The pupils of St Patrick’s Glenariffe turned out in their colours yesterday to celebrate the Oisins who are playing today (Saturday) in the final of the Intermediate Hurling Championship against Tir na nÓg in Loughgiel at 2pm. Hope we see you all at the big game later.
Featured Image-Left to Right: Nicky Bonnes, Chairman of Tir na nOg and players Emmet Martin and Sean Duffin:
There was a sea of blue and white in Mount St. Michael’s Primary School, Randalstown on Friday as pupils and staff took part in a special ‘Club Colours Day’ to show their support for the Tír na nÓg Senior Hurlers ahead of Saturday’s Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship Final against Oisins Glenariffe in Loughgiel (2.30pm throw-in).
Children proudly donned their club colours, with a few brave Creggan fans sneaking in their green and yellow! The atmosphere was buzzing as the school came together to celebrate their local heroes and wish them well ahead of the big day. Principal Mr. Paudie Shivers spoke to the children about the pride that comes from being part of their local club, and how much joy and belonging the GAA brings to the community. He highlighted the inspiring journey of Mr. Sean Duffin, current Tír na nÓg and former Antrim hurler, who is teaching in the school and how he started his hurling journey in Mount St. Michael’s now finds himself preparing for a county final.
The school was delighted to welcome Nicky Bonnes, Chairman of Tír na nÓg, who thanked the children and staff for their tremendous support and encouragement for the team ahead of the final. As part of the celebrations, the school also held a colouring competition, with fantastic prizes kindly sponsored by Martin Hurls and Senior Hurler, Emmett Martin.
Mount St. Michael’s PS would like to wish Sean, Emmett, and the entire Tír na nÓg panel and management team the very best of luck in Saturday’s County Final – Tír na nÓg Abú!
Showing their true colours! Children from Mount St. Michael’s P.S. Randalstown dressed in the colours of their local club, Tir na nOg who play Oisins Glenariffe in to morrow’s IHC Fainal in Loughgiel
For more photographs from ther day click on the link below
https://myalbum.com/album/Q5GTeev8C5R3fE
IHC Final
Oisin v Tir na nOg
Loughgiel – 2-00pm Saturday
Saturday’s Intermediate Hurling Championship final in Loughgiel brings together the top two teams in the competition this year with both competing in Group 2 of the league part of the competition and both finishing on 8 points.
The sides crossed swords back on the 24th of August in round 3 in Ahoghill with the Glenariffe side edging a keenly contested affair where they ran out 2-19 to 1-18 winners.
It was Tir na nOg’s only defeat in a group which included Robert Emmet’s, Shane O’Neills, St. Gall’s and St. Brigid’s Cloughmills.
The ‘Biddies’ finished bottom of the group but inflicted defeat on Oisin’s in their final group game but by that stage the Waterfoot men had already qualified as group winners and fielded an understrength side.
The top two sides in Group 1 and Group 2 progressed to the semi-finals with Glenariffe facing Cloney Gaels under the lights in Ballymena and Tir na nOg crossing swords with neighbours, Kickham’s Creggan in Ahoghill.
Both sides followed similar patterns as Oisin’s hit an unanswered 2-6 at Quinn Park after falling behind to a Ronan Graham point in the opening minute to lead by 11 with ten minutes gone and even at this stage it was hard to envisage a Cloney comeback.
Their first goal came from Michael O’Boyle after Diarmuid Graham had been blocked down as he attempted to clear and his brother, Alex added the second with 8 minutes gone as Cloney struggled to put meaningful attacks together.
Alex O’Boyle gave an exhibition of free taking for the sea siders while his brother Michael, Seanie McIntosh and Orrin O’Connor led the early onslaught on the Ahoghill goals.
Cloney Gaels did fare better after the break but never really looked like closing the gap on an excellent Oisin side for whom Paul McMullan in goals was excellent and pulled off a couple of superb stops.
It was a similar story at Ahoghill as a dazzling first half display from Tir na nOg, Randalstown saw them overcome the challenge of neighbours Kickham’s Creggan in the other championship semi-final in front of a bumper crowd at an overcast Cloney.
The Whitehill side dominated the opening half with Sean Duffin giving an imperious exhibition of point taking, from the placed ball and from play as the big number 8 controlled the tempo of the game from mid-field.
It was as good as over at half time when the Whitehill side led 2-10 to 0-3 and while Creggan were much better after the break the goal that might have brought them back into contention never looked like materialising.
Josh Higgins from play and Sean Duffin from two converted frees edged Tir na nOg 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after 7 minutes play.
Morgan Nelson replied for Creggan with a point in the 10th minute but it was the greater intensity and pace of their opponents that continued to see them add scores in quick succession.
Ciaran Logan, Sean Duffin (0-2 f’s) and Eamon Og McAllister with an excellent point increased their lead to seven by the 16th minute before Conor McCann briefly halted the onslaught from a well struck long range free.
By half time it looked as good as over but, to their credit Creggan fought to the end and out-scored their neighbours in a much improved second half performance while never looking like overturning that substantial interval lead.
Oisin’s have been installed as favourites since early in the championship and under the guidance of former Cloney Gaels management team, Hugh Dobbin and Shea O’Hagan they have shown considerable improvement.
Dobbin and O’Hagan guided them to last year’s final in their first season in charge but they lost to a strong Carey Faughs in the decider.
This year they have looked the team to beat and romped away with the division 2 league title and are favourites to complete a famous double.
It’s 23 years though since they last lifted the title while Tir na nOg were crowned champions as recently as 2022 and quite a few of that championship winning panel are still around.
Kevin Sherrin in goals, Ciaran O’Neill, Brandon McLarnon, Manus Smith, Conor McCamphill, Emmet Murray, Darragh Fagan, Ryan O’Neill, Eamon Og McAllister and Caoimhin Duffin will lead the Tir na nOg challenge with an in form Sean Duffin vital to their challenge.
Paul McMullan, Niall Murray, Callum McIlwaine, David Kearney Niall Magee, Odhran Gillan, Oliver Kearney, Alex and Michael O’Boyle are the men who can swing it Glenariffe’s way but they will face a firm challenge from the Whitehill men.
As we build up to this weekend’s Intermediate Hurling Championship we take a look back at when both teams won the title in the past. Tir na nÓg won their only Intermediate title back in 2020 but we have to go back a further 20 years since the Oisins tasted success at this level.
Their opponents that day were Carey Faughs and the venue was Armoy
This is a link to the report of the game we reproduced in the Saffron Gael during the first year of Covid
Tir na nÓg’s sole Intermediate success came in 2020 when they beat South West rivals Cloney Gaels, Ahoghill at Dunsilly.
Intermediate Hurling Championship – Semi-Final at Quinn Park, Ballymena
Oisin 4-19 Cloney Gaels 1-13
A dominant period in the opening 10 minutes from Oisins Glenariffe put them in a commanding position as they overcame the challenge of a slow starting Cloney Gaels in this second Intermediate hurling championship semi-final in Ballymena on Monday night.
After falling behind to a Ronan Graham point in the opening minute Glenariffe made a strong response as they hit 2-6 without reply to lead by 11 with ten minutes gone and even at this stage it was hard to envisage a Cloney comeback.
With the wind at their backs on an excellent Quinn Park surface the sea-siders were first to nearly every ball as their pace and intensity clearly knocked the Ahoghill men out of their stride.
Their first goal came from Michael O’Boyle after Diarmuid Graham had been blocked down as he attempted to clear and his brother, Alex added the second with 8 minutes gone as Cloney struggled to put meaningful attacks together.
Alex O’Boyle was in imperious form from the placed ball and he converted three frees during this period of dominance to add to one from Michael O’Boyle, Seanie McIntosh and two from Orrin O’Connor.
Cloney danger man, James O’Connell finally got his name on the score sheet from a free in the 11th minute but the Gaels sharp shooter was given little time or space throughout the hour to stamp his influence on the game.
Fionnbar O’Neill raised the South West sides third white flag but his side couldn’t match the hunger or aggression of the opposition and Seanie McIntosh, Conor Patterson and Alex O’Boyle (0-2 f’s) moved the Waterfoot outfit 2-10 to 0-3 ahead by the 17th minute.
Their opponents did create a few half chance with Colla McDonnell denied by timely tackles as he briefly threaten and the pressure finally looked to have paid dividends when Patrick McIlwaine dragged down Patrick Graham as he bore down on goal.
McIlwaine was shown Yellow for his misdemeanour and Fionnbar O’Neill stepped up to take the penalty but his fierce shot was superbly saved by Oisin keeper, Paul McMullan who would go on to make a number of excellent stops over the hour.
Ronan Graham and Seanie McIntosh exchanged points and Fionnbar O’Neill added a long range point for the Cloney men but Glenariffe finished the half as they had started and the excellent Michael O’Boyle pointed before scoring his side’s third goal to leave them 3-12 to 0-5 ahead at the break.
It looked a long way back for Cloney Gaels as they resumed with the breeze at their backs and it was the sweet striking Alex O’Boyle who moved his side further ahead from a free in the third minute.
James O’Connell replied with his second point of the evening and then escaped the shackles of his marker to rifle past Paul McMullan in the 7th minute after being set up by Patrick Graham.
Again the Glenariffe response came from Alex O’Boyle from two more converted frees but Cloney were starting to enjoy a wee bit of success and Colla McDonnell had his fierce shot pushed over by Paul McMullan.
Things threatened to boil over as players from both sides got involved in an unseemly brawl and when the dust settled referee Fionntan McCotter got matters under way again without taking further action.
Dan O’Neill added a point from long range and James O’Connell converted a free as the Gaels effort gathered a wee bit of momentum but their efforts were soon undone when Conor Patterson got in for Glenariffe’s fourth goal following a mix-up in the visitors defence.
The Ahoghill men went looking for goals at this stage but the Oisin defence stood firm and points from Ronan Graham, Fionnbar O’Neill and another from James O’Connell that skimmed over was all they could manage.
Brogan O’Connor got his name on the Glenariffe score sheet and fittingly, the final point of the evening would come from an Alex O’Boyle free as Oisin’s advance to a meeting with Tir na nOg Randalstown in their second successive final in two weeks-time.
Glenariffe: 1 Paul McMullan, 2 Patrikck McIlwaine, 4 Cailin Devlin, 5 David Kearney, 6 Niall Magee, 7 Calum McIlwaine, 8 Odhran Gillan, 9 Oliver Kearney, 10 Orrin O’Connor, 11 Conor Patterson, 12 Michael O’Boyle, 13 Alex O’Boyle, 14 Seanie McIntosh, 17 Michael Haughey, 18 Daniel Kearney.
Subs: Colla Ward for Patrick McIlwaine, Brogan O’Connor for Orrin O’Connor, Phelim Ward for Oliver Kearney, Niall Murray for Michael O’Boyle
Cloney Gaels: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Harry O’Donnell, 3 James Magee, 4 Bernard Graham 5 Finbar O’Neill 6 Diarmaid Graham 7 Dan O’Neill 8 Eamon Brady 9 Connor Crossey 10 Owen Neeson 11 Ronan Graham 12 Patrick Graham 13 Colla McDonnell 14 Donal Graham 15 James O’Connell
Subs: Tom McGlone for Donal Graham Neil O’Connell for Diarmaid Graham Shea Neeson for Bernard Graham, Patrick Dougan for Harry O’Donnell
Referee: Fionntan McCotter (Sarsfields)
TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/oGkUwnaQvKwAu8/?invite=279bb8c1-d47a-456e-acf5-fa361a6fab45