Category / Football

by thesaffrongael

Junior Feis ends in a draw but needing a replay at a later date

Feis na nGleann 2026 Junior Final

Loughgiel 2-10 Cushendall 2-10

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel

As winter evenings go, this one was horrible. Cold, driving rain that wouldn’t find you out looking for a shovel of coal. But wait it’s meant to be the summer! Our consolation for bearing the inclement Junior final weather was to watch a real head to head for the full sixty minutes ending in a draw 2-10 to each side. The game will be replayed due to breaking news of a family bereavement and a refixture gracefully agreed by all parties tonight.

With the spin of referee, Ryan Magee’s coin, Loughgiel won and opted to play into the driving rain, towards the clubhouse. There wasn’t any tactical advantage tonight, driving rain swept down the pitch for most of the sixty minutes. It was though, Loughgiel on the prowl for an early point after winning the sliotar from a ruck, Carlina Sullivan drifting it wide past the uprights.

Loughgiel’s Therese Hill (McKinley) scoops the sliotar up as conditions deteriorated

Loughgiel’s Eimear McKendry would take the honours of opening the Shamrock’s score with a close range point before Sullivan would make good with her second attempt and Orlagh Laverty would make it three points in all of five minutes. Cushendall applied the pressure, subsequently winning a free that floated over the Loughgiel bar from Lára Haughey in under eleven minutes. Cushendall were now in the game and despite two more points from Loughgiel’s Rose McMullan and Kirsty McKendry, the Ruairi’s pounced on a break, getting in behind Loughgiel’s defence for a goal from Síne Woodhouse.

Cushendall’s Cliodhna Thompson followed the goal with a point to level the game before a Rose McMullan free dropped dangerously into the small box. Cushendall’s goalkeeper was faced with Shamrock jerseys rushing in and despite an attempt to diffuse the threat, but Eimear McKinley and Alana McKendry were close by to usher in the sliotar for the goal at twenty three minutes in.

Cushendall’s Lára Haughey chases down Anna Smyth in Friday’s Junior Feis final

There would only be a minute for the Shamrocks to enjoy the goal, when Cliodhna Thompson set up Aoife Delargy for Cushendall’s second goal of the evening. Now it was the turn of the Ruairi’s to have a moment of delight before Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan broke behind the Dall’s defence and sensing a closing pack, opted for a front over-the- head strike into the Ruairi’s net with only a minute on the clock before the break, scores radiating from the large Dan Scullion scoreboard, Loughgiel 2-05 Cushendall 2-02.

On the restart, it was Cushendall that would press hard into green flag territory but Erinmae Mitchell would see her rifle of a shot parried away by Loughgiel’s goalkeeper, Shauna McKillop over the bar for an opening point. Loughgiel with the driving rain on their backs now trotted out three points from Kirsty McKendry, Sullivan and a free from McMullan before Cushendall replied from a dead ball by Thompson.

Shauna Doran clears the threat for now but the Ruairi’s would level up just ahead of the long whistle

Cushendall would now close Loughgiel’s drift of four points to only one in a few minutes. Two of those three points came from Thompson and one of those appeared to be run on goal ending safely over the bar, much to the supporters dismay that were encouraging a green flag. Lára Haughey’s point completed the three before Loughgiel’s Rose McMullan split the uprights from a free derived from Kirsty McKendry getting closed out from a neat hand pass from Orlagh Laverty.

Cushendall’s Haughey and Leech levelled the game with minutes to spare, but it was a fine point from a free delivered by Rose McMullan, tight on the dugout side that caused a feeling of dread amogst the Ruairi’s supporters. Despite the grains of time sifting rapidly away in favour of the Shamrocks, the Ruairi’s Lára Haughey ended a blistering solo run with a foul that was dispatched by Leech to draw the game at the final whistle. All in all, a very tight, tough and even affair that will now go to a refixture.

To see photos from Friday’s Junior Feis final, follow the link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/xPYutuTbn7NYQd/?invite=2be1cc24-71da-434d-84a1-b35fcf7826fe

Loughgiel starters and scorers

Shauna McKillop, Erin Connolly, Brianna McCloskey, Zoe Cassley, Anna Smyth, Sarah Flavin, Shauna Doran, Rose McMullan 0-04 (4f), Therese Hill (McKinley), Caoihme McGarry 0-02, Kirsty Adams (McKendry) 0-01, Eimear McKinley 1-01, Carlina Sullivan 1-02

Cushendall starters and scorer

Cailín Quinn, Aibreán Campbell, Aimee McDonnell, Tamara Black, Ellen Leech 0-02 (1f, 1×45), Erin McNaughton, Aoife McClafferty, Scarlet Kerr-McKillop, Erinmae Mitchell 0-01, Lára Haughey 0-03 (2f), Rhianna Black, Sine Woodhouse 1-00, Aoife Delargy 1-00, Cliodhna Thompson 0-04 (2f), Caoimhe O’Hara

by thesaffrongael

Sun shines on Lámh Dhearg’s Golf Classic

Lámh Dhearg’s  annual golf Classic sponsored by Hannahstown Credit Union was a highly enjoyable and successful day at Balmoral . Over a hundred golfers enjoyed playing in glorious sunshine .
> At the evening presentation , Chairman Brian Smyth  thanked all who played , generously sponsored tee boxes or helped with the organisation and running of the event .  Brian complimented the very dedicated golf committee whose meticulous preparations and  tireless work is consistently yearly helping offset the payment of our new pitch which is much appreciated by us all. Brian extended congratulations to all the winners

Results
>
> Team Prizes Winner
> 1st 93 Pts (Better last 6 Holes) – Cormac Hannon, Pearse Fitzsimons,
> Owen McKeown, Aidan McGuigan
> 2nd 93 Pts – Donagh Finnegan, Paddy Cunningham, Kiefer Toolan,
> Andrew Ryan
> 3rd 91 Pts – Paddy Burns, Kevin Finnegan, Ciaran McAlea, Dee
> McLaughlin
> Individual Prizes
> 1st Decky Smyth 44 pts Ryan Straney Memorial Trophy
> Longest Driver – Matthew Murray
> Nearest to Pin – Jordan Kennedy 8th Hole
> Best Gross – Kiefer Toolan Gross 73
> Ladies Prize – Louise Kennedy 37 pts

by thesaffrongael

Lámh Dhearg host Joe McDonnell festival of football

The annual Joe McDonnell festival of football was a fantastic advert for juvenile football as the teams served up many exciting and skilful games in a sporting atmosphere in sun soaked Hannahstown.
Congrats to cup winners Creggan , Shield winners St John’s and plate winners St Comgalls

More photos from the Joe McDonnell festival of football can be accessed from the link below

https://myalbum.com/album/WjAwMVdF3B3d9a

by thesaffrongael

Rasharkin lift Feis Cup with league title firmly on their minds

Junior Feis Cup Football Final

St. Brigid’s Cloughmills 0-10 St. Mary’s Rasharkin 1-11

The return of football to the Feis was warmly welcomed by North Antrim official, Darragh O’Mullan as he presented the Junior Feis Football cup to Rasharkin captain, Fergus Quigg after an entertaining final in Cloughmills.

Despite home advantage the ‘Biddies’ came up just short in a competitive Feis final that was in the balance until late in the game when PJ McMullan fired over an injury time point for the visitors to move them four ahead.

Cloughmills had battled hard all the way and after falling 1-2 behind after ten minutes they matched the division 3 leaders all the way and closed the gap to three as the game entered its final phase.

Neil Darragh had put an experimental St. Mary’s in a strong position when he palmed home their opening goal and the corner forward was lively throughout with Thomas McMullan and Thomas Hasson getting the visitors opening points.

Aiden McNeill finally got St. Brigid’s off the mark from a well struck 40 meter free and the bustling Anthony Doran added another before the sweet striking McNeill punished a breech to close the gap to two.

PJ McMullan with a great point and Colm Kennedy’s fisted effort had Rasharkin four ahead before McNeill continued to display his free taking prowess to leave it 1-4 to 0-4 after 22 minutes.

An outrageous effort from Connor Kelly for the hosts left two in it once more but the final scores of the half fell to PJ McMullan and Killian O’Boyle for the men from Dreen to leave them leading by four at the short whistle.

With what is a league decider on the cards this weekend, Rasharkin rang the changes at the start of the second half and Killian O’Boyle extended the Rasharkin lead before Eamonn McNeill marked his introduction when his well struck shot cannoned back into play of the crossbar.

Aiden McNeill finally opened the St. Brigid’s second half account with a great 2 pointer and Cormac McMullan replied for the visitors before another Anthony Doran Orange flag saw the host trail by two with game going down the home straight.

St. Brigid’s gave it everything in the closing stages and another pointed McNeill free and a point from play were cancelled by similar scores from Tiernan O’Boyle, Pearse McTeague and PJ McMullan at the other end as a Daniel McGurk inspired Rasharkin defence closed shop.

Cathal McMullan and Paddy Kelly will now turn their attention to this weekend’s scheduled meeting with Eire Og at Woodlands where a win would give the South West side the division 3 title and they will be hoping to have a full squad available for their biggest game of the season to date.

Darragh O’Mullan presents the man of the match award to Daniel McGurk and the Feis Junior Football Cup to Fergus Quigg

St. Brigid’s: 1 Cathaoir McFerran, 2 Conal McCurdy, 3 Brendan O’Mullan, 4 Rian Dobbin, 5 Stephen McIlroy, 6 Gerard O’Mullan, 7 Johnny Duffin, 8 Eoin Magee, 9 PJ McBriode, 10 Dara McGivern, 11 Eoin Dobbin, 12 Dara Waterson, 13 Aidan McNeill, 14 Ciaran McAuley, 15 Connor Kelly, 30 Anthony Doran,

Subs: Timothy McNeill for Stephen McIlroy, Ryan Donnelly

St. Mary’s: 1 Liam Casey 4 Pearce Kelly 3 Fergus Quigg 2 Daniel McGurk 5 Pearse McTague 6 Fearghal Kennedy 7 Thomas Hasson 8 Cormac McMullan 9 Sean Condron 10 Killian O’Boyle 11 Colm Kennedy 12 Niall Kennedy 13 Neil Darragh 14 Oran McMullan 15 PJ McMullan

Subs: Eamonn McNeill for Sean Condron James Higgins for Niall Kennedy Jason McGregor for Pearce Kelly Caolan McGarrell for Neil Darragh Tiernan O’Boyle for Thomas Hasson

Referee: Joe McCavana (Antrim)

TO VIEW MY PICS FROM THE FEIS FINAL CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/XJkceToqCygacN

by thesaffrongael

Antrim Masters travel to Down in Saturdays league encounter.

Down v Antrim – Saul 2.30pm

Referee: Paul Quigley (Derry)

Antrim Masters are hoping to get their season back on track on Saturday when they travel to Saul for a 2.30pm throw in.

Pitted in an ultra-competitive group this year Antrim have found themselves half a dozen points on the wrong side of the score against both of last year’s Tier One finalist Donegal and five time in succession winners Tyrone.

In between those contests Antrim produced their best performance of the year to date to see off a Derry team in Dungiven by nine points – particularly impressive in light of the fact that this was Derry’s sole defeat in this year’s campaign, currently sitting on a solid three wins out of four match ratio!

Further perspective of the quality of this seasons opposition is provided by that fact that Monaghan, who overcame Antrim by a diminishing two points in round one in Portglenone in early May have gone on to record four victories on the trot and are currently sitting top of the table!

Antrim’s last two league encounters are away to Down this Saturday and home to Cavan – the county who defeated Antrim in last seasons tier two final in Kingspan Breffni Park.

Management of Frank Delargy and assistant Timmy Connolly are hoping to get a strong panel together for this one and get a result that will build momentum as the season enters its business stage.

“It’s an unusual time of the year, many panellists will have holiday plans and we have a few players nursing recent injuries – but I`m sure that’s the same for every county, said Delargy. “It’s been tough this year, I think we have lost the surprise element after a couple of great seasons, but we have been competitive against counties who are flying high at the minute. Hopefully we can string a few good performances together now and go into Augusts championship playoffs in good fettle” he concluded.

Special thanks to Michael McCourt (Opticare Opticians & Audiocare Hearing) for his matchday sponsorship of Saturdays match.