The Antrim Senior team who won last season’s All Ireland Intermediate Camogie title and the team who won the Ulster and All Ireland Minor B titles were honoured at a Gala dinner in Galgorm Manor on Saturday night. The star studded event was a huge success raising funds for the teams for the current season. Guest of honour was Kilkenny county star and four time All Star winner Katie Power. Saffron Gael went along to capture the glitz and the glamour of it all.
ANTRIM CAMOGIE LEAGUE DIV 3
RASHARKIN 5-8
ST PAUL’S 0-4
Rasharkin secured their second victory in a row with a convincing win over St Paul’s at Dreen on Thursday night.
Early goals from Jade Henry and Eimear O’Neill set the tone for the evening as the Dreen girls hit five, bringing their total to eight goals in two games.
Henry sent a looping effort over the head of Bronagh Reilly in the St Paul’s goal, before O’Neill got on the end of a loose ball and rifled home to leave the home side in control early on.
St Paul’s regained some composure and came close to finding a score of their own, but goalkeeper Saoirse McMullan dealt with the danger and Rasharkin registered a flurry of points in response.
The home side’s half back line remained dominant, ensuring the pressure remained on the St Paul’s rearguard, and Rasharkin struck a third goal before the break.
Eimear O’Neill jinked her way inside two defenders and squeezed the ball inside Reilly’s near post to leave the Dreen girls leading 3-4 to 0-0 at the break.
The Shaw’s Road side regrouped for the second half, with Katie Rose Bell and Fionnuala Rocks leading the revival, but further goals from Cora Henderson and substitute Katie Higgins meant the hosts hammered home their advantage.
Rasharkin made full use of their bench in the second period as they secured their second win on the trot to mark a fine start to the season.
A miserly defensive effort has coughed up only 0-8 over the two games, with McMullan’s net yet to be breached in league action.
That record will be tested next time out, with the Dreen girls travelling to Fr Healy Park to face Loughgiel next week.
Rasharkin: Saoirse McMullan, Christina Smith, Sharrifa O’Kane, Bronagh McFerran, Ciara O’Boyle, Kate McFerran (0-1), Niamh Mooney, Aoife McFerran, Eimear Hardy, Ciara O’Neill, Kerrie Darragh (0-1), Jade Henry (1-3, 0-1f), Niamh McFerran, Cora Henderson (1-1), Eimear O’Neill (2-1).
Subs: Roisín Hardy for Christina Smith, Michaela McShera for Jade Henry, Shannon O’Neill for Cora Henderson, Noleen O’Kane (0-1f) for Ciara O’Neill, Katie Higgins (1-0) for Niamh McFerran, Niamh McFerran for Ciara O’Boyle.
St Paul’s: Bronagh Reilly, Maeve Martin, Deirdre Vallely, Megan Millar, Demi Lee McShane, Katie Rose Bell (0-1), Aoibhinn Hand, Emer Rocks, Clíodhna Philips, Nakita Murphy, Fionnuala Rocks (0-3), Kerry McConville, Aoife McCotter, Jamie Adeyemi, Brianna Skillen.
Ref: Vincent Boyle (Dunloy)
ACFL Division 1
Erin’s Own Cargin 0-18 Tir na nOg 1-06
A personal haul of 0-08 by centre forward Ciaran Bradley featured prominently as Cargin proved to be the better side as the Toome men recorded a nine point victory over the visiting Tir na nOg on Wednesday evening.
Ronan Devlin’s men deserved their victory over their visitors but the Whitehill men gave their hosts a run for their money and indeed it took some stout defending in the Toome men’s defence to deny the Randalstown men a couple of goal chances in the course of the hour.
Tir na nOg net minder, Sean McAtamney came forward to despatch a 29th minute penalty to the back of the net and it took the tenacity of Sean Og O’ Neill and a superb ‘rob’ when Kevin Kerr was about to pull the trigger to deny the wing man a certain goal.
The visitors arrived in Toome following a win over St Gall’s on Sunday and were forced to field with an extensive injury list but Kevin O’ Kane’s charges stood toe to toe with their hosts in the opening quarter.
Cargin were first to open as Ciaran Bradley pointed in the 2nd minute to punish an indiscretion on Mark Kelly but the visitors were quick to respond as Kevin Sheerin took aim from 30 metres and directed between the posts.
Similarly when the hard grafting David Johnston sent Michael Clark in to raise white, Darragh Feagan rose highest in the edge of the box to fist over the bar and tie the contest for a second time.
The Whitehill side remained on par with their hosts and were still on terms at 0-03 apiece at the end of the opening quarter.
Cargin took some time to settle into the game but with Gerard McCann starting to make his presence felt they added unanswered points through McCann, John McNabb and three from Ciaran Bradley to ensure a healthy 0-08 to 0-03 lead as half time approached.
Tir na nOg were still in there fighting and their endeavours were rewarded in the latter stages when Darragh Feagan was upended en route to the posts and when the match official pointed to the spot up came their keeper, Sean Paul McAtamney to blast to the back of the net.
That last minute strike reduced the Cargin advantage to just a couple of points at 0-08 to 1-03 and left all to play for in the second half.
Ciaran Bradley and Darren Fagan exchanged points at the start of the second half but the home side began to get on top with Gerard and Paul Mc Cann gaining control in the vital central sector. Ciaran Bradley added back to back points before Paul McCann followed suit as the Toome side moved five points clear 0-12 to 1-04 by the 40th minute.
A fine Ronan Grbbin long range point brought quick reply from Darragh Feagan at the other end but try as they might there would be no way back for the visitors.
David Johnston added a point to the Cargin total when he raised a 50th minute white with Ronan Gribbin, Mark Kelly and Ciaran Bradley following suit as the home side moved clear.
Tir na nOg kept going to the end and it took a last minute intervention from Cahir Donnelly to deny Aaron Mc Neilly as he threatened to score.
A late Tom Shiver’s Point concluded the home side’s total with the final score coming from the visitors Aaron Mc Neilly with Cargin breasting the winning line 0-18 to 1-06 ahead.
Cargin: John Mc Nabb (0-1), David Johnston (0-01), Cahir Donnelly, Brendan Laverty, Justin Crozier (0-01), Sean Og O’Neill, Ronan Gribbin (0-02), Gerard Mc Cann (0-01), Paul Mc Cann (0-01), Benen Kelly, Ciaran Bradley (0-08), Paudie Mc Laughlin, PJ Quinn, Mark Kelly (0-02), Michael Clarke (0-01)
Subs
Kevin Mc Shane for M Kelly
Tom Shivers (0-01) for P J Quinn
Odhran Molloy for G Mc Cann
Enda Mc Grogan for P Mc Laughlin
Eoin Coyle for M Clark
Tir na nOg: Sean Paul McAtamney (1-0), Ethan Higgins, Peter Cullen, Ryan Crilly, Ciaran O’ Neill, Caomhinn Duffin, Oliver Mc Atamney, Joshua Higgins, Ryan O’ Neill, Kevin Kerr, Sean Duffin, Darragh Feagan (0-03), Kevin Sheerin (0-01), Aaron Mc Neilly (0-02), Conor Hastings
Subs
Pearce Sheerin for J Higgins
Brandon Mc Larnon for C Hastings
Declan Higgins for E Higgins
Referee: Conall Roberts (St John’s)
Antrim Camogie League Division 1
Dunloy 4-8 Ballycastle 1-10
3-3 from Dunloy full forward Cassie McArthur gave the Cuchullains victory over Ballycastle in Tuesday evening’s Division 1 Camogie game at Pearse Park. Played in fog, rain and semi-darkness the conditions were not conducive to good camogie, but both teams produced a high quality game. Ballycastle, despite a good start when they went 1-4 to 0-0 behind, had good spells in the game, but they lacked the killer touch in front of goal which McArthur gave to Dunloy.
McArthur was first to score when she fired home the first of her hat-trick early in the game and her team added a further four points before Riana McBride opened the scoring for the visitors with a pointed free. McBride added another soon afterwards and when Niamh Cosgrove added one from play from distance it looked like they were back in contention.
However just two minutes from half time McArthur won a ball in the right corner before soloing in along the end line and crashing home her second goal to help her team to a 2-5 to 0-3 half time lead.
When Fionnuala Kelly grabbed an early second half point and Caoimhe Wright followed it up with a goal the signs were a bit more promising for Ballycastle but their hopes received another bad blow when Aine Magill soloed through from midfield and fired a shot from twenty meters out, right to the back of the Ballycastle net. Caoimhe Wright and Tara O’Neill pulled a couple back for the visitors but they could not get the goals needed to get back into the game and McArthur showed her great goal poaching qualities to complete her hat-trick and secure the Cuchullains win.
