Category / Camogie

by thesaffrongael

Ahoghill deliver no surprises under Shamrock dominance

Antrim Camogie IN2 Senior Championship

Ahoghill 0-04 Loughgiel 4-27

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in McGuigan Park

Round three of five in the IN2 senior championship concluded tonight and there’s still time for a surprise or two before the semi final places form from the round robin table (1 will play 4 and 2 will play 3), but there wouldn’t be any surprises tonight in McGuigan Park. A spirited St. Mary’s squad engaged for the full sixty minutes and some in front of a small home crowd that cheered and praised the girls’ efforts in the face of strength, endurance and ability from tonight’s opposition, Loughgiel.

The game would never be about the final outcome, rather what each side would take from the game. Ahoghill showed up and made every effort to limit the Shamrock scoring machine, and Loughgiel will have used the game to instil the necessary good habits that will standby them in the next two rounds.

Ahoghill’s Caitriona Graham gave the Shamrocks a goal scare before missing wide by a margin

As soon as match referee, Sean McLaren from St. Pauls, rolled in under the rapidly dimming light augmented by Ahoghill’s floods, Marie Laverty broke for the early attack. It yielded no result but was an ominous sign of things to come. Amidst a flurry of points within the first four minutes, Laverty would return to raise the first green flag of the evening and remain a threat a minute later after receiving a ball from Anna Connelly stemming from Orlagh Laverty’s possession. With six minutes on the clock, Laverty made it two goals in two minutes and stepped aside to make room for Annie Lynn five minutes later for Loughgiel’s third goal in eleven minutes.

Amidst the goal scoring drama, Ahoghill replied with two fine points cut out of the darkening night air, the first one from Katie McCloskey and the second from Roisin Loughlin, but Loughgiel would press to deliver ball after ball into Ahoghill’s catch net, quickly dialling in a total of three goals and sixteen points at the break to Ahoghill’s three points, the latter coming from a set ball floated over the bar by Noreen Graham.

Loughgiel’s Róisín McCormick fends off Niamh Neeson during a high ball encounter

As McLaren set the wheels in motion for the second half, spectators would find it would be more of the same, but with opportunities to run out a few fresh legs off the bench. Just as Marie Laverty and Annie Lynn tormented Ahoghill’s full back line in the first half, so too would Orlagh Laverty and Shanna Deery in the second half, with a steady flow of set ball points from Róisin McCormick. Laverty would enjoy the fourth and final goal of the evening fed in from Lucia McNaughton who was responsible for germinating the lion’s share of assists.

Loughgiel now get ready for their fourth round match against Cushendall on Saturday and Ahoghill travel to Pearse Park to weather a probable storm from Dunloy on Sunday.

You can see more photos from tonights game under lights here…

https://myalbum.com/album/WsrZNfAkZgRmpo/?invite=f149eab6-ca64-4bf5-a028-fd2aa9a1e7f4

Ahoghill starting panel and scorers

Aine Graham, Niamh Dougan, Bronagh Graffin, Fiona Blaney, Niamh Neeson, Éadaoin McGarry, Orla Neeson, Caoimhe Scullion, Enya Neeson, Caitriona Graham, Katie McCloskey 0-01, Maeve O’Donnell, Noreen Graham 0-02 (1f), Roisin Loughlan 0-01, Molly Horan

Loughgiel starting panel and scorers

Emma McAllister, Charlene Campbell, Megan McGarry, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn 0-01, Amy Boyle, Ciara Laverty, Anna Connolly, Lucia McNaughton 0-02, Christine McCloskey, Róisin McCormick 0-08 (1×45, 6f), Annie Lynn 1-05, Orlagh Laverty 1-02, Marie Laverty 2-04, Katie McKillop 0-03

Shanna Deery 0-02

by thesaffrongael

Ruairi’s Impress to Defeat The Town

IN2 Engineering Senior Championship

Cushendall 2-20 Ballycastle 1-5

Wednesday 9 September

Brendan McTaggart reports from Cushendall

Cushendall maintained their 100% record in this years senior championship on Wednesday evening as they defeated Ballycastle.  18 points was the difference between the sides at the end of the hour, in truth the game changed dramatically when the Town were reduced to 14 in the 28th minute.

When Fay McIntosh saw red for what referee Paul McNeill saw as a dangerous tackle on Kady McNeill, the home side were ahead by five points.  It was an even contest that the Ruairi’s were just about edging up to this point and with a slight wind favouring Ballycastle for the second half, the visitors were well placed.

Cushendall were immense in the second half however and to say they dominated would be an understatement.  2-20 scored overall, 2-18 from open play and eight different scorers.  The Ruairi girls put in a mighty impressive performance.

Ballycastle played with intensity and their defensive efforts in that second half have to be applauded.  They did concede 1-13 but they were under so much pressure, Cushendall were relentless and the performances of Enya McShane, Aoife Toner and Shannagh Heggarty was superb.

Eva McNeill top scored for the Ruairi’s with just one free coming in her tally of eight white flags while their majors came from Orlaith and Amy McAlister in either half.  Amy McAlister’s cameo performance a highlight of a second half that was all one way traffic.

The home side made a good start with three unanswered points coming in the opening six minutes.  Siobhan McKillop, Eva McNeill and Orlaith McCurry with the scores.  Ballycastle’s opening score came through an Elen McIntosh major in the ninth minute.  The goal owed much to the persistence, work rate, hunger and aggression of the Ballycastle forward who put the Cushendall defence under pressure to force a turnover and beat Orlagh Burke to the loose sliotar before finding the back of the net.

Maeve Kelly followed up with a fine score from wide on the right to give the Town a one point lead in the 11th minute but they would only register one more score in the remainder of the half.

The home side retook the lead when Orlaith McAlister pounced on an error in the Town defence before finding the back of the net before a brace of white flags from Eva McNeill gave Cushendall a four point lead just over half way through the half.

Elen McIntosh fired over a ’45 in the 20th minute to get the Town firing again but a pair of points from Eva and Kady McNeill gave Cushendall a 1-7 to 1-2 lead late in the half. 

Fay McIntosh’s red card was obviously frustrating for the Ballycastle management who had their own views on the tackle.

Ballycastle started the second half strongly and showed they could deal with playing with a player less.  Kady McNeill and Elen McIntosh swapped points by the third minute of the second half but Ballycastle would record just two further points as Cushendall went through the gears.

A run of seven points unanswered with Orlaith McAlister, Kady McNeil, Siobhan McKillop and Eva McNeill all splitting the posts.

Janey McIntosh split the posts in a rare Ballycastle attack but Cushendall continued to turn the screw.  Amy McAlister finding the back of the net and following up with a  point before Dervla Cosgrove (free), Eva McNeill, Orlaith McAlister and substitute Rhianna Black added further points.  Louise McBride added another score for Ballycastle in the same period of time.

A resounding win for Cushendall as they look to build momentum at the right time of the season.  They will travel to Loughgiel on Saturday looking to continue their winning ways while Ballycastle will host Bridini Oga on Sunday looking to get back to winning ways.

TEAMS

Cushendall Starting XV: Orlagh Burke; Tamara Black, Anna McNeill, Caoimhe McNaughton; Colleen Patterson, Abi McNeill, Laura Black; Dervla Cosgrove, Siobhan McKillop; Brogan Abram, Orlaith McCurry, Cara O’Boyle; Orlaith McAlister, Eva McNeill, Kady McNeill

  • Subs: Aoife McClafferty for L Black (36); Rhianna Black for O McCurry, Amy McAlister for C O’Boyle (44); Ellen Leech for T Black, Cliodhna Thompson for B Abram (52)
  • Scorers: E McNeill 0-7 (1f); O McAlister 1-3; K McNeill 0-4; A McAlister 1-1; S McKillop 0-2; O McCurry 0-1; R Black 0-1; D Cosgrove 0-1 (1f)

Ballycastle Starting XV: Becky Ellis; Aoife Toner, Enya McShane, Cara Delaney; Niamh Donnelly, Fay McIntosh, Fiadh Sands; Shannagh Heggarty, Janey McIntosh; Maeve Kelly, Louise McBrife, Aoife McCaughan; Faye Roddy, Elen McIntosh, Eimear McCaughan

  • Subs: Catherine McShane for F Roddy (HT); Christina Hamilton for E McCaughan (45); Maria Bakewell for A McCaughan (49)
  • Scorers: E McIntosh 1-2 (1’45); J McIntosh 0-1; M Kelly 0-1; L McBride 0-1

Referee: Paul McNeill (Creggan)

TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, CLICK ON THE LINK….

https://myalbum.com/album/5c8vfmDU78omsw/?invite=faacb333-a81c-42db-becb-041900c26ee7

by thesaffrongael

Intermediate win for the Shamrocks as McKinley hauls four out of the five goals

Antrim Camogie Intermediate Championship

Loughgiel 5-11 Dunloy 0-09

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

Despite a brazen breeze and occasional heavy showers, the real element that shaped tonight’s game was the forty three fouls that smothered any real flow and rhythm. All the same, that was a tell tale sign of just how physical the game was and much to the players’ credit, match official Ryan O’Reilly, managed to keep his note book clean.

Dunloy started out with promise, running up four points in the first nine minutes from Dearbhail Elliott, Adria McAllister and two from Erin McMullan before Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan managed to flight the sliotar over the bar from winning a ruck ball. Loughgiel’s Rose McMullan made it two for the Shamrocks courtesy of a foul on Aoibheann Gillan before McKinley and Sullivan swung on a rebound from within the small Dunloy rectangle at the road end. Sullivan got the green honours to inch Loughgiel past Dunloy by two points as seventeen minutes of play etched out the air from the Dan Scullion scoreboard.

Dunloy’s Kerry Rose Drain comes under pressure, flanked by Loughgiel’s Therese McKinley (12) and Carla Sullivan (15)

It wasn’t long before Loughgiel improved their score as Rose McMullan went on a solo run from the middle of the park and chased the sliotar over the bar, then a McKinley point before McMullan landed a free into the heart of the catch net. As O’Reilly glanced at his watch with only minutes to go in the first half, Dunloy’s Mary McArthur and Erin McMullan added two more points either side of Loughgiel’s Caela Dobbin’s shot at goal, but Dunloy’s Hannah Richmond deflected the sliotar in time for the short whistle and a half time score Loughgiel 1-06 Dunloy 0-06.

At the restart, Dunloy showed pace from the throw-in, as Erin Traynor struck the sliotar over the bar with less than thirty seconds gone but that was quickly neutralised as Loughgiel’s Rose McMullan sailed the sliotar over Dunloy’s bar with relative ease as the wind offered every assistance. Minutes later, McMullan would assist in Loughgiel’s second goal as she offloaded to Anna McKillop redirecting to Eimear McKinley running in at short range and rolling the sliotar over Dunloy’s goal line.

Dunloy’s Erin McMullan couldn’t get to grips with tonight’s elusive Doherty Group Intermediate game

Loughgiel now looked the stronger of the two sides as they pressed hard and often up into scoring territory, picking off four unanswered points from Sullivan, Dobbin and two frees from McMullan before Dunloy’s Erin McMullan dropped a free over the bar and into a bellowing catch net.

The scoreboard announced Loughgiel 2-11 Dunloy 0-08 with seven minutes of normal play and three of injury left on the clock. Those ten minutes allowed Loughgiel to breakdown Dunloy’s defence, resulting in three goals from McKinley, assists coming from Caela Dobbin and Anna Smyth. Dunloy made several attempts at goal from awarded frees outside of the large box, but Loughgiel’s defence walled up to deny Dunloy any improvement in their score as the game concluded Loughgiel 5-11 Dunloy 0-08.

Loughgiel now progress to the quarter final against either O’Donovan Rossa or Rasharkin (TBD Wednesday 9th September).

You can see more photos from the game in our album here…

https://myalbum.com/album/ui29qPg8xJoof2/?invite=9d7a36bc-2ded-4bf3-bd3f-3f2b7ccf6a65

Loughgiel starting panel and scorers

Shauna McKillop, Erin Connolly, Úna McGovern, Brianna McCloskey, Sarah Flavin, Aoibheann Gillan, Zoe Cassley, Louise McKillop, Anna Smyth, Rose McMullan 0-06 (6f), Ceala Dobbin, Therese McKinley 0-01, Anna McKillop 0-01, Eimear McKinley 4-01, Carlina Sullivan 1-02

Dunloy starting panel and scorers

Hannah Richmond, Kerry Rose Drain, Kyra Doherty, Ciara McMullan, Carragh Boyle, Eimear McMullan, Sarah Louise Kearns, Erin Traynor 0-01, Micha Cunning, Adria McAllister 0-01, Dearbhail Elliott 0-01, Erin McMullan 0-04 (4f), Orla McMullan, Mary McArthur 0-01, Clannaid O’Kane

by thesaffrongael

Antrim Camogie All County Go Games Blitz at St. Enda’s…was all go!

Report and photos from Michael Corcoran at St. Enda’s, Glengormley

Antrim Camogie were blessed with another fine afternoon for their Go Games Blitz taking place across two sites, namely Pádraig Sáirseíl, Belfast and St. Enda’s, Glengormley. All games were played in accordance with the Go Games rules and regulations, ensuring game time for all players in an enjoyable environment.

Twelve teams attended the St. Enda’s venue (and ten teams in Pádraig Sáirséil). The teams were:

Naomh Eanna, Naomh Gall, Loughgiel Shamrocks, St Mary’s GAA and Camogie Club Ahoghill, Brídíní Óga, Dunloy GAA and Camogie Club, St. Joseph’s Glenavy, All Saints Ballymena, St. John’s Camogie Club Carnlough, Lamh Dheargh, O’Donovan Rossa U8 (U10 attended Pádraig Sáirséil) and Michael Davitts Belfast.

U10 Players from Brídíní Óga enjoying the action from the Go Games in St. Enda’s

Volunteers from St. Enda’s were in full swing from early in the morning, co-ordinating the banner and parades, car parking and being available to help anyone with queries. Two pitches were allocated for the games, namely the Paddy Laverty and Gerard Lawlor pitches and were divided up to give seven Go Game pitches. The weather and volunteers from St. Enda’s helped the event to be a huge success, with plenty of great camogie on show, giving the Saffron county much to be excited about for the future.

U10 St. Gall’s and hosts, St. Enda’s enjoying the challenges at today’s All County Go Games Blitz

Antrim captain and goalkeeper, Caitriona Graham came along with the All Ireland U23 trophy. The U10 teams enjoyed holding the trophy as part of their banner presentation ahead of the parade.

Caitriona Graham stands with U8 players from St. Joseph’s, Glenavy with the All Ireland U23 trophy

Former Antrim Camogie All Ireland winner, Roisin McMullan co-ordinates her daughter from the sideline. We hope some of the Saffron rubs off for a case of ‘Like mother, like daughter’

You can enjoy the photos from the U8 & U10 banners and parades by following the link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/a9fdPFW6hS9vmH/?invite=b16e6a07-aa63-4295-8cb0-ac9d63dbd1c5

And all of the action from today’s U8 & U10 blitz can be enjoyed here…

https://myalbum.com/album/PMTcqEJRqz3qcb/?invite=a1e276c0-45fc-477a-8b97-9e4ca958e90e

by thesaffrongael

Sarsfields off to a great start in Intermediate Camogie Championship

Intermediate Camogie Championship

Saturday 29th August 

Sarsfields 5-15 Ballycastle 1-8

Sarsfields opened their Intermediate Championship campaign at the Bear Pit as they welcomed Ballycastle, who were playing their second game of the group stages following their opening-round meeting with Creggan.

It was Ballycastle who opened the scoring, with Aoife McCaughan firing over a fine point from play.

Sarsfields settled quickly, however, and captain Laura McKernan responded with a point to get the home side up and running.

From there, Sarsfields began to find their rhythm. Aimee Ferris raised the first green flag for the home side before adding two points as Sarsfields started to build momentum. Ballycastle continued to battle, with McCaughan proving accurate from placed balls and Charlotte McNaughton finding the net to keep the visitors in touch.

Ballycastle goalkeeper Erin O’Hara also made some excellent saves to keep Sarsfields from adding to their tally and give her side a chance to stay in the contest.

Sarsfields continued to press at the other end, with goals from Orla McNulty and Ferris helping them take a 3-8 to 1-4 lead into the half-time break.

Ballycastle came out determined after the restart and continued to work hard for scores, with Molly McToal and Olivia Connolly getting their names on the scoresheet alongside McCaughan.

Sarsfields, however, kept the scoreboard moving. One of the scores of the game came from Darcy Ward, who struck a superb point from around the halfway line.

Ferris remained a constant threat in the Sarsfields attack, finishing an impressive individual performance with 3-6, while McKernan contributed 0-5.

A further goal from Michaela Mullan, along with points from Chloe McGurk and Eireann Boyd, helped Sarsfields see the game out strongly and secure victory in their opening championship fixture.

Full-time: Sarsfields 5-15 Ballycastle 1-8

The result means Sarsfields have now secured their place in the Intermediate Championship quarter-finals, with Ballycastle having also lost out to Creggan in the opening round.

Sarsfields will now face Creggan in their final group game, with the two sides battling it out for top-of-the-group position ahead of the knockout stages.

Scorers

Sarsfields:
Aimee Ferris 3-6; Laura McKernan 0-5 (2f); Orla McNulty 1-0; Michaela Mullan 1-0; Chloe McGurk 0-2; Darcy Ward 0-1; Eireann Boyd 0-1.

Ballycastle:
Charlotte McNaughton 1-0; Aoife McCaughan 0-5 (4f); Molly McToal 0-2; Olivia Connolly 0-1.

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

https://myalbum.com/album/5L9MWa6tCgbBXC/?invite=9e798fe1-6fb4-46bc-9700-97f3ecc83b50