Not to be outdone by the clubs throughout the county who are currently putting in a massive effort to promote all our games in conjunction with the Gaelfast team, Aontroim Chumann na mBunscol have produced their inaugural Termly Newsletter. Covering a full term of events (September-December) the first edition is packed full of photographs and contributions from each of the three regions in the county; South Antrim, South West Antrim and North Antrim.
Going forward the committee hope to have contributions from the pupils, school focuses as well as interviews with Antrim players past and present, finding out a little about their memories of primary school games. To keep up to date with everything that’s happening throughout the county in relation to primary school games follow @AontroimCnamB on Twitter.
Two from two and the promotion dreams continues. Thoughts on a return to Division 1b are
becoming more prevalent with maximum points gained from the opening two matches
so far for Darren Gleeson’s men and while they may not have set the world on
fire while doing so, they are in exactly the position they need to be as they
travel to Tullamore this weekend.
Hurling of any kind is rarely going to be pretty in winter
months, becoming a war of attrition and battle of wills for the most part. Against Wicklow, Antrim shook off the cobwebs
to see off the dogged resistance of Wicklow.
Described as a workman like performance by many in the media but the two
points they were after. Against Mayo in
Loughgiel, a slow start preceded a comfortable win and the two points were never
in doubt.
Antrim’s Kehoe Cup final meeting with Offaly was a physical affair and Sunday’s vital league game should also be a hard hitting affair
Both matches had one major similarity. The surfaces they were played on. The pitch in south Wicklow wasn’t conducive
for pretty hurling and despite the best efforts of the groundsmen in Loughgiel,
Fr Healy Park wasn’t going to allow for fast flowing hurling either. It’s not a slight on the work done by the
hardworking volunteers, it’s the reality of the situation. It was borderline mission impossible to get
the pitch prepared as well as it was never mind have it resembling a surface in
the summer months.
Sunday off course is a rematch of the Kehoe Cup final, played in Páirc Tailteann just five weeks ago. Offaly edged the Saffrons by the minimum with an Oisin Kelly point in injury time but the score line really didn’t reflect the 70 minutes. Michael Fennelly’s men hit an incredible 18 wides overall while Dan McCloskey score Antrim’s goal deep in injury time. Antrim weren’t at their fluent best on that occasion and will probably show a number of changes for the weekend.
Neil McManus in action during the Kehoe Cup final against Offaly in Januarly
Offaly for that matter had improved immeasurably from when
Antrim last played them in Tullamore in the McDonagh Cup last June. Michael Fennelly has his fingerprints all
over this team now and hey are a different animal to the team Antrim faced in
Tullamore eight months ago. The Saffrons
were fantastic on that occasion however.
They outplayed, out-manoeuvred and outfought the Faithful County despite
playing with a man less for the majority of the game. Keelan Molloy brilliant on that occasion just
as he was when the two sides met in the middle of January in Navan. The Dunloy man drawing praise after the Kehoe
Cup encounter from Offaly hurling legend and chairman of their county board,
Michael Duignan. Duignan watching on as
his son Brian scored Offaly’s goal in the second half to open a five point
lead.
The Saffrons battled and kept in touch with Offaly and
McCloskey’s goal looked like they were on the verge of stealing victory from
the jaws of defeat. Offaly had other
ideas.
Oisin Kelly and Peter Geraghty impressive in attack for
Fennelly’s charges while captain Ben Conneely led by example at centre half.
Alex Delargy in action against Offaly in the Kehoe Cup final
Since the Mayo victory, Antrim tackled the All-Ireland
champions to open the fantastic new ground of Davitt’s. A match where they saw the return of Conor
McCann back from injury, Joe Maskey and David Kearney returning to action in a
Saffron shirt. The result against the
Premier County was never important, Antrim needed a performance after the
battles against Wicklow and Mayo. They got
both a fine result and an excellent performance in what was a competitive match. The perfect tune up for the most important
match of their season so far.
In the race for promotion, performances count for very
little. What matters is the end result
and how you get to that point does not matter and will be forgotten about if
the end result is the desired outcome.
Performances are secondary in this division. It’s all about the win. If you win in style it helps but at the start
of the campaign Antrim would have expected two from two and that’s exactly what
they have achieved.
Sunday isn’t exactly win or bust for Antrim, but the fact that it is for Offaly will bring added pressure. After losing ot Kerry last time out the Faithful county simply can’t afford to slip up again and that will not help the Antrim cause. A defeat is not the end of the world for the Saffrons, but a victory against the Faithful County would go some way to realising the promotion dream for the Saffrons.
Offaly collected the silverware when Sunday’s opponents met in the Kehoe Cup final in January
When they last met
Sunday January 12
Kehoe Cup Final – Antrim 1-15 Offaly 1-16
Teams
Antrim: Ryan
Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Matthew Donnelly, Stephen Rooney; Gerard Walsh, Conor
Boyd, Eoghan Campbell; Keelan Molloy, Nicky McKeague; Michael Bradley, Neil
McManus, James McNaughton; Domhnall Nugent, Alex Delargy, Niall McKenna
Subs: Conor
Johnston for N McKeague (43); Ronan Molloy for A Delargy (43); Ryan McCambridge
for M Bradley (46); Aodhan O’Brien for C Boyd (46); Dan McCloskey for N McKenna
(55); Conor McHugh for S Rooney (67)
Scorers: Neil
McManu 0-9 (5 f’s 2 ‘65’s); Keelan Molloy 0-5; Dan McCloskey 1-00; Niall
McKenna 0-1
Offaly: James
Dempsey; Brian Watkins, Damien Egan, Paddy Rigney; Michael Cleary, Ben
Conneely, Dan Doughan; Brendan Murphy, Leon Fox; Shane Kinsella, Peter
Geraghty, Oisin Kelly; Liam Langton, Sean Cleary, Thomas Geraghty
Subs: David King
for B Watkins (ht); David Nally for B Murphy (49); Paul Kinsella for S Cleary
(52); Brian Duignan for P Geraghty (62); Kevin Dunne for L Fox (65); Jason
Sampson for S Kinsella (69); Ross Ravinhill for L Langton (inj)
Scorers: Liam
Langton 0-4 (3 f’s 1 ’65); Brian Duignan 1-00; Leon Fox 0-2; Shane Kinsella
0-2; Peter Geraghty 0-2; Oisin Kelly 0-2; Sean Cleary 0-2; David Nally 0-2 (1
f)
St. Mary’s and St Pat’s served up a cracking game in their
Foresters Cup opener at Allen Park this afternoon and it was the Glen Road side
who edged home 6-05-3-09.
Played in blustery and snowy conditions it was St. Mary’s
who started on the front foot – claiming the opening goal through Dubhaltach
Wilson with less than a minute gone and a second through Barie Burns moments
later.
A point then followed from defender Ben McCauley, but whilst
St. Mary’s were making the most of their wind advantage in the opening half-
Maghera couldn’t get to grips with things and hit five wides from frees in the
opening 30 minutes.
They eventually hit back through Cormac Mullan’s 12th
minute strike on goal– though Wilson converted a free and in the aftermath
Niall Fallon struck to the net and Diarmuid Rogan added a further point as St.
Mary’s led 3-03-1-00.
James Friel converted a free for Maghera in response but
Adam Churchill hit St. Mary’s fourth goal of the half.
The lead would be cut before the interval as St. Pat’s
battled back through superb points from Conor Murtagh and Niall Dougan.
Midfielder Calum O’Kane then burst forward and rifled the
ball to the net to ensure his side trailed 4-03-2-03 at the midway point- with
a strong wind advantage in the second period.
Maghera immediately closed the gap through a Niall Dougan
goal within a minute of the restart and substitute Peter McCullagh then
converted a free.
Diarmuid Rogan conjured up a point in response before St.
Mary’s restored their two-goal lead after Barie Burns followed up on Dubhaltach
Wilson’s effort which was parried by Paddy Reid.
McCullagh (free) and Conor Boyle then traded points as
two-goals separated the sides midway through the second period.
Maghera would half the deficit through McCullagh- having
already landed two frees since his introduction at the break- he sent three
further placed balls over the bar to leave the score 5-05-3-08 with just
minutes remaining.
St. Mary’s eased any worries with a sixth goal through Adam
Churchill, though it came with an element of luck as Paddy Reid appeared to
have batted the ball behind and over, only for it to drop to the net.
Peter McCullagh landed a further free to bring his personal
tally to 0-06; though the final whistle sounded in the aftermath as St. Mary’s
edged to an opening day victory in the Foresters Cup.
St. Mary’s scorers: A
Churchill (2-00), B Burns (2-00), N Fallon (1-00), D Wilson (1-01, 0-01f), D
Rogan (0-02), C Boyle (0-01), B McCauley (0-01).
St Pat’s Maghera
scorers: J Friel (0-01f), C O’Kane (1-00), C Murtagh (0-01), C Mullan
(1-00), N Dougan (1-01), P McCullagh (0-06f).
St Anthony’s Primary School won the Larne Schools Hurling Cup for the 4th time in 7 years. St Anthony’s Primary School who arguably came into the tournament as underdogs came through the groupstage unbeaten, winning their first game against St MacNissis’ and drawing all the rest. The final game of the league section was between St MacNissis and Corran Integrated with as place in the final up for grabs. The Corran only needed a draw to guarantee a final spot but St MacNissis had other ideas and put in the most impressive performance the day winning the pivotal league game 4-0. The games in the group stage were tight affairs with teams reluctant to give much away and the final was no different. It was a nervous game with the St MacNissis keeper the man of the match. At the full time whistle team coaches Ciaran McKillion and Anthony McNeill had to make changes with the teams being reduced from 6 a side to 5 a side for the two minutes of extra time. The 2019 champions scored early in extra time and were able to hold on to take the Larne Schools Hurling Cup back to Antiville for the third year in a row. With team coach Anthony McNeill winning the competition for the second time, the first time was as a player at the first ever Larne Schools Hurling Cup in 2014. The Larne Schools Hurling Cup continues to go from strength to strength with more volunteers and coaches getting involved and is now a well established competition giving children from schools in Larne the opportunity to play meaningful and competitive games of hurling
