Category / Camogie

by thesaffrongael

McNeill Magic Seals Feis Glory for Cushendall

Feis na nGleann

Senior Camogie Final

Cushendall 3-23 Loughgiel 1-9

Sunday 5 July

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

Cushendall recorded a resounding victory over Loughgiel on Sunday afternoon to take the Feis crown for the first time in their history.  While the Ruairi ladies were good in the first half, they were awesome in the second as they blitzed a depleted Loughgiel side.

Eva McNeill was tormentor in chief for the ‘Dall, recording an eye opening 1-12 over the hour with 1-5 of that coming in the final 10 minutes of the contest.  Brogan Abram and Kady McNeill grabbed the other goals for Cushendall with Orlaith McCurry, Abi McNeill and Dervla Cosgrove all playing starring roles.

The Shamrocks were without many of their first team players given the match was played just 24 hours after the wedding of Lucia McNaughton, and many of the team that started had journeyed back from the wedding that morning to line out for their club. However they had plenty of strong performers.  Marie Laverty in particular was excellent and carried a serious threat with her direct running.  Louise and Katie McKillop always looked lively but they were up against a white and maroon juggernaut.

Cushendall were on top from the first whistle and were four points to one clear after the opening 10 minutes.  Siobhan McKillop, Brogan Abrams and Eva McNeill (two) with the Cushendall scores while Anna McKillop recorded the opening score for the Shamrocks.

A brace of Marie Laverty frees brought Loughgiel to within a single score by the 15th minute but that was as good as it got for the Shamrocks.

Eva McNeill added another point before Abram struck the opening goal of the final.  Her floated effort into the danger area was misjudged by Emma McAllister in the Loughgiel goal and dropped over the line.  Further scores followed from Siobhan McKillop and Cliodhna Thompson to stretch the Cushendall lead to eight points with six minutes of the half remaining.

Points from Marie Laverty either side of an Eva McNeill free were followed by scores from Cara O’Boyle and Abram in first half injury time.  Abram taking her tally to 1-2 for the half with her second point a highlight of the opening 30 minutes, splitting the uprights from wide on the right and next to no angle to work with.

With the score 1-12 to 0-6 in Cushendall’s favour, Loughgiel needed a fast start to the second half.  What they got was a wall of attacks from Cushendall from the get go.  Eva McNeill opened the scoring from a free before Kady McNeill produced a moment of magic with her first touch of the second half.  Abram delivered the sliotar high into the danger area and Kady deflected the sliotar to the back of the net with a brilliant touch in mid-air.  A piece of genius that ignited the Ruairi’s into a higher gear.

The lead was stretched to 15 points when Cushendall were awarded a penalty, Orlaith McCurry upended by Charlene Campbell when through on goal.  Eva McNeill took the resulting penalty but her effort was well saved by Emma McAllister.

Cushendall did add further brace of scores from Cosgrove (one ’45) before scoring their third goal of the contest.  Emma McAllister’s attempted clearance was blocked by Eva McNeill and the sliotar went to the back of the net.

It took until the 22nd minute of the second half for the Shamrocks to add to their half time tally, Marie Laverty splitting the uprights from a free to try and break the Cushendall momentum.

Laverty and Eva McNeill traded frees before McNeill hit four points in as many minutes to add further gloss to the score board for the Ruairi’s.

The Loughgiel goal came in injury time at the end of the game, Marie Laverty’s free deceiving the Cushendall defenders on the line and dropping behind the line but it did little to paper over the cracks of a disappointing afternoon for the Shamrock camogs.

Substitute Amy McAllister rounded off the scoring in injury time as Cushendall ran out comfortable winners.

With the league title in their hands, this could be the first of three major trophies going the way of the Ruairi Og camogs this season.  There will have tougher tests later in the year and there’s no doubting Loughgiel will be coming again with a much but on the evidence of this performance, Cushendall will take some stopping.

Cushendall celebrate their win over Loughgiel in the Senior Camogie final at Feis na nGleann. Pic by John McIlwaine

TEAMS

Cushendall starting XV: Orlagh Burke; Laoise McCollam, Anna McNeill, Tamara Black; Aoife McClafferty, Abi McNeill, Laura Black; Dervla Cosgrove, Siobhan McKillop; Brogan Abram, Orlaith McCurry, Cara O’Boyle; Cliodhna Thompson, Eva McNeill, Kady McNeill

  • Subs: Rhianna Black for S McKillop (HT), Ellen Leech for C O’Boyle (53), Amy McAllister for C Thompson (53), Aimee McDonnell for L McCollam (57), Erinmae Mitchell for E McNeill (60+4)
  • Scorers: E McNeill 1-12 (6fs), B Abram 1-2, D Cosgrove 0-3 (1f, 1’45), K McNeill 1-00, S McKillop 0-2, O McCurry 0-1, C O’Boyle 0-1, C Thompson 0-1, A McAllister 0-1

Loughgiel starting XV: Emma McAllister; Charlene Campbell, Megan McGarry, Aoibheann Gillan; Finvola McVeigh, Katie Lynn, Sarah Flavin; Orlagh Laverty, Laoise McKillop; Kirsty McKendry, Marie Laverty, Katie McKillop; Anna McKillop, Annie Lynn, Caela Dobbin

  • Subs: Rose McMullan for M McGarry (17), Carlina Sullivan for C Campbell (44), Shanna Devlin for K McKendry (47)
  • Scorers: M Laverty 1-8 (1-6fs), A McKillop 0-1

Referee: Lee O’Reilly (Dunloy)

TO SEE MICHAEL CORCORAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/yQph27t6tyS7yZ/?invite=28ee4748-a365-441a-b783-9f3a54d102e8

To see more of Brendan’s photos from the final, click on the link below….

https://myalbum.com/album/qbVaL6Pyz3hesU/?invite=b9915422-fc53-469b-bcb3-d72a87435910

by thesaffrongael

Junior Feis ends in a draw but needing a replay at a later date

Feis na nGleann 2026 Junior Final

Loughgiel 2-10 Cushendall 2-10

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel

As winter evenings go, this one was horrible. Cold, driving rain that wouldn’t find you out looking for a shovel of coal. But wait it’s meant to be the summer! Our consolation for bearing the inclement Junior final weather was to watch a real head to head for the full sixty minutes ending in a draw 2-10 to each side. The game will be replayed due to breaking news of a family bereavement and a refixture gracefully agreed by all parties tonight.

With the spin of referee, Ryan Magee’s coin, Loughgiel won and opted to play into the driving rain, towards the clubhouse. There wasn’t any tactical advantage tonight, driving rain swept down the pitch for most of the sixty minutes. It was though, Loughgiel on the prowl for an early point after winning the sliotar from a ruck, Carlina Sullivan drifting it wide past the uprights.

Loughgiel’s Therese Hill (McKinley) scoops the sliotar up as conditions deteriorated

Loughgiel’s Eimear McKendry would take the honours of opening the Shamrock’s score with a close range point before Sullivan would make good with her second attempt and Orlagh Laverty would make it three points in all of five minutes. Cushendall applied the pressure, subsequently winning a free that floated over the Loughgiel bar from Lára Haughey in under eleven minutes. Cushendall were now in the game and despite two more points from Loughgiel’s Rose McMullan and Kirsty McKendry, the Ruairi’s pounced on a break, getting in behind Loughgiel’s defence for a goal from Síne Woodhouse.

Cushendall’s Cliodhna Thompson followed the goal with a point to level the game before a Rose McMullan free dropped dangerously into the small box. Cushendall’s goalkeeper was faced with Shamrock jerseys rushing in and despite an attempt to diffuse the threat, but Eimear McKinley and Alana McKendry were close by to usher in the sliotar for the goal at twenty three minutes in.

Cushendall’s Lára Haughey chases down Anna Smyth in Friday’s Junior Feis final

There would only be a minute for the Shamrocks to enjoy the goal, when Cliodhna Thompson set up Aoife Delargy for Cushendall’s second goal of the evening. Now it was the turn of the Ruairi’s to have a moment of delight before Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan broke behind the Dall’s defence and sensing a closing pack, opted for a front over-the- head strike into the Ruairi’s net with only a minute on the clock before the break, scores radiating from the large Dan Scullion scoreboard, Loughgiel 2-05 Cushendall 2-02.

On the restart, it was Cushendall that would press hard into green flag territory but Erinmae Mitchell would see her rifle of a shot parried away by Loughgiel’s goalkeeper, Shauna McKillop over the bar for an opening point. Loughgiel with the driving rain on their backs now trotted out three points from Kirsty McKendry, Sullivan and a free from McMullan before Cushendall replied from a dead ball by Thompson.

Shauna Doran clears the threat for now but the Ruairi’s would level up just ahead of the long whistle

Cushendall would now close Loughgiel’s drift of four points to only one in a few minutes. Two of those three points came from Thompson and one of those appeared to be run on goal ending safely over the bar, much to the supporters dismay that were encouraging a green flag. Lára Haughey’s point completed the three before Loughgiel’s Rose McMullan split the uprights from a free derived from Kirsty McKendry getting closed out from a neat hand pass from Orlagh Laverty.

Cushendall’s Haughey and Leech levelled the game with minutes to spare, but it was a fine point from a free delivered by Rose McMullan, tight on the dugout side that caused a feeling of dread amogst the Ruairi’s supporters. Despite the grains of time sifting rapidly away in favour of the Shamrocks, the Ruairi’s Lára Haughey ended a blistering solo run with a foul that was dispatched by Leech to draw the game at the final whistle. All in all, a very tight, tough and even affair that will now go to a refixture.

To see photos from Friday’s Junior Feis final, follow the link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/xPYutuTbn7NYQd/?invite=2be1cc24-71da-434d-84a1-b35fcf7826fe

Loughgiel starters and scorers

Shauna McKillop, Erin Connolly, Brianna McCloskey, Zoe Cassley, Anna Smyth, Sarah Flavin, Shauna Doran, Rose McMullan 0-04 (4f), Therese Hill (McKinley), Caoihme McGarry 0-02, Kirsty Adams (McKendry) 0-01, Eimear McKinley 1-01, Carlina Sullivan 1-02

Cushendall starters and scorer

Cailín Quinn, Aibreán Campbell, Aimee McDonnell, Tamara Black, Ellen Leech 0-02 (1f, 1×45), Erin McNaughton, Aoife McClafferty, Scarlet Kerr-McKillop, Erinmae Mitchell 0-01, Lára Haughey 0-03 (2f), Rhianna Black, Sine Woodhouse 1-00, Aoife Delargy 1-00, Cliodhna Thompson 0-04 (2f), Caoimhe O’Hara

by thesaffrongael

Tir na nÓg take the Minor B Camogie title

Whitehill was the setting for the Antrim Minor B Championship 2026, with the condensed schedule running two shortened semi-finals and final on the night.  With both pitches in action and referees Catherine McMullan and Ryan Magee officiating, it was the peak of the Minor Camogie season on the back of a hot summer week.  The finalists were decided with Naomh Éanna overcoming Bridíní Óga on a score line of 1-4 to 0-01 and Tír na nÓg securing their place with a 3-4 to 0-3 win over Cargin.

The final was an evenly matched affair in the first half, with both teams going in at 2 points a piece at the 15 minute half time break.  With Antrim County keepers Clodagh McLarnon (U16) and Mia Carlin (Minor) in opposite nets, the second half was to remain goalless, each drawing the appreciation of the supporters for a series of fine saves.  It was the girls in blue who made the better of their opportunities however as the gap opened up.  Reaching the magic 4 point margin with minutes remaining set the home support alight and on the long whistle, Tír na nÓg were crowned the worthy champions.  Emer Lyttle was on hand from the Antrim Executive Committee to conclude the formalities and present the silverware to captain Brogan McGuckien as the sun went down on a great evening of Camogie.

by thesaffrongael

Emphatic win for Cushendall in Antrim Minor A Camogie Final

Ruairi Og Cushendall v Portglenone Geraldines

Ruairi Og Cushendall secured an emphatic 0-15 to 0-01 victory over Geraldines Portglenone in the Antrim Minor A Camogie final at Pairc Pol, Belfast on Friday evening. Under a new set-up for the competition, the two semi-finals were played immediately before the final (fifteen minutes each way) Cushendall booked their place by defeating Loughgiel at Rossa Park, while Portglenone advanced after beating St Paul’s at Pairc Pol. Ultimately, Cushendall proved unstoppable in the final, showing too much strength and firepower for a spirited Portglenone side.

Cushendall dominated the game from the opening whistle, operating on a completely different level. Aoife Molloy opened the scoring with a point from play just 30 seconds in, quickly followed by a strong individual point from Player of the match Eva McNeill. Cliodhna Thompson struck from play at the one-and-a-half-minute mark to keep the early momentum going, and Molloy found the target again shortly after to extend the lead. Erin McNaughton added to the tally with a well-taken point, and McNeill hit a massive long-range point from play at four and a half minutes. Portglenone threatened the target around the seven-minute mark, but a brilliant point blank save by Cushendall goalkeeper Ellen McAlister. A well-worked team move culminated in another point from McNeill, and Elena McQuillan added a point from play just before the break, to leave the half-time score at 0-10 to 0-00 in favour of Cushendall, with Eva McNeill establishing herself as the star of the show in the first period.

The second half saw Cushendall comfortably maintain their lead, utilizing accurate frees to keep the scoreboard ticking. Eva McNeill demonstrated her dead-ball accuracy, converting three consecutive long-range frees at the four-and-a-half, seven, and nine-minute marks. Cliodhna Thompson then slotted her second point of the day from play. Geraldines Portglenone successfully broke their duck ten and a half minutes into the half when Caoimhe Kelly scored a well-earned point from play. Finally, Emma Lynn registered the last point of the match for Cushendall at the 30-minute mark. The final whistle confirmed a highly one-sided 0-15 to 0-01 victory, crowning Ruairi Og Cushendall the Antrim Minor A Camogie champions.

Ruairi Og Cushendall: 1. Ellen McAlister, 2. Aibrean Campbell, 3. Laoise McCollam, 4. Emily Elliott, 5. Maeve McAlister, 6. Erin McNaughton, 7. Niamh McCollam, 8. Scarlett Kerr McKillop, 9. Tamara Black, 10. Anna Birt, 11. Eva McNeill, 12. Erin Mae Mitchell, 13. Aoife Molloy, 14. Cliodhna Thompson, 15. Laoiseach McNaughton,

16. Elena McQuillan, 17. Emma Lynn, 18. Lucia Trainor, 19. Eleyna Madden, 20. Amy McAlister, 21. Caragh McKinley, 22. Gabriella McNeill.

Geraldines Portglenone: 1. Emma Rose Diamond, 2. Niamh Martin, 3. Annie Convery, 4. Eira McTague, 5. Emily Scullion, 6. Gemma McAuley, 7. Aedin Vallely, 8. Ellen McAleer, 9. Cliodhna McKeever, 10. Aoife McGrogan, 11. Hollie Martin (C), 12. Eva McCann, 13. Caoimhe Kelly, 14. Caoimhe Doherty, 15.

Jojo Darragh, 16. Amy Addison, 17. Shannon McFall, 18. Olivia Marron, 19. Rose McVeigh, 20. Niamh McAleese.

TO SEE MORE OF BERTS PICS FROM THIS FINAL, PLUS THE TWO SEMI-FINALS CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/3igVy7FbNhhoNg/?invite=298f74e2-f5dd-4b08-8a18-7c2666b0d35a

In the semi-finals Cushendall were 0-14 to 1-03 winners over Cushendall at Rossa Park. Eva McNeill was once again the commanding figure on the field, scoring nine of her team’s total, four from frees and five from play. The Loughgiel goal came from Marie Laverty, the centre forward also getting two of her team’s three points, while the other came from Catherine McGarry.

Portglenone won their semi-final against St Paul’s by 4-04 to 1-0, the goals coming from Aoife McGroggan and Jo Jo Darragh who bagged two apiece.

Na Seamroga Panel: 1. Maeve Scullion, 2. Rhea Dickson, 3. Brianna McCloskey, 4. Ciara Breen, 5. Eibhlin Kearney, 6. Anna Smyth, 7. Caela Casey, 8. Rose McMullan, 9. Caoimhe Bateson, 10. Catherine McGarry, 11. Marie Laverty, 12. Caoimhe Cunningham, 13. Roise McGarry, 14. Caoimhe McGarry, 15.

Cara Dobbin, 16. Aoife Cunningham, 17. Grace Mullan, 18. Erin Mullan, 19. Cara McGuckian, 20. Ella Devlin, 21. Charley Ann Robinson, 22. Clare McNeilly. Mentors – Roisin McMullan.

Naomh Pól Panel: 1 Caoimh Murray, 2 Niamh Curry, 3 Jane Feetham, 4 Amy Gault, 5 Amy Heaney, 6 Deirbhile Killyleagh, 7 Roisin Brady, 8 Ellie Lynn, 9 Abigail Maguire, 10 Caoimhe McCartan, 11 Aoibhinn McDonnell, 12 Kayla McKee, 13 Abaigh McNally ©, 14 Hannah Mead, 15 Orla Munce,

16 Aoife O’Hare, 17 Leila O’Rawe, 18 Aoife Rice, 19 Róise Stevenson, 20 Éabha Vallely, 21 Orlaigh Walker. Mentors – Ciara Gault, Clare Dowdall, Natalie McGuigan, Gerard McNally. First aid – Lisa Heaney.

by thesaffrongael

Early goals see off Dunloy at the final whistle

Antrim Camogie League Round 8 Loughgiel 3-12 Dunloy 0-12

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel

What promised to be a warm summer’s evening of spectating turned into a cool misty laden evening with Fr. Healy Park shrouded at times around the perimeter with a veil of mizzle. But that was a welcome set of circumstances for many of the players, considering how warm it was for many of us today. No hydration breaks tonight.

Despite the falling thermometer, Loughgiel warmed things up with two very early goals that had Dunloy chasing all evening. It was going to be an engaging game given that both sides almost had a full compliment due to the natural County haitus ahead of an Intermediate semi final, but no one would have anticipated the physicality in the game borne from a desire to win. Forty four fouls spread evenly across the two halves would grind the ebb and flow of the game to a simple start stop motion. All the same, in between, this evening’s game had flair, tactical play and a bunch of scores to keep the sidelines engaged.

Within two minutes of Ryan O’Reilly’s whistle, Loughgiel’s forwards had broken through Dunloy’s defence with relative ease. Loughgiel’s Lucia McNaughton fed the sliotar into Marie Laverty, offloading to Annie Lynn and with only Dunloy’s goalkeeper, Clodagh O’Kane to beat, the sliotar was fired to her left and up went the first early green flag. A minute later, Marie Laverty would exercise a simple one-two with Annie Lynn and Laverty would have the second green flag in as many minutes.

Dunloy’s Aine Magill denied another scoring opportunity by Aoibheann Gillan

Dunloy didn’t panic, rather they went about building their score point by point, opening a salvo of seven points before the break to Loughgiel’s 2-04, five of Dunloy’s points coming from open play with Crawford, McAtamney and Aine Magill seeing the first half action. On the other hand, Loughgiel were slow to respond after their initial goal feast, building only four points coming from Laverty and Katie McKillop, two apiece leaving the scoreline at the break, Loughgiel 2-04 Dunloy 0-07.

At the switch, Aine Magill was first to wake up the large ‘Dan Scullion’ scoreboard from a free, shortly followed by a point from Loughgiel’s Katie McKillop. Magill would now stitch together three further points from fouls, with McKillop replying with four leaving a gap of four points for Dunloy to close and it would soon be three. Dunloy’s Eilis Kearns found McAtamney, now feeding through a delicate sliotar to Dunloy’s mid field machine, Eimear Johnston for a fine point.

Loughgiel’s Katie McKillop was on scoring form from the dead ball in Tuesday’s league game

But that would be Dunloy’s sum total of scores for the game, as Loughgiel tightened their grip on the game, starting with a short free from Clare McKillop to Katie McKillop for a point, followed by a pressured pass from Shanna Deery to Lucia McNaughton with a soaring point towards the clubhouse and finally a free from McKillop, who was on free taking form tonight. Loughgiel’s captain, Lucia McNaughton dealt the final blow with two minutes left as another soaring sliotar dived viciously under the bar for Loughgiel’s third goal and score for the night, scores ending Loughgiel 3-12 Dunloy 0-12.

To see more photos from Tuesday’s league game, click here…

https://myalbum.com/album/JAUJk7vDcjS95w/?invite=93cd79ab-b1b0-4f77-90c1-6bf2f453476e

Loughgiel starting panel and scorers

Emma McAllister, Aoibheann Gillan, Megan McGarry, Finvola McVeigh, Katie Lynn, Amy Boyle, Clare McKillop, Anna Connolly, Shanna Deery, Annie Lynn 1-00, Lucia McNaughton 1-01, Katie McKillop 0-09 (7f), Marie Laverty 1-02 (1f), Christine McCloskey, Kirsty McKendry

Dunloy starting panel and scorers

Clodagh O’Kane, Eimear McMullan, Brid Magill, Kathryn Boyle, Eilis Kearns, Katie Laverty, Caoimhe Conlon, Eimear Johnston 0-01, Caitlin Crawford 0-01, Nicole McAtamney 0-02 (1f, 1×45) , Dearbhail Elliott, Bronach Magill 0-01, Aine Magill 0-07 (5f), Aileen McManus, Adria McAllister