MAIN PICTURE – The Glenariffe-Glenravel team who made history in 2024 by winning the Antrim and Ulster Minor Hurling Championship for the first time are seen here at the Oisins CLG dinner in the Tullyglass Hotel.
Senior Managers Hugh Dobbin and Shay O’Hagan presenting the Players’ Player of the Year award to Oliver Kearney at the Oisins GAC dinner in the Tullyglass Hotel.
Senior Managers Hugh Dobbin and Shay O’Hagan presenting the Most Improved Player of the Year to Ronan Leech (photo left) and the Most Dedicated Player award to Ben O’Boyle at the Oisins awards dinner in the Tullyglass Hotel.
The Glenariffe-Glenravel team and management who won the 2024 Antrim and Ulster Minor Hurling Championships were the stars of the show at the Oisins dinner Oisins treasurer Teresa Gettins presents a sponsorhip cheque to the Saffron Gael at the club’s dinner in Tullyglass Hotel
Padraig McIlwaine presenting the Supporter of the Year to Carol Ward and Orlaith McAllister presents Kate Ewings with the Senior Ladies Gaelic Football Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year.
Teresa Gettins receives the Clubperson of the Year awards from Hugh McIlwaine at the Oisins awards dinner in Tullyglass Hotel
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Main picture – The Ruairi Og team who won the Division 3 League title in 2024 are seen here at the club’s annual awards night in the Tullyglass Hotel. Included is team manager ‘Jackie’ Carson
Ruairi Og Cushendall held their annual awards evening in the Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena on Saturday evening where they celebrated another speical year for the club. Top of the list was winning the Senior Hurling Championship, closely followed by the Minor Camogie team who captured their third county title in a row. Guests of honour were county Chairman Seamus McMullan and his wife Siobhan, plus the new county Camogie chairperson Una Kelly and treasurer Angela Boyle
Saffron Gael went along to grab some pics
The Cushendall team who won last season’s Antrim Senior Hurling title received their medals at the RuairiOg dinner in the Tullyglass Hotel.
Cushendall Minor team who won their third county title in a row
Brian Delargy and his backroom team who helped him win the 2024 championship and league titles
The Ruairi Og club committee at the clubs awards night. Back Row: (L-R) Mick Quinn, Fergus McAlister, James McCurry, Marie Hayden, Aidan McAteer, Emmett McNaughton, Martin Magee Front row: (L-R) Eimear O’Hara, Clódagh McAllister, Kevin McCann, Martin Allen, Ann Marie McNaughtonSeamus McMullan makes a special award to Anne Marie McNaughton to mark an individual presentation made to her a few weeks ago to mark her dedication to the GAASeamus McMullan and Neill McManus presnt a framed jersey, which was worn by her late husband Danny in the 1992 county final Emmet McNaughton with his wife Tina, daughters Cara and Caoimhe, son Killian and his mum Anne Marie with the jersey his late dad Danny wore in the 1992 Championship final.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Maeve & Amy McAlister who shared the Minor Most Improved awardEva McNeill receives the Minor Camogie Player of the Year award from Una Kelly
Antrim minor hurlers secured a place in the final of the Under 17 Hurling Cup when they beat Down in Sunday’s game at Ballycran.
After last week’s runaway win over Derry at Dunsilly the Saffrons showed a good few changes in Sunday’s team as they cast their eye over the strength within the panel. Down who were led by right half forward Daire Puci, proved to be much stiffer opposition than Derry as scores proved much harder to come by. The home team opened the score with a Puci free but Antrim took the lead soon afterwards with the goal from right half forward Ciaran McCann and followed it with points rom Jay McAlonan and Nicholas McLaughlin. Two by Puci and one from Ronan Breen kept the home team in touch and though Antrim kept pushing ahead Down always had an answer and were only two points behind at half time, 0-08 to 1-07.
Antrim started to pull away when they turned around with the wind in their favour and after four unanswered points they got their second goal through substitute Cadhan Crawford, star of last week’s win over Derry. A third goal followed from Dylan McNaughton, and though Eoin Murray pulled one back for Down two more by Crawford put the game beyond the home team’s grasp, though Down hit two of their own through Eoin Murray and Daire Puci.
ANTRIM
Laim Magee, Dylan Donnelly, Liam Smyth, Eunan Harvey, Aaron Quinn, Conor McCann, Liam McGarry, Anthony Cochrane, Ronan Taylor, Oisin Boyle, James McDonnell, Ciaran McCann, Nicholas McLaughlin, Jay McAlonan, Caolan McCollum
Antrim made it four wins out of four in Division 4 of the LGFA League when they beat Longford in Sunday’s game at Dunsilly. Leading by 1-04 to 0-3 at the end of a scrappy first half Antrim hit their stride in the second period when backed by the strong breeze and three well taken goals, two of them by Theresa Mellon and one by Anna Mulholland saw them pull away to win convincingly in the end.
Antrim started strongly with two early points from Devlin and Mulholland it looked like they were totally in charge, but they missed a succession of easy scoring opportunities and when Longford began to settle they looked a better team than they had one in the early minutes. The Leinster girls drew level with points from centre forward Katie Crawford in the seventh and thirteenth minutes and with a bit of luck could have had a good few more, hitting the woodwork on four occasions in the first half.
Antrim did edge ahead with another point but just two minutes from half that was all that separated the sides until Lara Dahunsi was on the end of a good move to palm the ball to the net to give her team a 1-04 to 0-3 lead at the interval.
With the breeze at their backs in the second half Antrim began to edge away from the visitors Tow points from Maria O’Neill, in reply to one from Crawford for Longford put them four ahead, but a superbly take goal from a narrow angle by Naomh Brigid’s Theresa Mellon proved a significant score. Points followed from Bronagh Devlin and Lara Dahunsi before Mellon got in again to fire home another left footed score and it was clear the league point were in the bank.
Anna Mulholland grabbed her team’s fourth goal as the game entered the last quarter and the management took the opportunity of emptying their bench. To their credit Longford kept battling to the end and the grabbed a late goal from a penalty by corner forward Lauren McGuire, but Antrim were home and dry by this stage and kept their unbeaten record intact with an eleven point win.
ANTRIM
Aine Devlin, Niamh McIntosh, Maeve Blaney, Carla McKenna, Sarah O’Neill, Ciara Brown, Orla Ni Corra, Aoife Kelly, Anna Mulholland, Theresa Mellon, Lara Dahunsi, Laura Agnew, Bronagh Devlin, Nicole Jones, Maria O’Neill.
Subs – Isla Anett, Aine Lynch, Emily Kearns, Aine Kelly, Nicole Munce
Main picture – Antrim’s Paddy McBride in action against Offaly’s L Pearson and C Egan during Sunday’s National Football League Division 3 game in Tullamore
Allianz National Football League, Division 3
Offaly 4-19-0-15 Antrim
Kevin Herron reports from Glenisk O’Connor Park
Two red cards in the space of six-minutes at the beginning of the second half hamstrung Antrim in their heavy 4-19-0-15 defeat to Offaly at Glenisk O’Connor Park on Sunday afternoon.
Having initially rallied at the end of the opening period following goals from Shane Tierney and Cillian Bourke- Conor Stewart and Conor Hand both saw reds within eight minutes of the restart and Offaly ran amok with their numerical advantage as Keith O’Neill added two further goals to the numerous points they accumulated by the conclusion.
Antrim went into the encounter looking to recover from defeat to Fermanagh last time out and there was a late alteration before throw-in as Ryan McQuillan replaced Fionn Nagle in wing half forward.
Paddy McBride got Antrim off to a perfect start with a two-pointed score and that kept the visitors ahead until the 11th minute.
In between times Shane Tierney notched up two-points, the first coming from a converted free and the second a fisted point under pressure with Ruairi McCann (mark) and Dominic McEnhill replying on each occasion.
Dylan Hyland restored parity with a two-pointed free from outside the arc and Antrim faltered in the aftermath.
The subsequent kick-out from Hylands score went astray and led to a goal chance for Jack Bryant that was partially blocked, but Shane Tierney made no mistake and netted at the second time of asking to give his side a 1-04-0-04 lead.
Bryant dropped over a point with a further three unanswered giving the hosts a comfortable advantage.
Two of the three fell to Hyland, kicking a 45′ and a magnificent angled point with Jack Bryant adding a mark in-between.
Offalys Cillian Burke in action with Antrim’s Marc Jordan and Ronan Boyle in Sunday’s Allianz National Football League Div 3 game at Tullamore
After going 15-minutes without a score Conor Hand dropped over a two-pointer from McEnhill’s lay-off, though the Saffrons found themselves further in arrears on the 26th minute.
Offaly keeper Paddy Dunican lined up a two-pointed shot that dropped and Mick Byrne was unable to clear as Cillian Bourke slammed home to make it 2-08-0-06.
Bryne prevented Cormac Egan adding a third two minutes later, but the pendulum swung before the interval as Antrim finished strongly.
Marc Jordan popped over with his back to goal and Dermot McAleese added his sides third two-pointer of the half.
A Conor Hand point followed with Dominic McEnhill converting successive frees before the whistle to leave the score 2-08-0-12 at the break.
Any chance of an Antrim fightback was ended within a six-minute period at the beginning of the second period.
Conor Stewart was dismissed for a high challenge on John Furlong off the ball and in the aftermath of Dylan Hyland swinging over a two-pointer, midfield partner Conor Hand was shown red for an off the ball incident involving Hyland.
The hosts would make great use of their numerical advantage as the game stretched but initially the Saffrons did well to remain in proceedings.
Keith O’Neill swung over a free in the aftermath of the second dismissal with Dominic McEnhill replying from the same scenario.
Antrim almost had a goal back when the ball broke to Marc Jordan and his close-range shot was blocked off the line at the expense of a 45′ by John Furlong with Byrne landing the resulting 45′.
Antrim’s Marc Jordan in action with Offalys Rory Egan Sunday’s Allianz National Football League Div 3 game at Tullamore
Offaly kicked the next 2-06 without reply as Stewart and Hands absence was felt. Substitute Nigel Dunne helped himself to three points in the aftermath of replacing Dylan Hyland.
Keith O’Neill lined up a point and then slotted into the empty net within 60-seconds after Mick Byrne was caught up field and a long ball was played into Dunne and laid off to O’Neill.
Jordan Hayes, John Furlong, Shane Tierney and Jack Bryant all pointed before O’Neill claimed his second of the half.
Credit must go to Cathal Flynn who dribbled the ball towards goal and picked out O’Neill.
Antrim claimed a consolation point through Marc Jordan with Nigel Dunne twice pointing afterwards to seal a comfortable victory for Micky Harte’s charges.
OFFALY: P Dunican, L Pearson, K Higgins, R Egan, A Bracken, J Hayes (0-1), C Egan, J McEvoy,C Bourke (1-0), J Furlong (0-1), C Flynn, K O’Neill (2-1), D Hyland (0-6, 0-2f, 0-1 45′), J Bryant (0-3,0-1m), S Tierney (1-3, 0-1f). Subs: N Dunne (0-3, 0-1f) for D Hyland (53), C Donoghue for C Bourke (66), S O’Toole-Green for C Egan (67), D McDaid for L Pearson (68), R Gallagher for S Tierney (70+2).
ANTRIM: M Byrne (0-1 45′), J McDonnell, E Walsh, J McAuley, R Boyle, J Finnegan, D McAleese (0-2), C Stewart, C Hand (0-3), P Finnegan, M Jordan (0-2), R McQuillan, P McBride (0-2), R McCann (0-1m), D McEnhill (0-4,0-1f). Subs: F Nagle for R McQullian (25), P Ferris for J Finnegan (31), J Morgan for R Boyle (62), R Murray for D McEnhill (62), C Higgins for P McBride (69).
REFEREE: David Murnane (Cork)
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