Eamon’s “Claim to Fame” as he leads the funeral procession of Nobel Prize winning poet Seamus Heaney through their native Bellaghy on September 2nd 2013. Ironically 13 years to the day Eamon passed away
We were saddened to hear about the sudden death of Eamon Downey on 30 August. Eamon resided in Dunloy and a native of Ballynease, Bellaghy but was well known throughout the county and beyond for both his passion for gaelic football and for mastering the art of playing the bagpipes.
Eamon won a Derry championship medal with his hometown club before marring Kate (née Brogan) and moving to Dunloy. Eamon continued to ply his trade for the Cuchullains for a number of years – prominently as a left half back.
Eamon’s passion for gaelic football continued as he coached at various levels in Dunloy, including senior. A mild-mannered gentleman, Eamon had a way of developing relationships with the players that earned their respect, allowing the players to develop by nurturing their talent in a knowledgeable and calming manner.
He would often be found sharing a joke with many of the players he coached throughout the years and the outpouring of condolences since his passing on various social media outlets is a testament to how highly Eamon was thought on by everyone who’s lives he touched.
Eamon was also a well-known soccer player having played for Portglenone FC, Corkey FC, Ballycastle United and Banview Rovers, all with distinction and winning many awards and trophies. He was a highly respected member of each club as could be recognised by the attendance at his wake and funeral.
Eamon leads the Dunloy and Loughgiel teams in the pre-match parade before the 2017 Under 21 Hurling final in Armoy, the first game covered by the Saffron Gael
In recent years, Eamon would have been better known for playing his bagpipes. Leading teams around the pitch on finals as a lone piper, Eamon was there when called upon and did so with pride. An All-Ireland and World Champion in 2004 with Seven Towers, Eamon started piping with his brother Paddy and later his younger brother Sean (RIP) at Bann Valley Pipe Band, Quinn Memorial as well as Seven Towers.
As fate would have it, Eamon’s passing came on the anniversary of his self-proclaimed ‘claim to fame’. Eamon was the lone piper that led Nobel Prize winner and poet Seamus Heaney through Bellaghy on the day he was buried, 13 years previous.
Eamon was a deeply devoted to his wife Kate and his three daughters Colette (McCamphill), Aileen (Duddy) and Bronagh (Keenan) along with their children, Oisín, Lucy, Cillian, Ollie, Reece and Aimee.
We at the Saffron Gael wish to pass our deepest condolences to Kate and all the Downey family as well as his brothers and sisters Paddy (Downey), Anne (Heaney), Francis (Downey), Mary (Dinsmore) and Kathleen (McTaggart).
Clann na h’Éireann Carraigin 4-13 Glenariffe Oisin CLG 2-09
Cargin delivered another convincing win, in the Antrim LGFA Junior B Championship this time in front of a home crow at Toome. The win sees the girls progress, due to meet Pádraig Sárseil in the next round on Saturday 19th, 6pm
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…
In 2026, St Ergnat’s GAC Moneyglass celebrates 30 years of ladies football – three decades that have taken the club from a small group of players getting a team together in the mid-1990s to the highest level of club ladies football in Ireland.
It is a story of steady growth, plenty of hard work and, in more recent years, a remarkable level of success.
Where it all began
The woman who started it all, Pauline (McCoy) McIntosh with club stalwarts Eddie McKeever and Chris Duffin
The origins of ladies football in Moneyglass can be traced back to 1995, when Pauline McCoy and three college friends set about establishing ladies football in Antrim. At the time, Antrim was one of only two counties in Ireland without organised ladies football. With no social media to advertise the new venture, notices were simply placed in local shop windows to attract players.
Moneyglass was one of the clubs formed as a result.
In 1996, the first organised Antrim league and championship competitions were established, with Moneyglass among the participating clubs. The following year, under manager Eddie McKeever, assisted by Aidan Marron, Moneyglass won the Antrim Ladies Championship, defeating reigning champions Glenravel in the final, only in their second season of existence.
Anita & Claire Gribben with their Uncle Eddie McKeever
That early team established a tradition that would continue for the next three decades.
Back-to-back Junior Championship titles followed in 1998 and 1999, while the club continued to compete near the top of Antrim football. In 2003, Moneyglass won the Ulster Junior Club Championship, following defeat in the final in 2002. A significant achievement for a small rural club. The club then won its first Antrim Intermediate Championship in 2006, adding another Intermediate title in 2011.
The foundations had been laid.
Building from the underage
While senior success was important, one of the defining features of Moneyglass’ development has been the emphasis placed on underage football.
By the 20-year anniversary in 2017, the club had grown from approximately 40 registered ladies to around 150 girls playing from U6 through to senior level.
2016: Past Players on 20 year anniversary
That investment in younger players would ultimately become the driving force behind the club’s next period of success.
The progress became particularly evident in the early 2020s, when Moneyglass began producing successful teams across several age groups. In 2022, the club achieved something unprecedented by winning the U14, U16, Minor and Senior Championships in the same year, as well as reaching the Ulster Senior Club final, only to be beaten narrowly by Donaghmoyne, Co. Monaghan.
That remarkable season was made even more significant by the U15 girls winning the All-Ireland Féile title, remaining unbeaten throughout the competition. This was the third All Ireland Féile title since 2016, including 2 All Ireland U14 7s titles.
The success was no longer confined to one generation or one team. There was evidence of a genuine pathway developing through the club.
The greatest day in the club’s history when they played in the All Ireland Senior Club final
From success in Antrim to the Ulster stage
The senior team continued to establish itself as the leading force in Antrim ladies football.
After winning the Intermediate Championship in 2020, Moneyglass began a remarkable run at senior level. By 2025, the club had won five consecutive Antrim Senior Championships, with the latest coming against St Paul’s in October 2025.
But 2025 would prove to be a year unlike any other in the club’s history.
Having previously come close at provincial level, Moneyglass finally broke through to win its first Ulster Senior Club Championship, defeating Tyrone champions Errigal Ciarán 3-10 to 0-6 in the final.
It was not only a first Ulster title for Moneyglass; it was the first Ulster Senior Club Championship won by an Antrim club.
The team then went one step further.
In the All-Ireland semi-final, Moneyglass defeated Dublin and Leinster champions Kilmacud Crokes 1-12 to 1-10, becoming the first Antrim club to reach an All-Ireland Senior Club Championship final.
The final against five-time reigning champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne ultimately ended in defeat, but reaching Croke Park represented the biggest achievement in the history of St Ergnat’s ladies football and placed the club firmly on the national stage.
The significance of that achievement was recognised beyond the club, with Moneyglass subsequently receiving the Ulster LGFA Club of the Year award following its landmark 2025 season.
It is the players who started out in the 1990s and helped establish the team. It is the parents who brought girls to training and matches. It is the coaches and volunteers who gave up evenings and weekends. It is the families who have had several generations involved, and the supporters who have followed the team through every season.
And perhaps that is what makes the last 30 years particularly special. St Ergnat’s is a small club in a small community, but the support for the ladies has always been anything but small. From underage football to senior, there has been a real sense of people getting behind the girls, celebrating their achievements and helping make sure the next generation has the same opportunities. There have been plenty of memories made along the way, on and off the pitch, with the hope being that there are many more to come.
To mark 30 years of St Ergnat’s ladies football, we have also launched a special commemorative jersey, featuring the names of 100 people who have been part of the journey over the years.
For £100, you can have a name of your choice included on the jersey and will receive one of the commemorative jerseys. We’d love to see a real mix of names from across the 30 years – players, coaches, families, supporters and those who helped get the ladies club off the ground in the early days.
It’s a small way of recognising the many people who have played a part in making the club what it is today, and something that will hopefully become a nice reminder of the first 30 years of St Ergnat’s ladies football.
Here’s to the next 30 years — and to plenty more memories, friendships and good days along the way.
Laochra Loch Lao were first off the mark in the opening period of this final game in the group stages of theJFC Group 1, registering a fine point from play in the second minute courtesy of Tomás Ó Tuathaláin. However, with five minutes gone, Rasharkin hit back to level proceedings with a well-taken point from Ferghal Kennedy.
The sparring in the opening ten minutes was fairly even, with points from Brian Óg O’Neill for Rasharkin and Fionntain Ó Tuathaláin for Laochra Lao seeing the sides level at two points apiece after ten minutes of play.
What followed, however, marked a major stepping up in pressure from Rasharkin, who completely locked down their defence and kept Laochra Lao scoreless for the remainder of the opening half.
O’Neill was proving pivotal for Rasharkin. He had clearly brought his shooting boots as he fired over a further four points in succession from both play and frees to put daylight between the teams. James Higgins soon got in on the act with a point from play, and at this stage, it looked like the well-organised Rasharkin outfit were going to be incredibly difficult for Laochra Loch Lao to keep up with.
The number of players getting their names on the scoreboard for Rasharkin continued to increase when Oran McMullan sent over his first point of the day. The final five minutes of the opening half saw Rasharkin tightening their grip on this game even further as McMullan slotted over a further point, leaving seven points between the sides at the short whistle.
Half-Time Score:Rasharkin 0-09 Laochra Lao 0-02
A dominant second-half performance proved decisive as Rasharkin secured their place in the championship semi-finals, despite a spirited and resilient challenge from a dogged Laochra Loch Lao side.
The tone for the second period was set a mere three minutes after the restart. Rasharkin standard-bearer Killian O’Boyle stepped up to the penalty spot and ruthlessly tucked away a clinical goal. At that early juncture, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Laochra as the gap began to widen.
However, anyone expecting the Irish Language sideto merely fulfil a fixture was quickly proven wrong. Exhibiting immense fighting spirit, they hit back almost immediately. A brilliant point from play by Mac Gafraidh was quickly followed by a cleanly struck free from Ó Nullain, breathing life back into their campaign and keeping the contest alive.
On 50 minutes, Andrew Hasson fired over a beautiful two pointer, that effectively ended the resistance of Laochra Lao. For the next ten minutes, the match evolved into an intense, score-for-score battle. Yet, as the clock ticked down, the strength in depth of the Rasharkin squad began to tell. Fresh legs and relentless pressure gradually chipped away at the Laochra Lao resilience.
The deficit ultimately proved too wide a bridge to cross for the chasing side, with the result effectively sealed in the 58th minute. Hasson showed immense composure to split the posts for his second crucial “two-pointer” of the afternoon, extending the Rasharkin advantage beyond doubt.
To their immense credit, Laochra Lao refused to lie down. In a final, desperate surge of persistence, they forced an infraction in the square and were awarded a penalty of their own. Oisín MacCrabhagain stepped up and duly dispatched the spot-kick with absolute confidence.
While MacCrabhagain’s goal ensured Laochra Lao had the final say in the encounter, it proved to be too little, too late to alter the final outcome.
Despite the defeat, Laochra Lao can hold their heads high. Their fierce performance demonstrates they will have a major say as the quarter-finals unfold. Meanwhile, a clinical Rasharkin march into the semi-final stage brimming with confidence, firmly eyeing a further advance in the competition.
After the game, Joe Edwards from the County Executive presented the Div 3 Cup to Rasharkin amid happy scenes from the gathered supporters.
After the game Joe Edwards presented the ACFL Division 3 trophy to Rasharkin captain, Fergus Quigg
St Mary’s Rasharkin: Ryan Doherty, Daniel McGurk, Fergus Quigg, Liam Quigg, Thomas Hasson, Ferghal Kennedy(0-02, 1f), Pearse McTague, Tiernan O’Boyle, Oran McMullan(0-02), Colm Kennedy(0-01), Eamon McNeill, James Higgins(0-01), Killian O’Boyle(1-01), Brian Óg O’Neill(0-06, 4f), Andrew Hassan(0-04)
Laochra Loch Lao: Seán Ó hEachái, Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, Eamonn Ó Coinn, Tiarnan Mac Siacais, Conchubhar MacAgafraidh(0-01), Niall McAreavey, Tomás Ó Tuathaláin(0-02), Rian Mac Seáin, Connla Ó Coinn, Niall Mac Aoidh, Fionntain Ó Tuathaláin(0-01), Pádraig Ó Preith, Anton Ó Coinn, Oisín Mac Crabhagain (1-0, pen), Michael Ó Nullain(0-02, 1f), Deaghlan Macthom
Referee: Deaglan Carey
TO VIEW BRIAN MC KEE’S ALBUM FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
