A magnificent scoring display by centre forward Nicole O’Neill helped guide Dunloy to victory over Ballycastle in Tuesday evening’s All County Camogie League opener at Pearse Park Dunloy. The Cuchulains number 11 was in superb form, ending with a personal total of 1-12, her accuracy for frees and from play right out to the top drawer. In the end the home team had five to spare, but that might paint a somewhat distorted picture, for Ballycastle fought their way back into the game on a couple of occasion and with just two minutes of normal time left to play, had cut the gap back to just two points. However the Dunloy defence held out in those final minutes as the visitors searched for the goal that would get them victory, and three late points by O’Neill eased them home with five to spare.
Spot the ball? Player of the match Nicole O’Neill loses sight of the ball as it spins onto her helmet, but it has to be said it was the only ball she missed all night as she scored 1-12 to steer her team to victory
After withstanding early Dunloy pressure Ballycatle went ahead in the third minute with a point from Caoimhe Wright but the home side came back with four on the trot from Nicole O’Neill (2), Michaella Elliott and Erin Elliott to lead by three after eight minutes.
Maeve Kelly pulled a point back with a great individual score on nine minutes but Dunloy were on top and they added points in the 11th, 12th and 13th minutes to lead 0-7 to 0-2 by the first water break. That break appeared to aid the Ballycastle girls more than the home side for the had the better of things during that second quarter and boosted by a great solo goal by Maeve Kelly, who was moved in to the edge of the ‘square’ because of an injured knee, the fought back to trail by just two at the break. (0-10 to 1-5)
Ballycastle full-backCatherine McShane solos out of defence
Just as in the opening half Dunloy sprang for the traps as they added 2-3 to their tally, to stretch their lead to ten, the goals coming from Michaela Elliott and O’Neill. Ballycastle looked like they were in for a bad beating, but they again showed great character and a goal from a twenty metre free my Maeve Kelly and a fine individual effort by Nuala Devlin, closed the gap to four. O’Neill steadied the ship with a pointed free with eight minutes to go, but back came Ballycastle and two pointed frees from Caoimhe Wright and one from play by Naimh Donnelly left just two between the side. There were a couple of half chances for the visitors to get something out of the game but the Cuchullains rear-guard held firm and O’Neill stepped up to the mark again with three pointed frees to ease her team to a well-deserved win.
St Paul’s U14 camogs made a welcome return to All County Div 1 action on Saturday with a trip to Creggan. St Paul’s have not played top flight camogie at any age grade in quite a number of years and Saturday’s match was the result of hard work and committment by the club, players, parents and coaches.
The first half was a tight affair with the teams battling for supremacy in the middle of the pitch. A goal from Nicole Munce and a point from Cara Duncan just before half time gave St Paul’s some breathing room.
A number of positional switches and substitutions gave St Paul’s extra impetus at the start of the second half. A hat trick of goals from Orleigha McGuiness, playing in an unfamiliar full forward position, and further points from Cara Duncan, Soarlaith Brennan, Aisling Hyndman and Aoife Currie sealed the win for St Paul’s.
St Paul’s host Cargin next Saturday when they hoped to have injured players Meave Devlin and Cora Leigh McKeown back in action.
St Paul’s Team: O Munce
H Murray A Curry L Flynn
D Philips E Daye A Murray
O McGuinness S Brennan
A Duffin C Duncan N Munce
A Hyndman B McAvoy K Walsh
D Killyleagh A Gault A Loughran A McCloskey M Devlin CL Mckeown
After almost four years in the planning stage, seeking funding from the Causeway Coast & Glens Council and launching fundraising schemes within their own club, work finally began on Loughgiel’s Shamrocks third pitch on Wednesday. Club President Canon Sean Connolly, a lifelong club member and former player, cut the ceremonial first sod on Wednesday at an event attended by some of the legendry figures in the club down through the years. The main contractors Haffey began clearing the site for the new sand based pitch which it is hoped will be completed before the end of the year.
Canon Sean Connolly who cut the ceremonial first sod to mark the start of work on Loughgiel Shamrocks 3rd pitch on Wednesday is seen here with club officials and some of the club’s oldest members. Back row, L-R, John McKeown (vice-chairman), Seamus Richmond, Jack McNaughton (treasurer), Paul Glackin (committee), Canon Connolly, Brendan McGarry, Noleen McCloskey (PRO), Seamus McMullan, Damian McCloskey (secretary), PJ O’Mullan (committee), Padraig Connolly (committee). Front, L-R, John McNaughton, Maurice Connolly, Maureen McNaughton, Sarah McFadden (committee) and Grace Henry.
Just over two years ago the club unveiled their plans to develop and expand their existing Lough Road facilities. The total cost of the proposed development amounted to £594,000 back then, and with inflation etc, it is expected to be somewhere near £650,00 before the project is finished. A grant of £297,000 was obtained from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, but the remaining funds must be raised by the Club.
The Proposed Development Project consists of a third full sized, sand carpet pitch with flood lights, associated catch nets and perimeter fencing, a 40m x 40m ball wall with 3G surface, fully enclosed and also with flood lights
An artists impression of the 40m x 40m enclosed, and floodlit ball wall
The development work was planned to commence in the autumn, of 2018 and be complete in 12 months’ time but such things seldom run smoothly but just less than two years later it is thankfully up and running. Two years ago the club launched the Club Seamroga fundraising project which will cover their share of the cost of the work.
Canon Sean Connolly, who cut the first sod, is seen here with L-R, John McKeown (vice-chairman), jack McNaughton (treasurer) and Damian McCloskey (secretary)
Club treasure Jack McNaughton praised the assistnance the club has got from the UCIT (Ulster Community Investment Trust) and went on to add “We want to ensure that our future generations have the best possible facilities. We want our facilities to rival the top clubs in Antrim, Ulster and Ireland. Loughgiel Shamrocks GAC have long been associated with on field success in Hurling, Camogie, and in other cultural pursuits such as Irish Dancing and SCOR.
All of our previous successes have been based on hard work coming from our very proud past, enriched with colourful characters, skilful players, triumphs, great supporters and generous community spirit. With the completion of this plan we hope to set ourselves up for another 100 years of the same!”
Justin McCormick’s excellent aeriel photo shows the outlay of the new project with the pitch running from the windmill at the back of the Millennium Centre to green area to the left of the foreground.
In the first of our Camogie selections Carla Doherty pics her favourite 15, plus a few near misses from her Portglenone teammates. Im sure most of you would agree Carla would have been on the team if anyone else was picking it so full credit must go her for her humility and putting her love of the Geraldines club first. She has produced a concise and detailed account which make great reading
by Carla Doherty
Very fortunately my first season on the Geraldines senior team was way back in 1992 at the tender age of 14 – I say fortunately as this was the last time that the O’Duffy Cup and later in the season that the Ulster club championships rested by the banks of the Bann. I was the goalkeeper on this team – I played for a further 23 seasons with the Geraldines and heartbreakingly a second championship medal never came my way! Over 24 years I played with a lot of players – in my first few seasons Geraldines were still very competitive in the club championship –however by 1995/6 this was no longer the case and there followed a long spell where we struggled in senior championship. Throughout these days however I was so fortunate to play with so many committed and talented players in Geraldines – we just weren’t strong enough to overcome the powerclubs of Dunloy, Loughguile and in later years Rossa. 2011 brought a change to the fortunes and Geraldines appeared in their first county final in 19 years – unfortunately 4 final appearances from 2011-2014 yielded no further medals for our club but on a personal level I feel so privileged to have been involved in these days at the twilight of my career!
The players below like so many others all represented Geraldines with great pride – but here are the players I have included – I would love to have seen this squad play collectively as I think it may have got the Geraldines across the line at some stage
1 – Christine Doherty
Christine excelled in many positions over the years for Geraldines but her performances in goals in 2011 were unbelievable – she made a massive contribution to the journey that year. Chrissi had a great presence in goals and plenty of experience as she also played in goals for Antrim. Chrissi was very intelligent on the puck out was a great catcher of the ball and could set play up via her clearances.
Geraldine McGarry, Marie McAtamney and Kathryn Convery
2 – Geraldine McGarry Diamond
A really hard-working tenacious defender who always gave her best every time she played. Geraldine was a great team player so encouraging and had an absolutely fantastic ground strike. Geraldine was also on the championship winning panel in’92, we won minor championships together and she was a player whom I always respected.
3 – Marie McAtamney McElwee
Marie played full back in 1992. She was a super full back great reader of the game who could pluck the ball out of the air from anywhere – Marie always played from the front and was so reliable which was great as like most good full backs she hated trekking back after a speedy full forward. Camogie was always 12 aside when I played with Marie – she had a huge puckout – often landing right in our square – setting up many scoring situations.
4 – Kathryn Convery Walls
Kathryn was the type of corner back and in later years full back whose name would always have been first on the team sheet. She was a great defender – at about 6ft (not sure of exact height lol) she was impossible to get round – I hated marking her in training! Kathryn was a really committed player who was always ready for the battle and I don’t ever recall her having a bad game. Kathryn was great craic and for many years we looked forward to celebrating her birthday – the celebrations always lasted at least a wee.
Mairead Graham, Catherine O’Kane and Fiona Hasson
5 – Mairead Graham
Mairead was a very naturally talented player who read the game exceptionally well. Mairead played in many positions for Geraldines and on occasion was converted to the forward line – Mairead however was much more comfortable in defence attacking the ball – she had a great hand – and a great clearance and played many great games for Geraldines.
6 – Catherine O’Kane
Catherine in her best form was an absolutely super centre half back -so strong and powerful – she could read the game so well and really could set the whole team in motion with her clearances. Catherine completely played on the edge and rarely did an opponent get the better of her.
7 – Fiona Hasson Judge
Fiona in a word was tenacious. She was always super fit and really put in a huge shift in every game she ever played. I absolutely loved playing with Fiona and felt we had a great understanding of each other’s game – she could play a pin perfect crossfield ball into the forward line and did so time after time. She played a lot in midfield as well though I always felt wing half back was her best position. Fiona’s opponents always knew they were in a battle – she was ferociously competitive! It was a huge loss to our team when marriage brought Fiona to Tipp – though a massive gain for Holycross where she hurls yet!
Denise O’Boyle and Katie McAleese
8 – Denise O’Boyle Darragh
Throughout the years I toiled with the Geraldines I think it would be very fair to say that we had two of the strongest midfielders in the county – I would love to have seen both players play on the one team in their prime.
Denise was just fantastic – together we have been through many a battle for club and county! Denise never left anything behind her on the pitch – she was a brilliant midfielder – covered every blade of grass on the pitch – could save a ball on the goal line and put it over the bar 2 minutes later. She was a very uncompromising competitor and trained with the same tenacity as she played matches. In 12 aside camogie she could have dominated the whole game and could have won the game on her own such was her energy power and ability. A super freetaker as well, Denise always came out on top.
9 – Katie McAleese Carey
Katie was a powerhouse of a player joining the ranks of the senior team at a very young age probably no more than 14. Katie was very fortunate to come through an underage setup with 5 or 6 other likeminded ambitious young camogie players. The senior team whilst always remaining in division 1 had struggled to match the top teams in Antrim and this brand of young players brought a refreshing energy into the squad. Katie was and still is fiercely competitive and has been the standout player in Geraldines for about 15 years now -she’s a great score getter – has a great workrate and a super freetaker. Katie is an effective forward and has often played in the forwards in an effort to increase the scoring power of the team up front – in my opinion however she’s a free spirited type player – could never hold her position up front and hence is one of the two outstanding midfielders that I have played with during my days in the blue and white!
10 – Therese McAleese Murphy
Therese was a hugely committed team player who like so many in our club played on the senior team from a very young age. Therese was a very athletic and skillful player – she was a great player to bring to the battle especially when the chips were down as she would fight to the bitter end! She’s recently had her second daughter and would yet be a great addition to the senior panel this year as she always brought a great positivity to the team! Therese, one of 3 doctors in my forward line rarely missed training or a match despite the demands of her career!
11 – Sinead McKeever
Marriage brought Sinead to Portglenone -and she was a great addition to the camogie team. Sinead who had played with Derry for a long time brought a great presence and much needed experience to our forward line. Sinead was strong on the ball, she had a great strike and had a good eye for a score. She settled very well into our team very quickly!
12 – Siobhan Doherty
Siobhan was a great reader of the game and an excellent striker of the ball – and I always felt a very natural half forward. Siobhan was having a super season in 2011 when a horrific ankle injury halted her best playing days. Remarkably she is still playing a bit and the same strike and ability to read the game was evident in championship last year making a huge impact in the game v Cushendall.
Aine Mulholland, Bronagh McIlvenna and Louise McAleese
13 – Aine Mulholland
Aine is by far the youngest player I have selected on this 15 – but again she joined the team at a very young age and brought with her a high level of energy, enthusiasm and commitment. Small in stature Aine would put her head in a tackle anywhere – she usually would have played out around midfield but I always felt she was a very sharp wee forward – tenacious tackler – very fast and could easily lose her opponent to pick up a nice score. Aine is the second doctor on this 15 and again her level of commitment throughout her training was admiral!
14 – Bronagh McIlvenna
Bronagh was the marquee forward of the winning ’92 team. Bronagh could have pulled two goals out of the bag in 30 seconds – she had an unbelievable touch – devastating speed, quick feet and quite incredibly I never saw her embroiled in a tackle throughout the years I played with her. To be honest we have not had a quirky forward in the mould of Bronagh since she retired! She was a one off – and an absolute pleasure to watch!
15 – Louise McAleese Crozier
Dr. Louise McAleese bounced onto the senior panel at the same time as her cousin Katie – two bits of weans who just loved camogie. Louise was lightning fast and skillful and always gave of her very best! A great encouraging player to have on the team and she produced performances way beyond her years as a teenager. Louise played a lot out round the middle of the field as well but I always liked her closer to goal as she always wanted to score – and well scores win matches! Again Louise has a very demanding career, mixed with motherhood – one would hope however that Geraldines have not seen the last of Louise!
The subs
Patricia McCarry
In the last few years Patricia has developed into a great keeper – totally committed and the best shot stopper in the county
Brenda McIlvenna
Sister of Bronagh – Brenda was a really hardworking forward who hassled and harried to keep the ball in the forward line. I remember her being a very important player for us in 92.
Brenda Clarke Hardy
Brenda was a really hardworking committed player – always so positive and a great player to have about a team – she was a good forward and I always enjoyed playing with Brenda.
Donna McLaughlin McCloskey
Donna was a really good defender and and was fiercely committed – our loss was a huge gain to camogie in Derry city where Donna works tirelessly in na Magha
Eilis McKenna McGill
Eilis was an absolute nightmare of a corner back – she wouldn’t know how to leave a forward alone never mind give them space to break away – unhookable – but a great corner back to spoil a good player – the type of player every team needs!
Roisin Kelly
I only got to play a small little bit with Roisin but she has worked hard at her game and is developing into a strong senior player – she is skillful and has a good camogie brain and I enjoyed playing with her in my last few years.
An Coiste Bainisti met, via video conference, on Friday the 26th June (the 106th day of the GAA Covid-19 lockdown) to consider the running of Cul Camps in during July and August 2020.
Cul Camps are a major event in the GAA calendar for our young people with approx. 2000 children attending Antrim camps annually. The uncertainty over the last 106 days and, at one stage, the prospect of having no GAA activities for the remainder of 2020 have hindered the planning processes required to stage Cul Camps.
Thankfully the position around GAA activity has changed greatly over the last few week and our clubs now look forward to playing our games again for the remainder of this year.
Currently we have:
No office base to work from as St Marys University has been closed since the 20th March No access to the storage required to receive Cul Camp gear for future delivery to clubs All our coaching staff are on Furlough We have to work within the existing Covid -19 restrictions ( i.e. no access the GAA buildings until the 10th August) An Coiste Bainisti also sought to get the opinions of several clubs as to their willingness or not to host / run Cul Camps which also assisted their decision-making process. The majority of clubs canvased were not in favour of hosting camps.
Based on all of the above the decision of Coiste Bainisti is that Antrim GAA will not be hosting Cul Camps during July & August 2020. We know this will be a major disappointment to our younger players but we feel that in the best interests of all our members and the local communities in which our clubs operate it’s the only decision to take at the present time.
