Category / Football

by thesaffrongael

Kilkerrin-Clonberne are a mighty outfit

All Ireland LGFA Senior Club final

Kilkerrin-Clonberne v St Ergnat’s Moneyglass

Moneyglass’ opponents Kilkerrin-Clonberne are shaping up to be one of the most dominant teams in the history of the sport. The Galway, champions have won multiple All-Ireland titles (including completing four-in-a-row in 2024). The Connacht championships, have a strong community focus, exceptional skill, and a core group of players developing from childhood, making them a powerhouse in the sport. They recently secured their eighth Connacht title in November 2025 and are aiming for a fifth consecutive All-Ireland when they face Moneyglass at Croke Park on Saturday.

The Galway champions in action against Kilmacud Crokes in the 2024 All Ireland final Croke Park

In 1999, they took their first steps to success when they won an intermediate LGFA club All-Ireland title. It took them twenty years to get up among the top clubs in the country when they finished runner-up in 2019 Senior All-Ireland Ladies’ Club Football Championship when they lost in the final to Mourneabbey of Cork who that day won their second title in a row. There was no championship in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic but the Galway girls made the breakthrough in 2021 when they got revenge on Mourneyabbey to secure their first title. Since then there has been no stopping them as they followed that success by beating Donaghmoyne of Monaghan in the 2022 final and the competition’s most successful club Ballycarbrey of Waterford in 2023. Last year they beat Kilmacud Crokes from Dublin in the decider, the team that Moneyglass beat in this year’s semi-final.

Moneyglass’ Maria O’Neill with the Kilkerrin-Clonberne captain at the launch of Saturday’s final

At Provincial level they have excelled winning Connacht Ladies’ Senior Club Football Championships in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and were runners-up: 2000, 2013 and 2017.

In the Galway Ladies’ Senior Club Football Championship the have been virtually untouchable  2000, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025

On their way to Sunday’s final they beat St Brigid’s of Roscommon in the provincial final before accounting for Munster champions Comeragh Rangers from Waterford in the All Ireland semi-final.

Since they won their Galway title they have been free scoring running up an impressive 7 goals and 65 points with  Eva Noone and Olivia Divilly leading the line with 1-18 apiece but Moneyglass have actually outscored them during that time with 12 goals and 53 points, Cathy Carey topping the scoring charts with  3-26 and Maria O’Neill with 2-10

The Kilkerrin-Clonberne scorers since they won the Galway title were

Eva Noone 1-18 (6f), Olivia Divilly  – 1-18 (10f), Chloe Miskell 0-11, Lynsey Noone 2-01, Niamh Divilly 0-06, Aisling Madden 1-02, Louise Ward 1-02, Nicola Ward 1-02, Hannah Noone 0-02, Siobhan Divilly 0-01, Aine Shaughnesey 0-01, Caitlin Boyle 0-01

Leah Stewart

The Moneyglass scorers since their Antrim final win were even more impressive however

Cathy Carey 3-26, (10f) Maria O’Neill 2-10 (1f), Bronagh Devlin 2-07, Leah Stewart 2-04, Jo Jo Darragh 1-03, Sarah O’Neill 1-01, Bredagh OG 0-01, Eleanor Mallon 0-0, Rebecca Bradley 0-01

To say that Moneyglass are up against it would be an understatement but that is exactly what everyone was saying when they faced Kilmacud Crokes in the semi-final and looked what happened there. The St Ergnats girls have written their own script this season, so why can’t they do it one more time on Saturday.

by thesaffrongael

St Louis beat Lecale Trinity to qualify for McLarnon knock-out stages

St Louis Ballymena 4-8 Lecale- Trinity Downpatrick 1-12

PICS BY BERT TROWLEN

St Louis Ballymena have qualified for the knock-out stages of the Maclarnon cup after a deserved 5 point win over Lecale Trinity Downpatrick at the Crickey on Wednesday afternoon. 

Playing against the strong elements in the first period the Antrim School had opened up a 2-3 to 0-5 lead by the 28th minute with goals from Bobby Kennedy and Tom Convery, but the Down side rallied to lead by one at the break, a goal from Keelan Kearney and a brace of points from the lively Eoghan Convie giving them the edge.

Cillian Sculllion brought St Louis back on terms early in the second half but Kearney and Convie hit back for Lecale Trinity with two points. However St Louis delivered a killer blow when Jude Storey and Aaron Doherty got in for two quick goals to swing the game in their team’s favour. Three in a row from the Lecale Trinity side cut the gap back to a single point by the 53rd minute, but it was to be their last score of the game and a point from Cillian Scullion, two points from dual star Fiontan Bradley and one from corner-back Sean O’Brien saw them safely home as they booked their place in the knock-out stages for the first time in three years.

St Louis scorers

Tom Convery 1-1

Fiontann Bradley 0-3

Bobby Kennedy 1-0

Jude Storrie 1-0

Aaron Doherty 1-0

Cillan Scullion 0-1

Caolan McCollum 0-1

Sean O’Brien 0-1

Conan McKeown 0-1

Lecale Trinity scorers

Eoghan Convie 0-7

Keelan Kearney 1-2

Seany Duggan 0-2

George Burns 0-1

ST LOUIS

Shayne Dorrity, Matthew Watt, James McGarry, Sean O’Brien, Cillian Scullion, Odhran Duffin, Jay McAlonan, Tom Convery, Conan McKeown, Eanna McGuckian, Fiontan Bradley, Luke McAllister, Bobby Kennedy, Mickie O’Brien, Jude Storey

LECALE TRINITY DOWNPATRICK

Shea Holland, Owen Hamill, Odhran Higgins, Shane Brennan, Oisin Hanna. George Burns, Lorcan Murray, Jake Skelton, Patrick Sharvin, Jay Flanagan, Calum Cope, Odhran McGreevy, Eoghan Convie, Seany Duggan, Keelan Kearney.

Referee – Fergal Laverty

by thesaffrongael

Moneyglass game switched to TG4 YouTube channel

Moneyglass’s All-Ireland Senior Club Ladies Football final against reigning champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne of Galway will not now be shown live TG4 as originally planned, because of a clash  with the Junior Eurovision Song Contest which the Irish Language channel has been promoting.

Moneyglass became the first Antrim team to reach an All Ireland Senior final when they beat Dublin and Leinster champions Kilmacud Crokes two weeks ago and all roads lead to Dublin on Saturday as they bid to end the incredible run of the Galway champions, and there is great disappointment among the fans who are not able to make the journey. However fear not, as the game will be streamed live on TG4’s You Tube channel and the TG4 player, although the latter option is not available to viewers in the North of Ireland.

No doubt the St Ergnat’s club will have links to the game on their Facebook page so all their followers throughout the county get the chance to view this historic match.

by thesaffrongael

Davitts held their 3rd juvenile presentation at the Devenish complex

With 26 juvenile teams and over 400 kids across the 4 codes, Davitt’s GAC had to use two sessions to accomodate everyone at their junvenile awards at the Devenish Complex

A big thank you to all the parents/guardians and extended family members who came to celebrate with us in one of the biggest days in the clubs calendar.

Over £2500 was generated on the day and will go towards our juvenile development.

This was an outstanding success and a memorable occasion for players, coaches and families. The event highlighted not only the achievements of our young juveniles throughout the season but showcased the tremendous effort and spirit within the club. It was a proud day for everyone involved and a strong reminder of the importance of community, teamwork, and the continued investment in our young juveniles.

A big thank you to The Devenish complex, Saffron Gael, club volunteers and mentors for making the day a huge success. Roll on 2026

TO SEE MORE OF SEAN TROWLEN’S PICS FROM THIS EVENT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/cN9eB824hgZEAG/?invite=77535334-eed1-4cfd-8437-13bccb78350e

by thesaffrongael

McCaughan’s late goal seals the win for CPC

Corn Uan Uladh semi-final

Cross & Passion Ballycastle 3-9 St Mary’s Magherafelt 1-10

A goal from corner forward Eimear McCaughan in the 60th minute of Saturday’s Corn Uan Uladh semi-final in Creggan sealed a place in the final for CPC as they got the better of St Mary’s, Magherafelt. The Ballycastle school were two to the good at this stage and appeared to be safe, but McCaughan’s goal put the icing on the cake.

Cross and Passion were on top in the early stages but they could not turn their possession into scores and St Mary’s took advantage as they went two clear with points from Jemma Shivers and Eva Forbes. It was nearing the end of the opening quarter before the Antrim side got on the scoreboard through centre forward Teagan Cassidy and soon afterwards they took the lead when the quick thinking Eobha McAllister fired a quick free to the Magherafelt net.

St Mary’s hit right back with a goal of their own when centre back Aoibh Shivers took advantage of a misplaced puc-out by CPC but Eimear McCaughan responded well for the Ballycastle school and had her team back on terms with two well taken points.

The Derry girls got back ahead when corner forward Cara McNally found the target but CPC finished the half strongly. Mary McArthur drew her team level before Marie Laverty pounced on a defensive mistake to finish to the net in style. That put them three clear and things  got even better in  the  run in to half time when Eobha McAllister added another points to send her team in at the break with a four point cushion. (2-05 to 1-04)

St Mary’s started the second half strongly and had the gap back to the minimum with two points from Eva Forbes frees and one from play from Jemma Shivers and it remained that way when Eobha McAllister and Grainne Doherty exchanged points from frees.

Two McAllister points and one from McEimear McCaughan stretched the CPC advantage to four once again and though both teams had chances to add to their tally it remained that way until McCaughan settled it with her late goal.

CPC: É McAllister 1-5 (1-3fs), E McCaughan 1-3, M Laverty 1-0, T Cassidy and M McArthur 0-1 each.

St Mary’s: J Shivers 1-2, E Forbes 0-5, (3fs), E Cullen, G Doherty (f) and C McNally 0-1 each

CPC: Molly McToal, Sarah Flavin, Sarah Louise Kearns, Mecha Cunning, Cara Delaney, Aoibheaan Gillan, Fiah Sands, Éobha McAllister, Rose McMullan, Marie Laverty, Tegan Cassidy, Louise McBride, Eimear McCaughan, Mary McArthur, Adria McAllister.

St Mary’s: KJ McCoy, B Bradley, F McGuckin, M O’Kane, E Kearney, O Devlin, A Shivers, L Scullion, A Rocks, E Cullen, E Forbes, G Doherty, A Doherty, J Shivers, C McNally.

Subs: R Gribben for A Doherty (24), C McErlean for C McNally (52)

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

https://myalbum.com/album/rHfKzdyYgbCNz3/?invite=f5a421d5-cfca-4d2c-91d2-2adb227e959c