away, it looked like time might run out for Ballycastle.

Then, deep in added time, McAllister took matters into her own hands. collecting the ball in her own half, she launched a solo run, offloaded to Louise McBride, and immediately demanded the return pass. gathering possession on the 20m line, she fired low into the corner of the net for her fourth goal of the game.

Maghera had no time to respond. The Ballycastle defence threw bodies on the line in the dying seconds to preserve the 6-6 to 2-17 victory.

What’s Next?

Cross & Passion Ballycastle now advance to the All-Ireland senior series. They will face Munster champions Ursuline Thurles (who defeated Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig) in the semi-final, scheduled for February 7th in north Antrim.

Match Stats

Player of the Match: Éabha McAllister (CPC)

Scorers:

  • CPC: É McAllister 4-5 (2-5fs, 1-0 pen), L McBride 1-0, A McAllister 1-0, T Cassidy 0-1.
  • St Patrick’s: E Quinn 0-11 (9fs), A Mulholland 2-0, B Brolly 0-2, R McAtamney 0-2, A O’Loughlin 0-1, O McCartney 0-1.

Teams:

  • CPC: M McToal, S Flavin, S-L Kearns, M Cunning, C Delaney, A Gillan, F Sands, É McAllister (capt), R McMullan, L McBride, T Cassidy, M Laverty, A McAllister, M McArthur, E McCaughan.
  • St Patrick’s: O Johnston, E Conway, Ellie Griffin (capt), I Martin, L McKaigue, A McWilliams, O McKenna, O McCartney, B Brolly, R Quinn, E Quinn, MT McCullagh, A O’Loughlin, A Mulholland, R McAtamney.

Referee: J O’Neill (Armagh)

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

https://myalbum.com/album/AxVRLgE7PA8Z4K/?invite=ebb3cb90-193f-4faf-a05e-23c48817e1b2

by thesaffrongael

Devlin Leads St Dominic’s to Medallion Shield Win

Senior Schools Camogie Medallion Shield Final

St Dominic’s, Belfast 1-8 Gaelcholáiste, Dhoire 0-8

Wednesday 14 January

Brendan McTaggart reports from Erin’s Own, Lavey

Strong finishes to both halves was enough for St Dominic’s to claim the Medallion Shield on a rainy, windswept final against Gaelcholáiste at Lavey on Wednesday evening.  Three points was the difference at the end of an hour where both sides played with incredible intensity and discipline in extremely difficult conditions.

Maeve Devlin would finish top of the scoring charts for the Belfast school, landing 1-4 over the hour with all of her scores coming from open play.  Devlin was imperious throughout and proved to be a thorn in the side of Gaelcholáiste for the entirety of the contest. 

She was ably supported by her midfield partner Amelie Annett, Amy Gault and Abaigh McNally while Clíona McGinley and Aoife Fitzsimons always looked dangerous in attack.

Gaelcholáiste were best served by Niamh Nig Uiginn.  She may have had number six on her back but she covered every blade of grass while Deirbhile Ní Mhealláin came in for some close attention by the St Dominic’s defence.  Ní Mhealláin led the fight for the Dungiven school in the second half but St Dominic’s with her speed and direct running but a late injury seemed to knock the wind out of Gaelcholáiste’s sails.

It was Gaelcholáiste who made the brighter start and held a two point lead having dominated the majority of the first half.  St Dominic’s finished the half on top however with 1-3 coming in the last five minutes of the half.  Points from Clíona McGinley and a brace of white flags from Maeve Devlin came either side of the only goal of the game.

While there might have been a hint of good fortune with Devlin’s goal, it showcased her ability to break clear from ruck and find a half yard to get a shot away.  Wide on the left and under pressure, Devlin’s effort dipped viciously to go into the back of the net.

Leading by four points, they had to hold off wave after wave of Gaelcholáiste pressure in the second half.  Points from Katie Nic Cionnaith, a brace of frees from Niamh Nig Uiginn and Deirbhile Ní Mhealláin came in response to am Aoife Fitzsimons point to leave just one between the sides going in to the final 10 minutes.

That would be as good as it got for Gaelcholáiste however as St Dominic’s finished strong with points from Fitzsimons and Devlin.

TEAMS

St Dominic’s: A Rice; T Culbert, A McNally, A Austin; M Monaghan, C Lynch, A Gault; M Devlin (1-4), A Annett; E Stewart, H McAllister, A Fitzsimons (0-2); C McGinley (0-1), R MacElhatton, E Kelly (0-1)

Subs: R McCourt for T Culbert (51); M Rooney for E Kelly (51)

Gaelcholáiste: R Ní Cheallaigh; B Ní Ghribín, M Ní Agáub, C Ní Bhrollaigh; E Nic Giolla Domhnaigh, N Nig Uiginn (0-6, 6fs), M Ní Mhuiríl S Ní Cheallaigh, R Ní Chearnaigh; K Nic Cionnaith (0-1), D Ní Mhealláin (0-1), O Nic an Bhaird; E Ní Mhaoláin (0-1), Ella Ní Bhrolcháin, M Seoighe

Subs: C Croskery for M Seoighe (34)

Referee: Paul O’Neill

TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/G9h2PZRQvuUZtG/?invite=63a6c237-0396-47fa-9312-dcc66932ab64

by thesaffrongael

St Pat’s push on in second half to clinch Mageean glory

St Patrick’s, Maghera 4-13 Cross & Passion, Ballycastle 1-12

A dominant second-half performance saw St Patrick’s, Maghera secure the Mageean Cup lon Wednesday evening at the Dub Arena with a 4-13 to 1-12 victory over holders Cross & Passion, Ballycastle.

While the final scoreline suggests a comfortable win for the Derry school, the game was a contest of two distinct halves. Cross & Passion gave as good as they got in the opening period, taking a slender lead into the interval, but St Patrick’s took control after the break and with their half-back line and midfield totally dominant they pulled away for a 10-point victory.

First Half: Nothing to Separate the Sides

The game began at a frenetic pace, with St Patrick’s drawing first blood within 30 seconds through a Rian Collins point, bit Cross & Passion responded almost immediately, with Oisin McCallin converting a free after a foul on Emmet McKendry.

The opening quarter remained tight, with Cross & Passion holding a narrow 0-6 to 0-5 lead after 15 minutes. Oisin McCallin (frees) and Cadhan Crawford (from play) were instrumental for the Ballycastle side, while Rian Collins, Odhran Doherty, and Darragh O’Neill were central to Maghera’s efforts.

Maghera looked to have seized the initiative before the break when Odhran Doherty’s diagonal ball found Collins in the left corner and the Lavey flyer fired across goal into the bottom corner for a superbly taken goal. However, Cross & Passion showed resilience, hitting back with points to take a 0-10 to 1-6 lead at half-time.

Second Half: Maghera Take Control

St Patrick’s adopted a more direct approach in the second half, a tactic that paid immediate dividends. Early in the period, Rian Collins saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Ruairi McShane, but Fionn Cartin was on hand to finish the rebound to the net.

With the momentum firmly with the Derry side, Ultan McCloskey added a third goal ten minutes later with a high finish. While Paidi O’Kane managed to pull a goal back for Cross & Passion to keep their hopes alive, the Maghera defence held firm.

Fionn Cartin secured the title in the closing minutes, firing home his second goal of the night to confirm the victory for for the Maghera side and seal the school’s first title since 2017.

St Pat’s now through to the  Paddy Buggy semi-final

The win puts the Derry side into the All Ireland semi-final of the Paddy Cup and on the evidence on show tonight there is no reason why they can’t go all the way. They face the Leinster champions in the semi-final in early March will fancy their chances of becoming the third Ulster team in a row to take the Paddy Buggy title.

Teams and Scorers

St Patrick’s, Maghera Scorers: R Collins 1-8 (0-5f, 1 ‘65’), F Cartin 2-0, U McCloskey 1-1, O Doherty 0-2, PJ Glover 0-1, S O’Kane 0-1. Team: D Collins, P Peoples, D O’Neill, O Burke, D McCloskey, O Doherty, C Gallagher, D McEldowney, N McNicholl, R Collins, P O’Kane, PJ Glover, U McCloskey, F Cartin, S O’Kane. Subs: R McGuckin for PJ Glover (50), D McKaigue for Burke (54), C McCloskey for U McCloskey (57).

Cross & Passion, Ballycastle Scorers: O McCallin 0-6 (frees), C Crawford 0-5, P O’Kane 1-1. Team: R McShane, E Johnston, L Smyth, A Gillan, O Donnelly, D Kinney, L Connolly, L McConville, O Connolly, C Johnston, O McCallin, L McGarry, E McKendry, C Crawford, P O’Kane. Subs: C McAuley for Connolly (50).

Referee: Mr. Darren McKeown (St Gall’s)

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

https://myalbum.com/album/YUMofMkDuoCt3S/?invite=8e208e03-0ef9-4e7c-bdb5-ec74a3aca774

by thesaffrongael

Elaine Kelly wins LGFA Volunteer Award

The Saffron Gael are delighted to announce that one of their dedicated volunteers had received a major award from the LGFA, one which is richly deserved. Elaine Kelly from Moneyglass will receive her Overall Volunteer of the Year honour (the Lulu Carroll Award) at a gala dinner in Croke Park next Friday night (Jan 23rd) where she joins a list of volunteers from all over the country. Announcing the award winners yesterday the LGFA, issued a press release listing the recipients from Tippeary, Kildare, Kerry, Dublin, Laois and even Boston USA, all of whom have been recognised for their dedication to the sport, but top of the list is our very own Elaine.

From our point of view we like to congratulate her and thank her not only for the work she has done for us through the LGFA but also the coverage she has given her own clubs’ footballers and lots of other clubs when the need arises. Well done Elaine, and well deserved.

Enjoy your big night in Croke Park!

Elaine Kelly and her husband Patrick with daughter Aoife, sons Eamon and Sean in Croke Park the day Moneyglass played in the All Ireland Senior Club final. Elaine, Patrick and Aoife will be back there again next weekend to receive her award

This is the LGFA, who organises this great event in association with Dooctor.i.e., press release to announce the winners.

THE Ladies Gaelic Football Association is pleased to announce the 2025 LGFA Volunteer of the Year award winners, in association with Dooctor.ie.

The award recipients will gather at Croke Park on Friday January 23rd for a very special evening to celebrate their outstanding achievements.

The LGFA National Volunteer of the Year awards scheme, now sponsored by Dooctor.ie, is in its ninth year and the 2025 winners, in nine categories, are as follows:

  • Young Volunteer – Ben Allen, Fethard, Co. Tipperary
  • School Coach – Valerie Herbert, Scoil Choca Naofa, Kilcock, Co. Kildare
  • Club Coach – Fiona Nelligan McGuire, Currow, Co. Kerry
  • PR Volunteer– Niamh Daly, St Pats Blennerville, Co. Kerry
  • Club Committee – Justine O’Flanagan, St Sylvesters, Co. Dublin
  • County/Provincial – Pat Heneghan, Vice Chairperson and Provincial Delegate, Roscommon LGFA
  • International – Eileen Kerin, Boston Shamrocks, USA
  • Hall of Fame – Mary Casey, Timahoe, Co. Laois
  • Overall Volunteer of the Year (Lulu Carroll award) – Elaine Kelly, St Ergnats Moneyglass, Co. Antrim

The Overall Volunteer of the Year, Elaine Kelly from the St Ergnats (Moneyglass) club in Antrim, will receive the prestigious Lulu Carroll award, named after the late Lulu Carroll, who was a 2001 All-Ireland senior medallist with Laois.

Lulu, who passed away in 2007, was a committed servant to Ladies Football at club and county levels, and one of the game’s most popular and well-known figures.

Lulu, a former All-Star recipient, also won eight Leinster titles with Laois, along with six county senior titles and a provincial crown at club level with Timahoe.

Elaine is a dedicated volunteer who gives her time to capture unforgettable moments across all levels of Gaelic games – from fundamentals to senior teams.

Her passion for photography and community shines through as she covers not only club matches but also county games, creating cherished memories for players, families, and supporters alike.

Loved by the girls and ladies in her club and respected across neighbouring clubs, Elaine’s contribution to the sport and community is invaluable.

The LGFA’s Volunteer Hall of Fame winner is Mary Casey, one of the founding members of the Timahoe club in Laois.

From the very beginning, Mary has been at the heart of the club – starting as a player while also serving on the committee.

Her commitment and humility have been unwavering, and her dedication to Timahoe Ladies comes as naturally as breathing.

Mary’s playing career spans both club and county levels – and she proudly represented Laois on their 2001 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship winning team.

Mary currently serves her club as assistant chairperson and she’s heavily involved in coaching at underage levels.

Hailing the winners of the 2025 LGFA National Volunteer of the Year awards, in association with Dooctor.ie, Ladies Gaelic Football Association President, Trina Murray, commented: “I am immensely proud to honour the recipients of our 2025 National Volunteer of the Year Awards, in association with Dooctor.ie.

“These winners embody the very heart of our Association – selfless service, community spirit and an unwavering commitment to players of every age and ability.

“Week after week, they give their time, expertise and kindness to ensure our games are safe, inclusive and inspiring, often behind the scenes and without expectation of recognition. Their impact is felt in clubhouses, schoolyards and county grounds across the country.

“I am also delighted to once again welcome Dooctor.ie as our new sponsor of these awards. Their focus on wellbeing and accessible healthcare aligns perfectly with the values our volunteers live every day.

“Together, we celebrate not just achievements, but the people who make Ladies Gaelic Football thrive. To our winners and nominees alike, thank you for everything you do.”

Speaking on behalf of Dooctor.ie, company founder Dr Hafiz Mohd Ali, said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the National Volunteer Award winners, on behalf of Dooctor.ie.

“It is truly inspiring to witness the dedication and passion that these individuals bring to grassroots female sport in Ireland.

“We are eagerly looking forward to the celebratory night on the 23rd of January, where we will have the honour of presenting these prestigious awards.”



by thesaffrongael

Rathmore Grammar come up just short

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup quarter-finals

Rathmore Grammar 2-15 Holy Trinity, Cookstown 3-16

Rathmore Grammar produced a battling display full of grit and character but fell agonizingly short against Holy Trinity, Cookstown, in a high-scoring thriller.

Despite a challenging opening ten minutes where the Tyrone side raced into an early lead, the Belfast lads showed immense resilience to claw their way back into the contest, ultimately losing out by just four points after a storming finish.

After absorbing early pressure that saw Holy Trinity hit eight points without reply, Rathmore finally settled and began to dictate terms. Joe Logan was instrumental in shifting the momentum, opening the scoring for Rathmore before tagging on a second point moments later.

The comeback was truly on by the end of the first quarter when midfielder Conor Friel rattled the net, dragging the Belfast side right back into contention. Further points from Aodhan O’Hanlon and Jack Heatherington kept the scoreboard ticking over, showing that Rathmore were more than a match for their opponents in open play.

However, luck was not on their side just before the interval. Despite their hard work, Rathmore were hit by a cruel double-blow, conceding two goals in the final four minutes of the half to leave them trailing 1-4 to 2-9 at the break—a deficit that arguably flattered the opposition.

The second half saw a renewed effort from Rathmore. Showing great tactical awareness, Joe Logan and Donnacha McGurk both landed excellent two-point scores to cancel out Cookstown’s early efforts. Even after conceding a third goal in the 44th minute, the Rathmore heads never dropped.

In fact, the final quarter belonged largely to the Belfast school. Christopher Robb was in inspired form, hitting 0-4, including a two-pointer, while Ronan Taylor also found the range during a dominant purple patch that saw Rathmore significantly close the gap.

The “never-say-die” attitude was epitomized in injury time when full-forward Liam Carson blasted home a goal. While the clock ultimately beat them, the 2-15 total was a testament to a fighting performance that pushed the Cookstown side all the way to the final whistle.

Scorers

Rathmore Grammar:

  • J Logan: 0-6 (2tp)
  • C Robb: 0-4 (1tp)
  • C Friel: 1-0
  • L Carson: 1-0
  • D McGurk: 0-2 (tp)
  • A O’Hanlon: 0-1
  • J Heatherington: 0-1
  • R Taylor: 0-1