The function room in the Marine Hotel, Ballycastle was packed to the rafters on Saturday night as Carey Faughs celebrated a very special year for the club, a year filled with extreme highs and extreme lows.
On the field the club had one of their best ever years. winning the Division 2 League title, the Antrim Intermediate Hurling title and the Ulster Intermediate title. On the low side the club and parish suffered a terrible blow when one of their greatest supporter, eight year old ‘Wee Joe’ Heggarty, tragically lost his life in a terrible farm accident. On top of that former player Jimmy Black, father of one the club’s greatest ever players James ‘Rocket’ Black, sadly lost his life through illness during the Ulster championship run. Among the guests of honour were County Chairman Seamus McMullan, former National Hurling Development Officer Martin Foggarty from Kilkenny and Marcas O’Doherty of Kevins Hurling Club in Dublin.
The Saffron Gael went along to capture some special memories
Antrim county chairman Seamus McMullan presented the League, county Intermediate and Ulster Intermediate cups to vice captain Paddy Butler and team captain Shay Hunter (right).Carey Faughs chairman Sean McBride presents a Merit Award to Carey PP Fr Con Boyle at the club’s awards dinner in the Marine Hotel.Sean McBride presents the Supporter of the Year award to Ciaran McCarryAndrea and Michael Heggarty receive a special Supporter of the Year award on behalf of their late son ‘Wee Joe’ Heggarty from committe member Michael McBridePaddy McIlroy (eflt) receives the Clubman of the Year award from committee member Michael McBrideJimmy Joe Burns receives the Junior Hurler of the Year award from Dazza McVeighEoin and Conleth McKinley present the Danny McKinley award in memory of their late father, to Andrew McGarryMarcas O’Doherty of Kevin’s GAC Dublin, who has a holiday home at Murlough Bay, was one of the four members of his club who travelled up from Dublin for the dinner. Marcus is seen here making a special merit award to club legend Chris Campbell, who received a hurl which was signed by the Carey Faughs Championship winning teamThe Carey Faughs team who won the 2024 Division 2 League, the Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship and the Ulster Intermediate Championship are seen here at the club’s awards dinner in the Marine Hotel.Club chairman Sean McBride makes a special presentation to the senior management team of Dazza McVeigh, Eddie McCloskey, Benny McCarry and Kevin MurphyCalum Cane who captained the Naomh Padraig team who won the North Antrim B Hurling Championship in 2024, receives the cup from Naomh Padraig sponsors Ciaran CampbellThe wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Andrea Heggarty delivered a touching tribute to her son ‘Wee Joe’ and read a poem she had written in his memory.Club chairman Sean McBride (centre) with county chairman Seamus McMullan (left) and former National Hurling Development Officer Martin Foggarty
The family of the late Jimmy Black, his wife Susie, daughters Catherine (left) and Helen, son James and Susie’s sister Eileen Mulholland (2nd left) at the Carey Faughs dinner in the Marine Hotel
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U16A Shield All Ireland Championship Round 1 Sunday 9th February 2025
Antrim 4-10 Clare 0-08
Match report and photo album from Antrim County PRO Michael Corcoran
A cloudy sky with a cold north easterly breeze would have supporters clasping tea and coffee in the hope of offering some comfort as Clare and Antrim went head-to-head in Trim on a pitch that was excellent for a Championship opener. Antrim picked up a red card early in the game and having droped a player, there was a chance that Clare would enjoy the advantage, but Antrim leaned harder into the rucks and with a star performance from Cliodhna Thompson and Maeve Scullian, at opposite ends of the pitch, Antrim were able to deny Clare much of the possession and were equally efficient in their scoring efforts.
Four goals from Cliodhna Thompson would seal Clare’s fate but not without some anxious times in the Antrim camp, as Clare mounted a comeback into the wind in the second half. An on-form Antrim goalkeeper, Maeve Scullion would drop the sliotar safely from high to low and diffuse direct shots to goal that denied Clare a route back into the game.
The referee, Justin Heffernan from Wexford, commenced the game at 2pm sharp and immediately Antrim were scuffling in Clare’s square with a ground ball. Nothing would come of the early efforts, but Thompson would coast two frees over the bar in quick succession to have Antrim two points up after four minutes.
Clare’s Sheena Bernie would drop a 45 between the uprights before Antrim’s Eimear Ward found the stick of a running Cliodhna Thompson for Antrim’s first goal after fourteen minutes.
Clare’s Rachel Kerin would reply with a point from a free and four minutes later, returned with a shot on goal but Maeve Scullion diffused the danger and Kerin looped back for a point to make amends.
Both sides would go point for point as Clare’s Katie Conlon and Sheena Bernie brought Clare’s score to 0-04 as Antrim’s Tamara Black reaped the benefits from a long solo run ending in her point and centre half forward, Eimear Ward brought the second half up the whistle with her point from a fine pass from Black up the centre of the pitch. The score would stand at the half time whistle, Antrim 1-04 Clare 0-04.
The second half started with a similar intensity to the first, with Cliodhna Thompson pulling on her second goal after only two minutes. A tenacious Thompson would press the goalkeeper after a short puck out and after forcing a wide, took her 45 to register Antrim 2-05 Clare 0-04 on the scoreboard, followed by Antrim’s Tegan Cassidy’s point as she caught a high ball to solo and score.
Clare’s Aoibhinn Corbett would have a presence throughout the second half as a strong player and read the game well to set up opportunities and stepping up after twelve minutes for a safe 45, Corbett would move Clare a point up the board.
Clare was now beginning to take portions of the game to Antrim at the three-quarter way mark in the second half. Pushing in deep and although forced to go wide on several occassions, Corbett would find a way to weave the sliotar back into a concerned position for Antrim. That spell of play would offer Clare two points coming from Katie Conlon but it would be Antrim’s Thompson that would take the match beyond Clare in the 20th minute with a scorching hat trick shot to the back of the net after Antrim were dogged along the dugout to not only maintain possession but to advance that forward.
With a fresh perspective of the game, Clare’s Ava Reddan would receive a handpassed sliotar on the edge of Antrim’s square, but a wall of saffron forced the point and as Antrim floated three more points over the bar from Eimear Ward and Caoimhe McErlain, Thompson would deliver the final blow, not on her first attempt as Clare’s goalkeeper, Lily Fitzgibbon pushed that away, but a hungry Thompson would see it over the line to finish the game with little extra time added. Final score on the board, Antrim 4-10 Clare 0-08. Antrim’s campaign has got off to a good start but there’s plenty of game time ahead and it’ll be back to training this week as the schools now take their mid-term break.
Featured image: Shane O’Neill’s Countess of Antrim winning side at the clubs Annual Dinner in the Tullyglass House Hotel on Saturday night.
Shane O’Neill’s GAC, Glenarm held their Annual Dinner and Presentation evening, attended by a large crowd in Tullyglass House in Ballymena on Saturday night.
Following another successful season where the senior hurlers just missed out on promotion from division 2, there was an impressive array of trophies on display including the Countess of Antrim Cup and the North Antrim U12 Shield and the North Antrim U16B Championship Cup.
Special guest, Antrim and Lamh Dhearg’s Kieran Megraw presented the Senior Player of the year award to goalkeeper, Michael Abram who had an outstanding season for the Feystown side.
Shane O’Neill’s U16 hurlers who won the North Antrim U16B Championship
OTHER AWARDS PRESENTED ON THE NIGHT
U12 captain, Gerard Kelly receives the North Antrim U12 Shield from Gooch Gillan
Aidan McKeown presents the U16B Championship Shield to Niall Rodgers.
Club Chairman, Ciaran Matthews presents the Countess of Antrim Cup to team captain, Declan McDermott.
David McAuley presents the Most Improved U12 Hurler award to Ronan O’Lone.
Niall O’Lone presents the U12 Hurler of the Year award to Thomas Matthews.
Noah Montgomery presents the U14 Most Improved Hurler award to Barry McMullan.
Cormac McMullan receives the U14 Player award from Mark Taggart.
Aidan McKeown presents the U16 Player of the year to Niall Rodgers.
Peter McGarrell receives the Club Person of the year award from Terence Mulvenna.
Dessie Matthews presents the Junior Hurler of the Year award to Ryan McLaughlin.
Kieran Megraw presents the Senior Hurler of the Year to Michael Abram.
Shane O’Neill’s U12 hurlers, winners of the North Antrim U12 Shield
TO VIEW INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS FROM THE NIGHT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
St Dominic’s Belfast 2-5 High Cross College, Tuam 2-0
St Dominic’s became the first Belfast college to reach and All Ireland Camogie final when they beat High Cross College Tuam in Saturday’s All Ireland semi-final at Colaiste Feirste
On top from the start St Dominic’s dominated the game from the early stages and when Amy Gault, (granddaughter of former Antrim legend Jim Nelson) put them ahead from a pointed free they never looked back.
They came close to grabbing their first goal when Aoife Fitzsimons rattled a shot off the Tuam crossbar but their supporters did not have long to wait and Erin Stewart’s raised a green flag with a shot that dipped below the crossbar.
Fitzsimons’ pace was causing the Tuam defence a lot of problems but despite their dominance St Dominic’s were not making it pay on the scoreboard. However a second point from Gault just before the break game them a 1-02 to 0-00 lead at the interval.
Gault was again the scorer when they stretched their lead just after the break and the St Paul’s player added another ten minutes into the second half. Erin Stewart’s luck was out when her goal bound shot came back of the upright but they still looked very comfortable overall.
However not having scores on the board can leave a team vulnerable and when High Cross got a somewhat fortunate goal from a Meabh Dooley free the complexion of the game suddenly changed. An excellent Aoife Fitzsimons point settled the nerves for the Belfast girls, but their was more anxiety for the St Dominic’s fans to endure when Dooley grabbed a second goal for Tuam, driving the ball low through a packed goalmouth to the net on 53 minutes.
Thankfully the St Dominic’s fans on the steep Colaiste Feirste terracing did not have long to wait for their nerves to settle again and when a long delivery by Gault deflected off a Tuam defender and into her own net the celebrations got underway.
The Tuam college never gave up the fight and pushed hard to try and salvage the game, but the St Dominic’s defence held firm and there were scenes of great celebration when the final whistle blew. The now face Gaelcholáiste Cill Dara in the final in three weeks’ time in what will surely be a great occasion for the school.
ST DOMINIC’S: A Austin; T Culbert, A McNally, M Monaghan; R McCourt, A Gault (0-4f), K McAllister; E Stewart (1-0), C McKee; A Annett, A Fitzsimons (0-1), A McGivern; E Kelly, R McElhatton, S McNama. Sub: A McDonnell for S McNama (40).
TUAM: C Higgins; R Greaney, E Lardner, A Waldron; S Morris, E Burke, G Adeyeye; C Doyle, A Higgins; S Hayes, A Heffernan, I Comer; M Dooley (2-0 frees), S O’Connor, G Galvin. Subs: E Flynn for S hayes (40), R Hynes for S O’Connor (40), K Gilmore for C Doyle (50), E Curley for S Morris (56), S Daly for R Geaney (58)
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Antrim Under 17s scored a runaway win over Derry in Sunday’s opening game in the Ulster Minor Cup at Dunsilly. An understrength Oak Lea side were no match for a razor sharp Saffron side for whom full forward Cadhan Crawford was superb, the Ballycastle man scoring 3-4 in the opening half.
Crawford struck for his first goal in the third minute and added a second five minutes later. The gap stretched by the minute and by the time he completed his hat-trick in the 28th minute the gap was out to twenty points. Oisin Gillen, Christy Leach, Daire Jemfrey, James McDonnell, Sean Smyth and Canice McIntosh all adding their names to the scoring list and by half time the point were sealed.
Oisin Gillen, Sean Smyth and Caolan McCollum all added points at the start of the second half before Ultan McCloskey and Michael McCusker pulled a couple back for Derry. The scores kept coming from the Antrim side, despite making a series of substitutions and though McCloskey and McCusker kept the scoreboard ticking for the visitors Antrim finished strong with their fourth goal from Christy Leech.
Subs used – Caolan McCollum for Cadhan Crawford, Nicholas McLaughlin for James McDonnell, Liam McGarry for Canice McIntosh, Liam Smyth for Darragh Kinney and Matthew Rice for Liam Magee
Subs – Matthew Rice, Aaron Quinn, Liam McGarry, Dylan Donnelly, Nicholas McLaughlin, Caolan McCollum, Anthony Cochrane, Ciaran McCann, Liam Smyth
DERRY
Padraig Campbell, Aaron McGuigan, Cailean Gallagher, Pearse Murphy, Cathal McCloskey, Declan Kelly, Brendan O’Kane, Lorcan Murphy, PJ Glover, Cathal McNicholl, Michael McCusker, Martin Og Bradley, Peadar Pio Peoples, Ultan McCloskey, Ryan Tohill
Subs – James Russell, Ben Douglas, Anton Farrell, Dylan Irwin, Daniel Kane, Aidan Kelly, Peadar Kelly, Péadraic Leadon, Rhys McCorriston, Fiachra McGill, Owen O’Neill.
Referee – Derek Argue
TO SEE MORE OF MICKEY MORGAN’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON HTE LHE LINK BELOW
