In an exciting and high-quality Antrim Year 9 LGFA Shield final, Dominican College Fortwilliam emerged victorious over St Louise’s, showcasing outstanding talent, teamwork, and individual brilliance from both sides.
Fortwilliam settled quickest, with Saorlaith Stewart and Molly Smith leading the early charge by landing several points. The north Belfast school then struck decisively, scoring three goals in the opening 15 minutes through Jessica Johnson and Lara Brady to build a strong platform.
St Louise’s refused to wilt, mounting a spirited fightback driven by midfielder Rhea O’Donnell and half-back Evie Magee McKenna. Their number 9 O’Donnell produced a standout performance, scoring 2-2 without reply, while Naoise O’Sullivan added a superb point. Fortwilliam responded with two more goals before the break, however, taking a five-point lead into halftime.
The second half began brightly for St Louise’s, who surged ahead for the first—and only—time in the game thanks to two quick goals from Evie Magee McKenna.
Fortwilliam’s resolute defending then paved the way for devastating counter-attacks, spearheaded by Mollie Mooney, Saorlaith Stewart, and Aoibhinn McKeown. Their sharp, crisp passing carved open the St Louise’s defence, allowing Molly Smith, Lara Brady, and Jessica Johnson to rack up further goals.
To their credit, St Louise’s battled right to the final whistle, forcing Fortwilliam goalkeeper Jennifer Dowdall into several crucial saves. Midfielder Cleena Conlon had the last say for St Louise’s, kicking the final two points of the contest.
Congratulations to Dominican College Fortwilliam on lifting the Antrim Year 9 LGFA Shield in what was a captivating display of emerging talent in ladies Gaelic football! Both teams can be proud of their contributions to a memorable final.
TO SEE MORE OF BERTS PICS FROM FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
St Louis Ballymena won their first Gaelfast title when they beat St Domic’s Belfast in Wednesday’s Year 9 LGFA Year 9 final at Woodlands. The game began as a tense, cagey affair, with both teams showing early nerves. Defences dominated throughout, as strong tackling and excellent teamwork kept scores low on both sides.
St Louis struck first with a high ball delivered from midfield that found its way into the St Dominic’s net for the opening goal. St Dominic’s responded swiftly through midfielder Katie Cassidy, who produced a brilliant solo effort starting from the 45-metre line. She evaded several defenders with superb skill before finishing calmly to level the contest.
The first half remained tight and competitive. St Dominic’s took the lead when Eva Eastwood found the net, but St Louis replied almost immediately at the other end through full-forward Dervla O’Kane. St Dominic’s finished the half strongly, building a four-point advantage heading into the break as further scores came from Eva Eastwood, Autumn Adeyemi, and Cliodhna McCourt to give them the edge.
The second half showcased outstanding individual brilliance and skill. St Dominic’s defence stood firm for much of the period, with standout performances from Maya Soda, Grace Tracey, and Síofra Kearns, who repelled repeated St Louis attacks.
However, in the final 10 minutes, St Louis mounted a determined comeback. Wing-forward Iona Maguire produced a moment of individual magic with a great solo goal, reducing the deficit to just one point and swinging momentum firmly in their favour. St Louis hit a purple patch, with midfielder Niamh Maguirescoring a crucial 1-1 (a goal and a point), while midfield partner Fainait Scullin added another point to establish a solid lead.
St Dominic’s pushed hard to regain control, but St Louis goalkeeper Sarah Convery and full-back Erin McGregor stood firm, thwarting their efforts. Defenders Áine Dobbin, Chloe McKay, and Maria O’Boyle also played key roles in clearing danger and transitioning the ball upfield.
St Louis held on resolutely to secure a famous four-point victory, bringing the cup to Ballymena for the first time in the school’s history.
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Antrim delivered a masterclass in attacking hurling on Wednesday evening at the Dub Arena, Belfast, securing a comprehensive 3-25 to 2-10 victory over Down to comfortably retain the 2026 Ulster Under-20 Hurling Cup.
In a stark illustration of the gulf in attacking depth between the two sides, Michael McShane’s Antrim team boasted an incredible 12 different players on the scoresheet, while Connor O’Prey’s Down side relied heavily on just three men, the excellent Cathal Coleman in particular, to keep their tally ticking over.
Antrim Set the Tempo
Antrim burst out of the blocks immediately. Oisín McCallin opened the scoring in the first minute, followed swiftly by a point from the right corner by Fiontan Bradley. Thomas McLaughlin added a brilliant long-range effort from midfield shortly after to assert Antrim’s early dominance.
Down’s primary scoring threat, Cahal Colemen, got his side on the scoreboard in the fourth minute with a 60-metre free, and he followed it up with another excellent point on the run to keep the Mourne men in touch.
However, Antrim’s ruthless edge showed just moments later. Working the ball dangerously into the Down+ square, it broke kindly to Fiontan Bradley, who pulled it to the net just as it hopped, burying it past Down goalkeeper Cian Clarke. Antrim’s midfield duo then took control, with Charlie McAuley firing over a great point after a surging run out of defence by full-back Colla Ward.
McCallin was a constant thorn in Down’s side, turning provider for Conor Donnelly to put Antrim 1-5 to 0-4 ahead, before tapping over a free of his own. Down full-back Ben Teggart produced a spectacular block to deny McCallin a certain goal, but McCallin simply converted the resulting ’65.
Antrim introduced substitute Cadhan Crawford, who immediately made an impact by winning a free for McCallin to convert. Down’s Connaire Monan managed a point from distance, but Antrim finished the half incredibly strong. McLaughlin controlled a high ball beautifully to strike over from near the sideline, and McAuley and Donnelly added further points.
Just before the break, a long delivery from Niall Magee hit the upright and dropped perfectly for substitute Crawford, who reacted fastest to pull it to the net. Despite late points from Down’s Colemen, Antrim went into the dressing room with a commanding lead.
Antrim picked up exactly where they left off. Within a minute of the restart, Orrin O’Connor fired over from 60 metres. Two minutes later, Cadhan Crawford put the game entirely to bed with his second, and Antrim’s third, goal of the evening with a superb finish.
From there, it was an exhibition of point-taking. Charlie McAuley and Conor Donnelly kept the umpire’s arms busy, while Down’s Cian Clarke had to produce a superb save to deny Fiontan Bradley a second goal.
As the second half wore on, Antrim’s substitutions proved lethal, further highlighting the statistic of having 12 unique scorers. Oisín McCamphill registered a fine point, and fellow substitute Jay McAlonan announced his arrival with a brace of superb points from the corners. Cadhan Crawford also added a point to his two goals.
To their credit, Down kept fighting. In the final ten minutes, full-back Ben Teggart was moved further out the field in search of a spark. The tactical switch paid off personally for Teggart, as he managed to breach the Antrim defence not once, but twice, to score two late consolation goals for Down.
Ultimately, it was a bridge too far for the Mourne men. Antrim’s fluid movement, clinical finishing, and incredible depth off the bench ensured the Ulster Under-20 Cup will remain in the Saffron County for another year.
TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Antrim now go on to compete in the Leinster Minor A Championship while Down take part in the B section in Leinster.
Scorers
Antrim O McCallin 1-7 (0-4f), F Bradley & C Crawford 1-2 each; C Donnelly 0-3, T McLaughlin, C McAuley & J McAlonan 0-2 each; N Magee, O O’Connor, O McCamphill, R Fitzgerald & R McGarry 0-1 each
Down B Taggart 2-0 (1-0f); C Coleman 0-9 (0-5f); R Breen 0-1
St Mary’s CBS Belfast secured a well-deserved victory over Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock in the Foresters Cup semi-final at Woodlands, emerging with a 4-17 to 4-14 win. While the final scoreline suggests a nail-biting encounter, St Mary’s were the superior side throughout the contest. They controlled the tempo for long periods, and the three-point margin flatters Knock slightly, as their fourth goal came from a penalty with the very last puc of the game, deep into injury time.
St Mary’s also had a good shout for a fifth goal near the end of the game when left-half forward Jude Gamble rifled a shot which appeared to come off the stantion which holds the net. Most people thought it came off the upright, and it is understandable that referee didn’t give it, but luckily it was not to prove decisive in the outcome of the match.
St Mary’s wasted no time asserting their dominance. Finn Smyth was an immediate handful, threatening the goal in the opening minute before Padraig Kelly floated over a beautiful point to open their account. Knock responded with a point from Colm Kane, but Smyth soon found the back of the net in the fourth minute to establish an early lead. St Mary’s number nine added a point before Knock hit back in the seventh minute with a goal of their own; a brilliant solo run from Tomas Gilmore carved open the defence, allowing Lorcan Breen to finish the chance. The West Belfast side’s response was ruthless. Conal Dempsey launched a long free out of defence, which was caught superbly and offloaded to Smyth, who buried his second goal. Matthew O’Neill pointed straight from the ensuing puck-out, and Smyth quickly followed up with a score from a narrow angle. Approaching the twenty-minute mark, Oisin Kennedy dropped a dangerous ball into the square, and Sean McMullan was on hand to pull it to the net for St Mary’s third goal. Knock kept the scoreboard ticking primarily through Louis O’Reilly, who hit a purple patch with a 65, two frees, and a fine score from play. Dempsey and McMullan kept St Mary’s comfortably ahead, while Cathal Birt tapped over a couple of frees for Knock, leaving the half-time score at 3-8 to 1-9 in favour of St Mary’s.
Knock started the second half with intent, Colm Kane pointing straight from the throw-in, but Padraig Kelly immediately cancelled it out. Adam McCahey added a good point for St Mary’s, and after Kane replied for Knock, Kelly landed a spectacular score from out on the sideline. Louis O’Reilly converted another 65 for Knock before their comeback hopes were frustrated by the St Mary’s goalkeeper, Daire Gault. Gault pulled off a fantastic save from O’Reilly and moments later reacted brilliantly to tip a penalty from Cathal Birt over the crossbar. After St Mary’s number nine pointed from the sideline, Knock finally breached the defence again when their number fourteen goaled following excellent approach play by O’Reilly. St Mary’s remained unfazed, going straight down the field for Dempsey to point, and just a minute later, Smyth struck for his team’s fourth goal. Knock refused to capitulate; Conor McCormick pointed before brilliantly catching the ball to set up their number fourteen for another goal. Padraig Kelly responded with a point for St Mary’s, but a goal from Colm Kane in the 24th minute ensured a frantic finish. St Mary’s managed the closing stages well, with their number nine and substitute Eoin Matthews firing over crucial points to keep Knock at arm’s length. Deep into stoppage time, Louis O’Reilly blasted a penalty to the net for Knock, but the final whistle blew immediately after, confirming St Mary’s progression to the final where they will meet Cross & Passion College, Ballycastle.
St Mary’s CBS Belfast
Daire Gault
Jude Burns
Eoin Flynn
Ethan Hughes
Sean McMullan
Adam McCahey
Daire Rainey
Matthew O’Neill
Ben McCaul
Oisin Kennedy
Conal Dempsey
Jude Gamble
Padraig Kelly
Finn Smyth
Gerard Delaney
Our Lady & St Patrick’s College, Knock
Aidan Caughey
Jayden McKenna
Rory Keenan
Joseph Murchan
Tomás Gilmore
Daniel McAuley
Conor Gordon
Colm Kane
Darragh Conway
Conor McCormick
Louis O’Reilly
Niall Farry
Lorcan Breen
Ollie Donnelly
Cathal Birt
TO SEE ALL OF THE PICS FRON THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
