McQuillan’s take Section 1 title on a great finals day

McQuillan’s 3rds won Section 1 of the P5&6 North Antrim Indoor Hurling tournament at the Seven Towers Leisure Centre on Sunday, the Ballycastle boys just getting the better of a very good Michael Davitt’s Swatragh side by 3 goals to 2, the goals coming from Patrick Campbell, Matthew Donnelly and Peter Laverty. Campbell and Laverty had given the ‘Town’ a 2-0 lead but just before half time the Swatragh boys pulled one back from a penalty. Laverty put Ballycastle back in front early in the second half, but Swatragh hit back almost immediately to leave just one in it again. It was tough and intense in the final minutes but McQuillan’s managed to hold out to take the title.

In a great day’s hurling Eoghan Rua Coleraine captured the Section 2 title with a 5-0 win over Naomh Padraig while Section 3 was claimed by Kickhams Creggan who beat McQuillan’s 2nds by 6 goals to nil with a terrific display.

Omagh St Enda’s hit five goals in their final win over Oisins Glenariffe in the Section 4 final while in the Section 5 decider, the first final of the day, Tir na nÓg of Randalstown beat Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon 4ths by 5 goals to 4 in a really tight game.

Afterwards Paddy Gray of North Antrim presents the trophies to the winning captains

Section 1 winners McQuillan’s 3rds

Paddy Gray presents the Section 1 Shield to McQuillan’s captain Ronan McBride
Paddy Gray presents the Section 2 trophy to Darragh Cassidy of Eoghan Rua Coleraine
Eoghan Rua Coleraine celebrate their Section 2 victory
Section 3 winners Kickhams Creggan.
Paddy Gray presents the Section 3 Trophy to Cregann captain Ronan Colgan
Omagh St Enda’s celebrate their Section 4 success
Paddy Gray presents the Section 4 trophy to Omagh St Enda’s joint captains Conor O’Reilly and Conor Keyes
Section 5 winners Tir na nÓg celebrate their victory
Paddy Gray presents the Section 5 trophy to Tir na nÓg captain Oisin Sisk

O’Donovan Rossa teams up with NUI Galway

Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Mayor of Belfast Daniel Baker, O’Donovan Rossa Chairwoman Margaret Flynn

This affords an element of certainty for students in the post-Brexit world who will benefit from lower fees than they would encounter at home or in Britain, so the decision to sponsor Rossa’s U16s who will be starting to think of university choices is apt.”We are very happy to host Pól Ó Dochartaigh who had announced the sponsorship of four teams: hurling, football, ladies football and camogie,” confirmed Rossa cair, Margaret Flynn.”We are hoping to forge a link so when our children are thinking of where they are going to go when doing their A-Levels is to think seriously about Galway. “We also have the opportunity to bring development squads from Rossa down to get elite coaching and play local teams, so this has the opportunity to be something good for the university and our club.”Our children will remember this, that somebody from here has come back to do something for them. It’s a start and something we want to develop.”Lord Mayor, Danny Baker said he was delighted to host this launch and with his own children members of Rossa, promoting opportunities for our brightest and best to continues their studies in Ireland and bringing those skills back to their home city and club is a huge plus for the local community and Belfast as a whole.”I’m delighted to host this today,” said Councillor Baker.”It’s a great opportunity for me, the First Citizen, to invite Rossa down. My children are part of the club and they have benefitted from being members.”It’s great to see these connections forged with universities throughout Ireland, because too many talented young people go off to university in England or further afield and don’t come home. We want to keep that talent at home in Belfast and whether it’s through sport or job opportunities through education, it’s very important to keep our best here.”

Glenariffe Oisins Awards Night

Glenariffe Oisins held their annual awards dinner in the Larragh Lodge Restaurant on Saturday night with Gaelfast Director Dr Paul Donnelly the guest of honour. A series of internal awards were handed out to the hurlers and Ladies Footballers with Alex O’Boyle sweeping the boards in the hurling awards and Gemma Black cleaning up in the Ladies Football awards. Saffron Gael was there to capture the action.

Shannon O’Boyle presents the Alex O’Boyle Memorial Cup to the Club’s Players’ Player of the Year Alex O’Boyle at the Oisins GAC Awards dinner in the Larragh Lodge.
Club chairman David Burns presents the Minor Hurler of the Year award to Alexander McMullan at the Oisins GAC Awards dinner in the Larragh Lodge.
Alex O’Byle with the three major individual awards he received at the Oisins GAC Awards dinner in the Larragh Lodge.

Antrim minor management meet parents at St Louis

The Antrim Minor Hurling Management team held a very successfuL Parents/Players Information evening in St Louis’, Ballymena on Monday night with several guest speakers in attendance.

Paul Mc Flynn, teacher and former Derry footballer addressed the audience.  Speaking about issues which affected him as a player of their age, many of which are still relevant today, he outlined the challenges affecting all the elite players and how important it was to find the right playing/studying balance. He spoke about his student days and how it was possible to study and attend all training sessions without fear of underachieving.

Dr Nicholas Mc Naughton from Loughgiel spoke about health and fitness, the many demands placed on players and the importance of a balanced diet and rest. He also talked about his hurling career at club, school and university level and about boxing for Scorpion boxing club, Ballymoney.

Paul McFlynn, Dr Nicholas McNaughton, Director of Hurling Neil Peden and Dr Noel Brick.

Neil Peden, Antrim’s first Director of Hurling informed the players of the pathway that Antrim hurling was trying to establish and compared our teams to southern opposition, comparing the physical condition of their players to ours and how he hoped that many of the players present would go on and play for the Antrim seniors. He finished off by informing the minor boys that they were being treated the same as the seniors in that they were training in the same facilities and had access to the same doctors, physios and dietitians.

Last on the stage was Dr Noel Brick, who spoke about sports psychology, how the elite players have mental toughness, how they deal with mistakes during games and the ability to refocus/re-establish themselves in the ‘zone’.

Members of the Antrim panel who attended the talk