ACFL Division One 

Lámh Dhearg 1-12-0-14 Con Magees 

Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown 

Lámh Dhearg opened up their league campaign with a hard fought 1-12-0-14 win over Con Magee’s at Hannahstown on Sunday morning. 

The hosts were first off the mark through a Conor Murray free after 8-minutes. Visitors Con Magee’s won the toss and decided to play with the breeze in the opening half, despite a couple of early misses they pulled level when Conor Carey shot over and hit the front when Daniel McQuillan played a neat one-two and shot over. 

Parity was restored for the second time in the half when Conor Murray did enough to move the ball into the path of Ben Rice to sweep over. 

A foul on Harry Fyfe allowed Aidan O’Donnell to try his luck from a free and he superbly steered an angled effort from range over the bar for the first two-pointer of the contest. 

Glenravel extended their lead further when Sean Higgins continued his run and fisted over before Aidan O’Donnell landed his second two-pointed score, this time from play with a fantastic kick from the outside of the arc to give his side a 0-7-0-2 advantage. 

Back-to-back points from Owen McKeown and Ben Rice narrowed the deficit, but on the stroke of half time Rian Lennon kicked a wonderful two-pointer from the outside of the boot to ensure his side went in with a 0-9-0-4 lead at the interval. 

Con Magee’s added to their lead within 40-seconds of the restart when Declan McQuillan popped the ball into the path of Lennon to steer his shot over. 

It took the hosts nine minutes to get up and running for the second period but it was worth it as Ben Rice took a fisted pass from Conor Murray, sold two dummies and advanced before firing to the net and halving the deficit. 

A point followed from Jack Davitt after a one-two in the build up and Paddy Mervyn then reduced arrears to a single-point after confidently charging through and guiding a shot high over the bar. 

The Lámhs forged ahead for the first time in the half when substitute Donal Martin shot over his side’s first two-pointed score of the game and they doubled the lead and made it 1-5 without reply when Ciaran Boyd clipped a fine shot over to make it 1-9-0-10. 

In the last ten minutes the sides continued to trade scores with Shea O’Brien’s point cancelled out courtesy of a fine angled free from Mark Finnegan that carried over the bar in the wind. 

Rian Lennon tapped over a point and in response Lámh’s talisman Ben Rice pointed following a fine passage of play at the other end. 

A breach then afforded Mark Finnegan the opportunity to give his side a three-point cushion and he obliged. 

The late pressure came from the visitors with Rian Lennon kicking his third score of the afternoon and a close range free from Aidan O’Donnell reducing the deficit to the bare minimum. 

The clock was against Gleravel though and when Pearse Fitzsimons drew a free from the resulting kick out, his side were able to control the remaining seconds and see out time to claim their first league victory of the campaign.

Division 1 Football League

Dunloy 1-10 St Brigids 4-09

County champions Dunloy welcomed St Brigids to a windy but sunny Pearse Park for the opening round of the All County Division 1 league.

Before the throw in a minutes silence was observed by everyone in memory of referee Danny O’Neill from Gortnamona, who passed away.

St Brigids opened the scoring off from a free by Paul Bradley after 4 mins of the game. Dunloy would take a full 7 mins to get on the scoresheet and it would come from the spot after Donnach Laverty was hauled down in the box.

The same player stepped up to fire to the right of Fearghus Canning to give the home side a two point lead.

Dara Quinn & Paul Bradley wiped out this lead with a brace of scores as the visitors looked the stronger side for the opening fifteen minutes.

James Scally responded for Dunloy with a beautiful score on thirteen minutes but that would be Dunloys lot for the remainder of the half as St Brigids took control for the half.

Three points in a row from JJ Higgins, Paul Bradley & Cathal Conway further strengthen their grip on the game but with the half approaching Dunloy were still in contention.

With the game nearly at the whistle St Brigids broke though the home sides back line to force a penalty kick.

The impressive Sean Bradley sent Peter McQuillan the wrong way to send the visitors in to the changing rooms leading 1-01 to 1-06.

If Dunloy had a hill to climb it was made worse when St Brigids found the net for the second time. Peter McQuillian brilliantly saved the first shot but the ball broke kindly into the path of Dara Quinn who had an open net to make it an eight point game.

However, this had the desired effect on Dunloy who had a purple patch themselves to reduce the lead. Donnach Laverty scored a 2 pointer and less than a minute later Barry McCloskey scored another as the home side showed their intent.

Dara Quinn & Emmet McKendry traded points before the impressive Donnach Laverty fired over another 2 pointer from a free to reduce the lead down to two points, 1-08 to 2-07.

St Brigids needed a response and it was one that killed the game off as they registered 2-01 to put this game out of sight.

The first came via a pile of players in the box and it seemed like Dara Quinn had the final touch and the second via some excellent passing for JJ Higgins to palm it into the net.

A final two pointer from Donnach Laverty was the home sides last score as again it was Dara Quinn who closed the game out with a final point to make it 1-10 to 4-08.

An entertaining game from both sides with managements no doubt happy to get the first game into the systems and no injuries to report.

Dunloy

P McQuillan, M Traynor, S Og Blaney, C McCloskey, J Scally (0-01), R McGarry, C Kinsela, C McQuillan, P McGilligan, J Martin, N Elliott, C Cunning, Donnach Laverty (1-06 two 3 pointers), B McCloskey (0-02 one 2 pointer), E McKendry (0-01)

St Brigids

F Canning, J Mellon, C King, A McNichol, J Toner, P King, R Carleton, M Cummings, C Conway (0-01), O Downey, P Bradley (1-03), Dara Quinn (2-01), B McGurk, JJ Higgins 1-03)

 ACFL Division 1 League Sunday 15th March 2026
Tír na nÓg 2-3 St. Mary’s Aghagallon 1-12. 

St. Mary’s Aghagallon delivered a polished and composed performance in Randalstown on Sunday to claim a well-deserved victory in this ACFL Division 1 League encounter, running out six-point winners on a score-line of 1-12 to 2-3 against Tír na nÓg.

Before the throw-in, referee Fionntan McCotter called both teams together to observe a minute’s silence in memory of Gort na Móna’s Danny O’Neill, whose passing has been deeply felt across the GAA community. 

From the throw-in it was St. Mary’s looked the sharper side and they were quickly into their stride. A point from play, scored by Jonny Hannon, inside the opening two minutes set the tone, and the visitors never relinquished their lead from that moment on. A further score from play and a converted free, by Hannon again, had Aghagallon three points to the good before Randalstown had time to settle.

The hosts clawed a point back midway through the first half, but it was no ordinary score. Randalstown goalkeeper Darragh Fagan, who had been taking up advanced positions throughout Tír na nÓg attacks, produced one of the moments of the afternoon when he launched a stunning long-range effort that split the posts for a two-pointer, briefly threatening to swing the momentum back towards the home side.

Aghagallon, however, were not to be rattled, responding with three unanswered points, from Eoin Brankin, Enda McCartan and Jonny Hannon, in the closing stages of the opening period. By the half-time whistle, St. Mary’s held a four-point cushion — a lead that reflected their dominance throughout the opening thirty minutes.

The second half began in explosive fashion for Aghagallon, with three points in the opening seven minutes stretching the lead to seven. Odhran Rooney fired over from the half-forward position, while Jonny Hannon, lively all afternoon at left corner-forward, added two further scores from play to leave Tír na nÓg chasing shadows.

Randalstown to their credit refused to throw in the towel. In a remarkable five-minute spell, they turned the game on its head momentarily. First, left half-back Aodhan Tolan drove forward with purpose and buried the ball to the net and then centre half-forward Oliver McAtamney added a point from play to bring the gap back to four. McAtamney then struck again for his side’s second goal of the afternoon, leaving only two points between the sides and giving the home crowd renewed hope.

However, Aghagallon’s response was the mark of a team with real character. Jonny Hannon, who tormented the Randalstown defence all afternoon, stepped up to convert a penalty to the net, emphatically killing off the Randalstown revival and pushing the lead back out to six. A further Hannon point from play in the closing stages put the gloss on a magnificent individual display, finishing with a personal tally of 1-6.

The visitors’ defensive structure deserves enormous credit. Solid performances from experienced players helped newer faces like Cormac Mulholland in his competitive senior debut. The midfield pairing of Pauric Maginnis and Enda McCartan won crucial ball in the middle third and repeatedly fed their forwards with quality possession.

For Randalstown, McAtamney and Tolan’s goals will give them hope in the next fixture, but ultimately St. Mary’s were full value for their win on a day when they showed the quality and composure expected of Division 1 contenders.

St. Mary’s Aghagallon: Damien O’Hagan; Kieran Hamill, Aidan Mulholland, Cormac Mulholland; Steven Devlin, Jamie Lamont, Ciaran Maginnis; Pauric Maginnis, Enda McCartan; Padraig Gowdy, Marc McAfee, Odhran Rooney; Eoin Brankin, Ruairi McCann, Jonny Hannon.

Randalstown: Darragh Fagan; Manus Smith, Brandon McLamon, Daniel McLornan; Ryan Crilly, Ciaran McGrellis, Aodhan Tolan; Ciaran O’Neill, Joshua Higgins; Sean McKeown, Oliver McAtamney, Pauric Redmond; Emmet Murray, Connor Hastings, Connor McCamphill.

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Antrim Football League – Division 1

Erin’s Own Cargin 1-08 Kickham’s Creggan 0-15

PICS BY CLAIRE FAWL PHOTOGRAPHY

A brace of long-range, two-point scores in the second half from team captain Ethan Carey Small and Ruairi McCann proved to be the deciding factor as Kickham’s Creggan secured a vital derby victory over Cargin. Played at the Toome venue on Sunday, the match was fiercely contested despite the harsh, wet, and windy conditions that challenged both sets of players throughout the afternoon.

The opening period was a tight affair, with Cargin initially capitalizing on the strong breeze at their backs. Around the tenth minute, Ben McLarnon found the back of the Creggan net to give the home side an early three-point advantage. However, the visitors responded well against the elements, driven by the tireless work of Jamie McCann and Ruairi McCann in the middle third. By halftime, Cargin’s lead had been reduced to the bare minimum, with the scoreboard reading 1-04 to 0-06.

With the wind at their backs for the second half, Creggan quickly erased the deficit. Eunan McAteer leveled the match in the 32nd minute, and Jarlath McAteer soon edged the visitors ahead after finishing off a well-placed delivery from the midfield. Cargin refused to fold, battling the worsening rain to draw level once more when Callum Gribbin converted a free won by a hard-working Paul McCann.

The turning point arrived near the 42nd minute. After the Creggan goalkeeper made a crucial save to deny Cargin, Fiontan Close initiated a swift counter-attack. Aiden Maguire linked up with Ethan Carey Small, who confidently struck a long-range effort from the left wing to register a valuable two-point score. Ruairi McCann then extended the lead to three points following a pass from Liam McLernon, putting Creggan firmly in control.

As the game entered its final ten minutes, Creggan effectively sealed the result. Jamie McCann launched another impressive long-range strike for a second two-pointer, pushing the visitors’ tally to 0-14 against Cargin’s 1-05. Despite missing several county players, the home side kept fighting until the final whistle. Even after Creggan were reduced in numbers late on, James Laverty and Callum Gribbin managed late points for Cargin. However, a matching score from Joe McAteer ensured Creggan comfortably crossed the line with a 0-15 to 1-08 victory.

Referee: C Thompson (St Johns)

CARGIN

Daniel McCann, Conan Johnston, Marty Kane, Sean Og Quinn, Ronan Devlin, Cahir Donnelly, Charlie McCann, James Laverty (0-02), David Johnston (0-01), Paul McCann (0-02), Jack Harney, Patrick O’Neill, Callum Gribbin (0-03), Ben McLarnon (1-00). Substitutes: Ciaran Bradley, Cillian Scullion, Fiontan Hardy.

CREGGAN

Oisin Kerr, A Martin, Ricki Johnston, L McLernon, Fiontan Close (0-01), Ethan C Small (0-01, 1x2pt), A Maguire, J McCann (0-03), Eunan McAteer (0-02), R McCann (0-02, 1x2pt), D McAteer, S McCann, C Johnston (0-01), J McAteer, P McAuley (0-03).

TO SEE MORE OF CLAIRE’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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