Category / Camogie

by thesaffrongael

Shamrocks reach for another gear to secure the win

Antrim Senior Div 1 League 29th April 2025 

Loughgiel 1-20 Ballycastle 1-13 

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

Summer arrived in Fr. Healy Park and temperatures hovered around 20 degrees at the 7pm throw-in. The pleasant warm air augmented the evening’s sporting entertainment as spectators lined the Park in short sleeves. 

Jerome McAllister officiated the game and once the sliotar was rolled in, Ballycastle’s Elen McIntosh had the honour of the first strike for a point but the sliotar floated wide of the post and that honour would fall to Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty who took possession straight from the puck out. 

Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan and Anna McKillop would improve their score with another two points before Ballycastle’s Sionainn Graham closed the gap by one, a minute later. 

Pushing up into Ballycastle’s half resulted in another two points for Loughgiel, both coming from close quarter passing from Christine McCloskey to Ciara Laverty and McCloskey took her own point as Marie Laverty offered up the sliotar. 

Ballycastle’s Nuala Devlin keeps the sliotar ahead at arms reach as Loughgiel close in

Loughgiel’s free taker, Katie McKillop, stepped up to take her first free of the evening with ten minutes elapsed on the scoreboard; McKillop’s dropping sliotar finding the back of the net from an acute angle, dropping just under the bar, but Ballycastle would quickly neutralise that green flag when a goal mouth scramble from a sliotar brought safely to earth by keeper, Shauna McKillop, resulted in the sliotar momentarily rolling over the goal line from an outstretched stick of Sionainn Graham. McAllister was quick to acknowledge the umpire’s call, and the game quickly reverted to a four-point game, Loughgiel 1-05 Ballycastle 1-1. 

For the remainder of the first half, both sides went toe to toe for the next six points but drama wasn’t far away as Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty closed in on Ballycastle’s goalkeeper, Erin O’Hara, although O’Hara’s first block prevented Laverty from a score off the stick, the quick-thinking Shamrock kicked the sliotar towards the goal, but Kathyrn Mullan was on the line to save the Town from a certain goal. At the other end of the pitch, Ballycastle’s Eimear McCaughan found the sliotar after a long puckout from O’Hara, solo running and a strike to a certain goal had it not been for the heroics of Finvola McVeigh stretching to deflect the sliotar wide. At the short whistle, Loughgiel held onto a four-point lead, 1-11 to 1-07. 

Loughgiel’s Shanna Deery shakes off Ballycastle’s Fay McIntosh in tonights league game

The second half of tonight’s fixture witnessed a comeback from Ballycastle, as they mounted their attack and over nine minutes, found the catch net four times compared to Loughgiel’s one point from a 45. One of those points from Ballycastle’s Eimear McCaughan wouldn’t be found in any camogie textbook, as she took her point intentionally from striking a bouncing ball. That peppering of Loughgile’s catch net closed the gap to just two points, but with only seven minutes left of normal time, the Shamrock’s appeared to drop into another gear and cruised five points without reply to the long whistle, the scoreboard registering Loughgiel 1-20 Ballycastle 1-13. 

This was a great game to watch so early in the league campaign, even though both sides were missing players, spectators were treated to a fast and physical game. 

Loughgiel panel and scorers 

Shauna McKillop, Charlene Campbell, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Sarah Flavin, Megan McGarry, Maeve Shannon, Louise McKillop, Ciara Laverty, Katie McKillop 1-11 (2×45, 5f), Marie Laverty 0-02, Christine McCloskey 0-02, Ciara Connolly 0-01, Carlina Sullivan 0-01, Anna McKillop 0-01, Emma McAllister, Aoibheann Gillan, Erin Connolly, Anna Connolly, Therese McKinley, Shanna Deery 0-01 

Ballycastle panel and scorers 

Erin O’Hara, Niamh Ann Donnelly, Kathryn Mullan, Maria Donnelly, Maebh O’Neill, Enya McShane, Catherine McShane, Aoife Toner, Fay McIntosh, Elen McIntosh 0-07 (1×45, 4f), Sionainn Graham 1-02, Riana McBride, Nuala Devlin 0-01, Marie Bakewell 0-01, Eimear McCaughan 0-01, Fionnuala Toner, Louise McBride, Christina Hamilton, Fay Roddy, Eva Graham, Mary Cate Slevin, Olivia Connolly 

Photos from this evening’s game can be found by clicking on the link here… 

https://myalbum.com/album/my9svcnnMjMnFG/?invite=add7f09a-c11c-4278-9939-e8d3e6e08d1c

by thesaffrongael

Superb St. Mary’s advance to the decider

St Clare Cup semi-final:

St Mary’s Magherafelt 7-13 Cross & Passion Ballycastle 0-1

St Mary’s Magherafelt advanced to the St Clare Cup final when they proved much too strong for a hard working but outclassed Cross & Passion, Ballycastle in sparkling sunshine at Slemish Park, Ballymena on Tuesday afternoon.

Cliodhna Moore who score 4-3 in St. Mary’s Magherafelt’s victory over Cross & Passion, Ballycastle

The Ballycastle girls defended stubbornly during the opening exchanges but had great difficulty in mounting meaningful attacks themselves and when Gráinne Kerr’s shot came back off an upright, the clinical Clíodhna Moore reacted first and fired to the roof of the net.

That score opened the floodgates and there were three more scores within two minutes – a point from Grace McCloskey and then a goal and a point from Moore and Ballycastle were in trouble.

St Mary’s simply pushed on and by half-time led by 4-10 to 0-0, with Moore completing her hat-trick and McCloskey also hitting the net.

Even when Cross & Passion broke clear with goal on their mind, they found Katie Jo McCoy in superb form in the Magherafelt goals. She brought off a couple of point blank saves and then turned a penalty from Jane Feetham around the post in the dying minutes of the half.

Feetham tried to lift her team-mates with an excellent solo point in the opening minute of the second half, but it proved token resistance to St Mary’s who pushed on with Moore’s fourth goal, followed by one each from team captain Gráinne Doherty and sub Lucia McAleer.

The second semi-final takes place on Friday morning (11.30am) in Portglenone between St Patrick’s Maghera and St Louis Ballymena.

Scorers:

St Mary’s: C Moore 4-3, G Doherty 1-3, 0-1 free, G McCloskey 1-2, L McAleer 1-1, E Kelly 0-2, C McNally and G Kerr 0-1 each.

Cross & Passion: J Feetham 0-1.

Starting teams:

St Mary’s: KJ McCoy, C McNicholl, M Cleary, R Bradley, E McErlean, E Kearney, L Mullan, C McNally, G Doherty, E Kelly, G McCloseky, G Kerr, G McVey, C Moore, G McAuley.

Cross & Passion: EM Watt, E Devlin, B Irvine, C Flavin, M McAlonan, M Kearns, S McSparran, E Fairley, R McCaughan, C McShane, J Feetham, C McNaughton, E Hunter, M Healy, G Mullan.

Referee: O Elliott

TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/Ntsid8DuEZaVxy

by thesaffrongael

Graham’s super save books final spot for Antrim

Armagh City Hotel Ulster Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals

Antrim 0-15 Down 0-13

Antrim Camogs were pushed to the pin of their collars before squeezing past Down in an entertaining Ulster Senior Camogie semi-final at Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel on Sunday. Leading by two points going into injury time the Down supporters must have felt their team were set to snatch victory when Beth Fitzpatrick got on the end of a long delivery into the Antrim danger area, but to the great relief of the home crowd the Saffrons shot stopper Catriona Graham produced a brilliant save when she dived full length to turn Fitzpatrick’s shot away and seal the win for her side.

When the team’s met earlier in the season in the league Antrim had run out convincing winners, but it was clear from the start that Domnhal Nugent’s charges were not going to be a push-over this time around. Playing with the breeze at their backs in the opening half the visitors fell behind to early scores from Antrim’s Evanne Martin and Cassie McArthur, but with the brilliant Paul O’Hagan leading the line the Down girls hit the next six points on the bounce to lead 0-06 to 0-02. Antrim were in a spot of bother but they fought back well and two pointed frees from Roisin McCormick and one each from play by Katie Molloy and Maeve Kelly cut the gap back to a single point by half time.

Beth Fitzpatrick increased Down’s lead in the early stages of the new half before Roisin McCormick hauled the visitors back in with three points from frees, but O’Hagan pulled one back to tie the scores at 0-09 apiece by the 42st minute. Maeve Kelly produced a couple of moments of magic to send over two quick points, and although they Saffrons now had the upper hand they could not add to that score, which kept the home fans on the edge of their seats. As the game went deep into injury time it looked like they had done enough to clinch the title, but there was late drama when Fitzpatrick shot sped towards the corner of the Antrim net, before Graham’s brilliant heroics saved the day and booked her team’s place against Derry in the Ulster final in two week’s times.

SCORERS

Antrim R McCormick 0-8 (0-7f), M Kelly 0-3, K Molloy 0-2, E Martin & C McArthur 0-1 each

Down P O’Hagan 0-10 (0-7f), B Fitzpatrick 0-2, A McAleenan 0-1

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

https://myalbum.com/album/jv6RPHNRbiVHcC/?invite=45fa743c-6fee-439d-81c4-13484162c4dd

by thesaffrongael

Antrim Camogie Minors All Ireland A Shield Champions

All Ireland Minor A Shield Antrim v Laois 27th April 2025 

Match report and photos from Antrim County PRO Michael Corcoran at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny 

Antrim 1-27 Laois 2-09 

For the most part of Sunday’s Shield final, the sun shone down on Nowlan Park and particularly on Antrim’s minors. A faultless breeze-assisted second half wore their opponents, Laois, down and pegged Laois’ second half scoring to just five points compared to Antrim’s significant tally of eighteen points. But the game started out with promise for Laois, with two terrific goals, stemming from mistakes in the back line, and four points to walk in only two points behind Antrim at the short whistle. No one could have predicted that Antrim would pull away in the second half with such a display of strength, hunger, tenacity and skill. 

The official for the match, Cathal McAllister from Cork, had his ‘steps’ clocked up in what was a lively game, at times end to end. No sooner had McAllister blew at the throw in, than an audacious set play from Antrim’s Eobha McAllister (no relation as the great RTE GAA commentator Míchéal Ó Muircheartaigh would have said) to a running Eva McNeill finding the catch net over Laois’ bar in under ten seconds. 

Antrim pressed hard into the southerly breeze as Laois won the toss and elected to play with the elements and points favoured Antrim from Eva McNeill, Kady Mcneill and Eimear McCaughan before Laois replied with a classy point on a shortened stick from an unmarked Lara Culleton, just after teammate Eimear Murphy’s point from a free. 

Eva McNeill breaks away during Sunday’s Minor All Ireland game in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

It took only eight minutes before Antrim’s midfielder Eobha McAllister would prove her authority on the sliotar, with a smart hand pass to a running Aimee Ferris. Ferris sailed a high sliotar into the breeze, but it dipped dangerously and caught out Laois’ goalkeeper, Grace Foxe for the game’s first goal. Laois weren’t phased by Antrim’s green flag and demonstrated their abundant skills when Emma Jane Cuddy fought hard for a well won ball and on the turn sailed that over Antrim’s bar to bring scores to Antrim 1-04 Laois 0-03. 

Antrim were equally capable of demonstrating pace and scoring as Eobha McAllister crossed a ball into Eimear McCaughan, lifting, turning and losing her marker with some ease for a classy score. Although Laois would raise their first green flag of two inside ten minutes from a super pick pocket by Laois’ Eimear Murphy as Antrim’s Laura Black waited on the sliotar to come back onto her stick, McCaughan would perform a damage limitation exercise with two straight points in rapid succession and a nifty pass from Eva McNeill onto Amy McAlister would find the catch net over the bar and Antrim had neutralised the first green flag. 

That situation wouldn’t last, as a Laois long puck out down the stand side would find the competent stick of Eimear Murphy, quickly offering the sliotar to Emma Jane Cuddy and a drifting Lara Culleton from her marker found her shot at Antrim’s net for their second goal of the game. 

It’s all over, Antrim are Minor A Shield All Ireland champions!

A loose swing from Antrim’s Eobha McAlister would attract scrutiny from the match official for a yellow card and Laois’ Eimear Murphy wasted no time in dispatching that free over Antrim’s bar. The game would lapse into the scoring doldrums for upwards of ten minutes as both sides blocked, hooked and chased every ball until Aimee Ferris set up Mary McArthur for a simple point on the turn. As the short whistle blew for half time, the sides walked in with the large scoreboard announcing Antrim 1-09 Laois 2-04, just two points the difference. 

Antrim’s fortunes were about to take a significant turn for the good in the second half as they worked the sliotar long and deep to take their scores. Laois would float five points over Antrim’s bar during the entire second half and had a goal opportunity, around the forty-five-minute mark that had to be pushed over for a point to salvage something from Laois’ presence in Antrim’s box, compared to Antrim’s haul of eighteen points.  

Antrim showed determination, tenacity and accuracy that coalesced into points running up on the Nowlan Park scoreboard, leaving Laois a long way back and as Antrim showed no letup in their pace and energy, Laois would be locked out of a comeback.  

With approximately fifteen minutes of normal time left on the clock, both sides brought fresh legs onto the field, Laois rotating three times compared to Antrim’s five. 

As the final whistle blew around the hallowed turf of Kilkenny, Antrim finished on what they had come to do, win another minor All Ireland. The Nowlan Park scoreboard registered Antrim 1-27 Laois 2-09.  

The Electric Ireland streaming team selected Antrim’s Eva McNeill as player of the match with a magnificent clutch of eight points, five of those from play and an impactful player covering a lot of the field, setting up scores for other players.  

Antrim’s Eva McNeill picked up player of the match

Another Antrim player that caught the lens’ around the park worthy of note was Amy McAlister, with a tidy haul of seven points from play, six of those in the second half that turbo charged Antrim’s drive for the line along with Eva McNeill’s second half six points. 

This was an impressive show of camogie from both teams, but success came to Antrim on this occasion and deservedly so, given their performance on the day. 

Camogie president, Brian Molloy, presents the A Shield to Antrim captain, Kady McNeill

Antrim panel and scorers 

Orlaith Johnston, Rhianna Black, Eva Lee, Leona Gillan, Maeve Devlin, Casey Crawford, Laura Black 0-01, Eobha McAllister 0-01, Eva McNeill 0-08 (1×45, 2f), Cara Delaney, Aimee Ferris 1-02, Mary McArthur 0-02, Amy McAlister 0-07, Kady McNeill 0-02, Eimear McCaughan 0-04, Laoise Stone, Cara Lynch, Niamh Mullan, Sarah Louise Kearns, Aoife Fitzsimmons, Sarah Flavin, Erinmae Mitchell, Amelie Annett, Órlaith Gould, Mary-Angela Nic Carthaigh, Louise McBride

Substitutions  

Aoife Fitzsimmons for Cara Delaney, Amelie Annett for Mary McArthur, Órlaith Gould for Eimear McCaughan, Laoise Stone for Rhianna Black, Sarah Louise Kearns for Leona Gillan 

Laois panel and scorers 

Grace Foxe, Emer Conroy, Julie Ann Bennett, Chloe Troy, Sive Ó Reilly, Ella Phelan, Katie Lyons, Erin Walsh, Kaylah O Mara, Eimear Murphy 1-05 (4f), Aoife Kirby, Aoibheann Stynes, Lara Culleton 1-01, Emma Jane Cuddy 0-01, Katie Kavanagh 0-02, Amy Daly, Lucy Donoghue, Alison Curran, Niamh O’Shea, Muireann Bennett, Kayleigh Dunne, Ruby Doyle, Aoife Morris, Annie Dunne

 Substitutions 

Aoibheann Stynes for Kaylah O Mara, Ruby Doyle for Amy Daly, Lucy Donoghue for Lara Culleton, Aoife Morris for Chloe Troy 

You can enjoy all the photos from Sunday’s final by following the link here… 

https://myalbum.com/album/vG5nSw4K8RtgeK/?invite=6d706349-2f02-4db7-bbb3-df5f0e8e538c

by thesaffrongael

Breedon Group cementing a partnership with the Lámhs

Lámh Dhearg are delighted to announce that the leading vertically-integrated international construction materials group in Ireland, Breedon, have generously become a partner of the club and sponsor of their senior teams.

At the launch Chairman Brian Smyth warmly welcomed Breedon’s Fraser Thom, Products and Materials Director and David Cleland Manager of Breedon Ireland along with club trustees Jackie Duffy , Pat McCague and Sean Maguire , committee members and representatives from their senior teams.

Brian spoke proudly of how the club is rapidly expanding in terms of facilities and teams and acknowledged the members working hard in the functioning of the club . He commented “Breedon partnership is very exciting and will undoubtedly be a major help and boost in running the senior teams in the club. We are very excited and looking forward to building a very strong and productive partnership with Breedon in the next few years. The club are very appreciative of Breedon securing the partnership .”

Breedon’s Fraser Thom thanked the club for such a hospitable welcome and commented “Building on our previous sponsorship of the women’s team, we are delighted to progress our partnership with Cumann Lámh Dhearg CLG to become the official sponsor across all senior teams.

Creating a positive impact in the local communities in which we work is an ongoing commitment for us at Breedon. Supporting Lámh Dhearg, a club with a long-standing dedication to developing sport and community in their West Belfast locality, is a perfect fit for us

We look forward to following and wishing the senior teams well as they advance this season and into the future”.

The club would encourage all members to support Breedon and any of our other many generous partners if the opportunity arises as they are all vital in facilitating the successful promotion and development of Gaelic games in the club.