Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior Camogie championship – Group 3:

Waterford 5-16 Antrim 0-10

Antrim Camogs suffered their heaviest defeat since their promotion to the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior championship when they were beaten by 21 points by an excellent Waterford team at the SETU Arena in Waterford on Saturday. The Saffrons went into the game with hopes of booking a semi-final spot as leaders of the group but the girls from the Deise turned in a superb display as they showed their class throughout the field and in this kind of form they must surely be contenders for their first All Ireland Senior title.

However all is not lost for the Antrim girls who now face Tipperary in next Saturday quarter final at Croke Park, the game played as a curtain raiser to the Limerick v Galway All Ireland Hurling semi-final

Antrim had fared well in the opening quarter of the game and were level on 0-3 apiece after fifteen minutes, two of the scores coming from Roisin McCormick and one from Siobhan McKillop. but it was clear Waterford were gaining the upper hand and in a ten minute spell of total dominance at the start of the second quarter they put the game beyond Antrim’s grasp.  

Player of the match Beth Carton led the goal charge with a goal on 16 minutes as she lobbed the ball to the Antrim net and corner forward Mairead O’Brien got in for a second soon afterwards.

Katie McKillop pulled a point back for Antrim but O’Brien got in for her second goal and when left half forward Niamh Rockett got her team’s fourth in a ten minute spell, Antrim had a mountain to climb.

Ahead by 4-6 to 0-7 at half time Waterford had an early scare when Roisin McCormick cut through on goal, but her shot flashed over the bar. The home side hit back emphatically when player of the match Carton got in for her second goal, her team’s fifth and from then on the destiny of the points was clear.

To their credit Antrim kept fighting to the end, but they could not match the Waterford girls in most departments. However they have a big day out in Croker to look forward too next weekend against Tipperary. That will undoubtedly be another big challenge but one that the Saffrons will relish.  

Waterford: B Carton (2-10, 0-8 frees), M O’Brien (2-0), N Rockett (1-2), A Fitzgerald (0-1), L Bray (0-1), O Hickey (0-1), R Kirwan (0-1)

Antrim: R McCormick (0-4, 2 frees), C Dobbin (0-3, 2 frees), S McKillop (0-1), K McKillop (0-1), N Cosgrove (0-1 free)

Waterford: B O’Regan, V Faulkner, I Heffernan, K Lynch, K Corbett-Barry, L Forest, M Power, O Hickey, L Bray, N Rockett, B Carton, A Flynn, A Fitzgerald, R Walsh, M O’Brien. 

Subs: R Kirwan for M O’Brien (39), A Corcoran for A Fitzgerald (46)

Antrim: C Graham, C Patterson, K Laverty, M Lynn, N Cosgrove, C Conlon capt, L McKenna, A Boyle, A Connolly, S McKillop, M McKillen, K McKillop, Á Magill, R McCormick, C Dobbin

Subs: F Kelly for M McKillen (31), E Kearns for C Conlon (45), C McArthur for K McKillop (45), L McNaughton for Á Magill (45), M McGarry for N Cosgrove (52), E McShane for M Lynn (52).

Referee: A Larkin

There were euphoric scenes at a sunny Hannahstown when the Lámh Dhearg  u15 Camogs won the National C Regional Féile.  A fantastic achievement by the young Camogs as they created history as the first Camogie team in the club to win County  and National Féile titles. A remarkable feat considering juvenile camogie only began about a decade ago.
The tournament began for the girls from Lámh Dhearg with a closely contested game against Portaferry. The girls from the peninsula started brightly but some great defending from Aimee McGreevy and Katie Flynn in the full back line kept them at bay. The Lámh Dhearg grew into the game with two excellent points from midfielders Amelie Annett and Aoife Fitzsimons giving the Hannahtown girls a narrow 0-2 to 0-0 lead at half time. The game continued to ebb and flow in the second half with subs Brenna Armstrong and Sophie Morris adding a bit more firepower up front. Lámh Dhearg extended their lead in the second half with a goal from Sophie Morris before Portaferry managed to get a goal back. There was a tense finish to the game with only two points between the sides before Lámh Dhearg sealed the victory with another point from Holly Black after good work from Aoife Linskey. Olivia Walker and Ríona McKenna helped shore things up at the back as the game finished 1-3 to 1-0 to the Lámhs.

Up next for the Hannahstown side were Avondale, from Wicklow. Lámh Dhearg’s half back line of Catríona Doran, Cara Lynch and Sarah Bellew dominated early on snuffing out the Avondale attacks and setting Amelie Annett and Aoife Fitzsimons up with a series of points from midfield. A well taken goal from Aoife Craig gave Lámh Dhearg a comfortable 1-4 to 0-0 lead at halftime. Lámh Dhearg introduced Eimear McCambridge and Cara Flanagan up front in the second half to keep the pressure on the Wicklow side. Lámh Dhearg sealed the result with a superb goal from Holly Black after she was picked out by Fionnuala Baker from the middle of the park. Black caught the ball brilliantly on the edge of the square, before turning and drilling it to the corner of the net. Fitzsimons tacked on another two points with the Lámh running out 2-6 to 0-1 winners.

The first two results had left Lámh Dhearg sitting on top of the group with two wins before their final group game against Omagh, St Endas. The match was end-to-end action from the very beginning. A fantastic defensive display rom Laoise Stone and Ríona McKenna at full back kept the Tyrone team at bay. The impressive Doran and Lynch were in the heart of the action in the half back line as both teams tried to gain an early foothold in the game. Jessica Brunty and Olivia Walker battled well up front before Holly Black again made the breakthrough with a fine goal. The girls from the hill sensed the game was there for the taking and surged further into the lead with another goal from Annett after some great work from Lila McCann. Lámh Dhearg added another point before the end, to win the game comfortably 2-3 to 0-0.

After topping group one the Lámh Dhearg girls then faced the runners up, Na Magha, from group two in the semifinal. The game began at a thunderous pace with both sides giving their all. Charlotte Coleman was outstanding in goals again for the Lámh Dhearg as they held the Derry team at bay. Na Magha battled fiercely but the tough tackling Lynch, Stone and Doran began to come out on top for the Hannahstown side. The game was keenly contested and only a number of frees from Annett and a point from Fitzsimons kept Lámh Dhearg ahead at the break. The hardworking McCambridge and Brunty were replaced by Flanagan and Black as the Lámhs worked diligently in the second half before Sophie Morris sealed the victory with a superb strike to the bottom corner to give the Lámhs the 1-6 to 0-0 victory to take them into the final.

There was a great atmosphere as Lámh Dhearg faced Keady of Armagh in the final of the cup competition late in the afternoon. Both sides had impressed all day and topped their respective groups, and the crowd were expecting a closely contested games and were not disappointed. Both sides tried to assert control in the first half with neither team able to make the breakthrough. Keady had a few early opportunities but Coleman in goals along with McGreevy and Stone at full back were equal to the challenge. Sarah Bellew and Katie Flynn impressed as they helped shut down the Keady attack. Lámh Dhearg suffered a setback early on as one of their star forwards Aoife Craig was forced off with a bad injury. Cara Flanagan and Holly Black came on to replace Armstrong and the injured Craig in the Lámh Dhearg attack. The Hannahstown side finally made the breakthrough just before halftime with an incisive run and point from Fitzsimons in midfield, leaving the minimum between the teams at the break. Linskey and McKenna came on in the second half for the the Lámhs as they continued to push for the historic win. Amelie Annett was a tower of strength in the middle of the park for the Hannahstown team as she won ball after ball in the air. Fionnuala Baker battled bravely up front but was unable to break the strong Keady defense. The game was on a knife-edge as the final whistle approached until Fitzsimons broke from midfield after some great interplay with McCann to pop over the winning score. The Hannahstown girls were jumping for joy a few minutes later as the referee blew the final whistle to bring to an end a fantastic day of camogie up the hill.  
Captain Amelie Annett proudly lifted the trophy amidst jubilant celebrations.
A truly memorable day for the young Hannahstown Camogs, families and members to remember. The magnificent achievement is further evidence of the quality coaching and work happening in camogie at the club which augurs well for the future.
Panel 

Charlotte Coleman
Aimee McGreevy
Laoise Stone
Katie Flynn
Cara Lynch 
Catríona Doran
Sarah Bellew
Aoife Fizsimons
Amelie Annett
Lila McCann
Cara Flanagan
Fionnuala Baker
Aoife Craig
Brenna Armstrong 
Holly Black
Sophie Morris
Eimear McCambridge
Jessica Brunty
Olivia Walker
Aoife Linskey 
Ríona McKenna

Antrim Camogie League – Division 2

Gort na Mona 2-1 Creggan 1-15

Creggan travelled to Gort na Mona on Tuesday evening and beat the Turf Lodge girls in Division 2 of the Antrim Camogie League. Lead by their brilliant young captain Evanne Martin the Lough Shore girls were in control from the start and it took a brilliant penalty save from the Gorts goalkeeper Colleen McAvoy to keep the visitors out

However Evanne Martin soon had Creggan ahead as he hit four of the first six points, while full forward Susan McIlwee got the other two. Chloe Lennon gave the Gorts new hope when she fired home a goal and Olaith Lennon added a point, but a Martin goal had the Creggan girls 1-7 to 1-1 ahead at half time.

The second half was mostly one way traffic and after Cara McCann opened the scoring for Creggan, Evanne Martin stepped up to hit the next three. Further scores come from Susan McIlwee Mary Murray Laura McCann and McIlwee again before the Gort finished with another goal from Chloe Lennon

Ruairi Og Cushendall All Ireland Feile Camogie Champions 2023

Ruairi Og under 15 camogs created history on Saturday the 24th of June when they became the first ever Cushendall camogie team to win an All Ireland as they claimed the Feile title in Craughwell Co. Galway. The young Ruairis got off to a flying start in the group stages against Navan O’ Mahonys. With Maeve McAlister and Laoise McCollam in charge at the back and Scarlet Kerr-McKillop and Erinmae Mitchell in control at midfield they provided a solid platform. Up front captain Eva McNeill was in superb form hitting 1-4 as was Emma “The Mitch” Mitchell who claimed two great goals and they were well supported by Amy McAlister (0-2) and Cliodhna Thompson (0-1) in a 3-7 to 0-1 victory.

   In the second group game the Ruairis faced a much fancied Naas team from Kildare. However thanks to first half goals from Cliodhna Thompson and Eva McNeill the Ruairis were well in control by half time. At the back Aibrean Campbell and Niamh McCollam were giving nothing away and with further second half scores from Eva McNeill and Cliodhna Thompson Cushendall recorded their second victory, Ruairi Og 3-6 Naas 0-0.

   In the final group game Cushendall knew that a win against Castlegar of Galway would mean they would qualify top of their group. The Galway ladies provided stiffer opposition but again the Cushendall girls put their shoulder to the wheel. A great early save by Dall goalkeeper Laoiseach McNaughton set the tone. In a dogged game scores were at a premium but 3 points from Eva McNeill, a goal from Cliodhna Thompson and a point from Amy McAlister combined with stout contributions from Anna Birt, Tamara Black and Mia McKeegan saw the Ruairis get the result they needed 1-4 to 0-1.

   In the semi final Erin’s Own Lavey provided the opposition. In a titanic battle where no quarter was asked or given the early exchanges were tense. After five minutes the sides were level on a point each. Dall captain Eva McNeill was leading by example and she hit two super points to put Cushendall 0-3 to 0-1 ahead. The critical score in the game came just before half time when a long delivery from McNeill was brilliantly caught in a ruck of players by Cliodhna Thompson who sprinted clear of the Lavey defence and finished to the net. Half time score Cushendall 1-3 Lavey 0-1. In the second half Lavey pressed hard but time and again they found the Dall defence impregnable. Laoise McCollam, Maeve McAlister and Erin McNaughton in particular were superb. Up front a further three points, two from Cliodhna Thompson and one from Tamara Black was enough to seal a spot in the final. Final score Cushendall 1-6 Lavey 0-1.

   In the other semi final St. Cillian’s of Offaly were too strong for Naas and so it was they who provided the opposition in the final. Both teams had qualified unbeaten and a tight affair was expected. However driven on by the memory of loosing the final last year the Ruairi Og girls exploded out of the traps. Up front Eva McNeill played a captain’s part with 2 goals and three points. Cliodhna Thompson and Amy McAlister were also on fire scoring 0-4 and 0-3 respectively. That combined with Laoiseach McNaughton’s superb first half penalty save and brilliant defending from the excellent Maeve McAlister and Laoise McCollam had the young Ruairis in total control. The result was never really in doubt, final score Cushendall 2-10 St. Cillian’s 0-4.

   There were emotional scenes at the final whistle as players, mentors, parents and supporters celebrated a magnificent victory. Cushendall had a few star players throughout the day, however this victory was achieved by the hard work and determination of every player on the panel. From number 1 to 23, every girl that took to the field worked their socks off. They were a credit to themselves, their families, club and county.

Ruairi Og team:

1.           Laoiseach McNaughton

2.           Keira Hill

3.           Laoise McCollam

4.           Aibrean Campbell

5.           Erin McNaughton

6.           Maeve McAlister

7.           Niamh McCollam

8.           Scarlet Kerr-McKillop

9.           Erinmae Mitchell

10.         Tamara Black

11.         Eva McNeill

12.         Cliodhna Thompson

13.         Amy McAlister

14.         Mia McKeegan

15.         Emma Mitchell

16.         Anna Birt

17.         Gabriella McNeill

18.         Aimee Hill

19.         Sara Black

20.         Aimee McAuley

21.         Lucia Trainor

22.         Ellen McAlister

23.         Aiofe Molloy.

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship

Antrim 1-6 Derry 1-16

Derry qualified for the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final draw with a ten point win over Antrim 2nds in Glenariffe on Saturday evening.

Derry were dominant from the start and Aoife Shaw stroked over four frees over the opening seven minutes and Áine McAllister added one from play before Shaw and Aimee Lennon combined to send Shannon O’Connor through for the opening goal in the 11th minute.

That gave the Oak Leaf girls a 1-10 to 0-2 interval lead and the young Saffrons had a mountain to climb against a much more experienced Derry side. To their credit the young Saffrons kept battling  and the got some reward when Maria Bakewell set Elen McIntosh up for an Antrim goal. However they were never going to get close enough to trouble PJ O’Mullan’s team who will enter the draw next Saturday for two semi-final places with Kilkenny and Westmeath.

Derry: S O’Connor 1-0, A Shaw 0-9, 8 frees, Á McAllister 0-3, D O’Kane 0-2, M McNicholl 0-1, M Hegarty 0-1.

Antrim: E McIntoshh 1-0, D Cosgrove 0-3 frees, A McNeill 0-1, O Laverty 0-1, C O’Boyle 0-1

Derry: N Gribbin, N Quinn, E O’Kane, S McGill, R Downey, A Ní Chaiside, L McKenna, Á McGill, D O’Kane, Á McGill, M McNicholl, A Shaw, A Lennon, S O’Connor, M Hegarty, Á McAllister

Subs: L Lennon for E O’Kane (32), O Hull for S O’Connor (41), R McAllister for A Lennon (47), L Coyle for N Gribbin (54).

Antrim: Á Graham, M McLarnon, C Kearney, E Traynor, C Crawford, C Laverty, Bronach McGill, A McNeill, E McMullan, C O’Boyle, E Coulter, D Cosgrove, E McIntosh, O Laverty, S Fyfe

Subs: M Bakewell for S Fyfe (HT), A Donnelly for C O’Boyle (HT), Bríd Magill for E McIntosh (HT), E McIntosh for E McMullan (48), S Fyfe for C Laverty (58)

Referee: Ray Kelly