Category / Ulster Colleges

by thesaffrongael

La Salle too strong for battling St. Patrick’s

Antrim Year 10 Shield final

De La Salle 4-12 St. Patrick’s Academy Lisburn 1-0

Photographs: Bert Trowlen

De La Salle, Belfast proved too strong for a gallant St. Patrick’s Academy Lisburn in this rather one sided Antrim Year 10 Shield final at Dunsilly on Wednesday evening. The game as a contest was more or less over at the half way stage when the Belfast College led 3-8 to 0-0 with their goals coming from Daire Thornbury, Aaron McCrory and the superb Dylan Fegan.

Fegan was instrumental in nearly everything La Salle did during the opening half and weighed in with another six points with Odhran McLean and Kevin McArdle getting the other points as St. Patrick’s battled gallantly but in vain to find a way through a resolute La Salle defence.

The margin could have been even greater but Oliver Graham in the Lisburn goals pulled off a superb saver after 18 minutes and the Academy net minder was to make another couple of courageous stops during a second half that the Belfast seat of learning dominated.

Indeed St. Patrick’s Academy faired a little better during the second half and were finally rewarded for their efforts when Christopher McGarry got through for a goal in the 17th minute but by that stage De La Salle were out of sight with Odhran McClean adding a goal and a point and Lorcan Cordner and substitutes Ciaron Herron and David Walsh concluding the scoring for an impressive Le Salle.

De La Salle: 1 Oisin McLaren, 2 Nathan Mullan, 3 Jayden Seenan, 4 Tiernan Lee, 5 Daniel Kelly, 6 Shay McCarron, 7 Aaron McCrory, 8 Kevin McArdle, 9 Odhran McLean, 10 Brian Gough, 11 Lorcan Cordner, 12 Dylan Fegan, 13 Daire Thornbury, 14 Carl McCaffrey, 15 Ben Riley, 16 Ciaron Herron, 17 David Wash.

St. Patrick’s Academy: 1 Oliver Graham, 2 Ethan Annon, 3 Charlie McGrandles, 4 Ryan McCall, 5 Joe McMahon, 6 Zac Moore, 7 Callum Dean, 8 Dara Campbell, 9 James Barrett, 10 Charlie Green, 11 Callum McKillion, 12 Caeden Lees, 13 Christopher McGarry, 14 Sean Prabucki, 15 Eoin Morris, 18 Aaron Hartley, 19 Reece Denver, 20 Tomas Fay

by thesaffrongael

St. Mary’s winners of the Shane Mulholland Cup in Ballymena

Ulster College’s 1st Year Hurling Blitz

All Saints Ballymena was once again the venue for the Ulster College’s Shane Mulholland Cup (1st Year hurling blitz) and despite intermittent rain throughout the day, the tournament was a great success and ran like clockwork.

Nine colleges took part in the tournament with teams from Antrim, Derry, Armagh and Down represented and at the end of a splendid day’s hurling it was St. Mary’s CBS Belfast who emerged convincing winners over Our Lady & St. Patrick’s Knock in the final.

The tournament was divided into two groups with Cross & Passion, St. Mary’s CBS Belfast, St. Louis, St. Mary’s Magherafelt and St. Malachy’s in Group 1 and St. Killian’s Garron Tower, St. Patrick’s Maghera, St. Patrick’s Keady and Our Lady & St. Patrick’s Knock, St. Killian’s, St. Patrick’s Keady and st. Patrick’s Maghera in the other group.

Maria Mulholland presents the Shane Mulholland Cup to the St. Mary’s captain
‘Gooch’ Gillan presents the Player of the Tournament award to St. Mary’s Shea McGarry

After two well contested groups it was St. Mary’s Belfast and Cross & Passion Ballycastle who advanced to the semi-finals from Group 1 while Our Lady & St. Patrick’s Knock and St. Patrick’s Maghera who emerged from Group 2.

St. Mary’s CBS defeated St. Patrick’s Maghera in the first semi-final with Knock emerging as winners of the second semi-final over Cross & Passion Ballycastle.

Our Lady & St. Patrick’s Knock were impressive in their win over the Ballycastle College but appeared to have left it on the semi-final field as they had no answer to a sharp and focused St. Mary’s in the final with the Glen Road school running out convincing 3-7 to 0-1 winners in the final.

After the final Maria Mulholland, mother of Shane Mulholland R.I.P., a former St. Louis pupil and hurler who the tournament is named after, presented the cup to the St. Mary’s captain while tournament organiser Mr. Gillan presented the player of the tournament award to St. Mary’s player, Shea McGarry.

St. Mary’s CBGS, winners of the Shane Mulholland Cup
St. Louis Ballymena
Our Lady & St. Patrick’s Knock
St. Patrick’s Maghera
Cross & Passion Ballycastle
St. Mary’s Magherafelt
St. Malachy’s Befast
St. Patrick’s Keady
St. Killian’s Garron Tower
by thesaffrongael

Clinical St. Killian’s claim first All Ireland title

Tesco All-Ireland Schools’ Junior C final

St Killian’s College Garron Tower (Antrim) 5-14

Seamount Kinvara (Galway) 2-8

A clinical scoring performance by full-forward Clodagh McPeake helped St. Killian’s College Garron Tower to their first All Ireland camogie title when they overcame the challenge of Seamount Kinvara in Templeport, Co Cavan today.

McPeake had a useful ally in Kady McNeill who was the outstanding player on view in a Garron Tower team without a weakness with the North Antrim side dominant throughout and full value for their 15 point winning margin.

St Killian’s dominated the opening exchanges and looked to be coasting to victory when they led 1-6 to 0-1 after 20 minutes but the Galway side produced their best spell in the game when they finished the opening half strongly to close the gap to 1-7 to 1-4 with three minutes remaining to the break.

Significantly the North Antrim side regained their composure however and replied with points from Orlaith McAlister and Kady McNeill and when Clodagh McPeake added a quick fire double they had moved 3-9 to 1-4 ahead and were back in total control.

St Killian’s started this game with 12 players from Ruairí Óg in their starting line-up and took control from the start with Abi McNeill and her wingers in the half back line dominant. However the score was just 0-2 to 0-1 after ten minutes before Kady McNeill struck with a flurry of points.

Eimear Butler and Orlaith McAlister added points before Clodagh McPeake struck with the first of four goals in the 14th minute. Seamount looked to be struggling until Beibhinn Walsh goaled in the 20th minute and added a point as the Galway side had closed the deficit to just three points coming into half time.

That late first half scoring burst from St Killian’s all but killed off the Seamount challenge with the Ulster champions pushing home their advantage in the second half with the Galway girls only able to add two further points in the first 20 minutes of the second half, both from frees.

St Killian’s turned the screw and Kady McNeill and Orlaith McAlister added two points each before McNeill and McPeake added goals in the 43rd and 48th minutes to conclude their scoring.

Although well beaten at this stage, Seamount kept battling to the end with sub Nina Lina McKeown finding the net and Zoe Bergin and Mia Rodgers adding points but they were merely consolation scores.

Garron Tower controlled matters for the greater part of the contest with the half-back line dominant throughout. In attack Clodagh McPeake, Kadi McNeill and Orlaith McAllister were unstoppable while midfielders Cara O’Boyle and Laura Black were always on top in this sector.

The Connacht champions had decent performers in Zoe and Mia Rodgers, Ella Bergin, Lara Kilkelly and Rhianom Dalton but they had no real answer to a superb St. Killian’s side on the day.

St Killian’s: Louise Mulholland, Caoimhe Morgan, Eimhear McMullan, Maire-Claire McAlister, Aisling Mulholland, Abi McNeill, Cliodhna O’Hara, Cara O’Boyle, Laura Black, Kady McNeill 1-5, Orlaith McAlister 0-7 (2fs), Ellie Jo Butler, Eimear Butler 0-1, Clodagh McPeake 4-1, Orlaith McCurry.

Subs :. Maeve McAlister for C O’Hara (20), Rhianna Black for E Butler (HT), Eva McNeill for O McCurry (39), Niamh McNeill for C Morgan (51).

Seamount: A Barry, A Greaney, L Gately, C Crossan, R Dalton, Z Rodgers capt 0-1, M Doyle, H Corocran, L Kilkelly, L Shields 0-2 (fs), C Maloney, B Walsh 1-1, G Bermingham, E Bergin 0-2 (fs), M Rodgers 0-2.

Subs: NL McKeown 1-0 for G Bermingham (34)

by thesaffrongael

Heartbreak for St. Mary’s

Hogan Cup semi-final

St. Brendan’s Killarney 1-10 St. Mary’s 1-8

It was heartbreak for the boys from St. Mary’s Magherafelt and their South West contingent when they lost at the death to a good St. Brendan’s Killarney in the Hogan Cup final in Mayo yesterday.

The Derry side pushed the Kerry men all the way before secumbing in time added on to a good St. Brendan’s side in this All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Hogan Cup semi-final.

A contribution of 1-2 from the boot of Killarney captain Cian McMahon was crucial at a windswept CCE grounds at Bekan on Saturday.

It was always going to be a tight affair between two evenly-matched teams with the strong wind making life difficult for both sets of players.

St Mary’s Magherafelt had the wind in the opening half and raced 0-3 to 0-1 in front at the end of the opening quarter thanks to points from Ryan McEldowney, Conchúir Johnston and Derry minor Niall O’Donnell. William Shine kept St Brendan’s within striking distance with two points as St. Mary’s could only manage three more of their own before half-time.

It was St Mary’s who looked to be carrying the ball well early on and holding onto possession and that appeared to frustrate their opponents.

But in the 37th-minute St Brendan’s struck for a crucial goal when a cross by Cian Foley fell to skipper Cian McMahon and he didn’t miss the target as he drilled a low shot to the St Mary’s net and suddenly it was 1-4 to 0-6. 

Within two minutes St Mary’s responded in kind when a six-man passing move ended up with full-forward Tom Shivers drilling the ball to the top corner.

Killian O’Sullivan reduced the gap to a point but two points from Benen Kelly and Joshua Cassidy saw St. Mary’s move two clear after Luke Crowley had pointed just after coming in. With ten minutes left, St Mary’s led 1-8 to 1-6.

However, St Brendan’s took over with William Shine fielding some great ball as they penned St Mary’s back. Another Crowley point and a Cian McMahon special leveled the contest as the clock ticked over the sixty minutes.

St. Brendan’s gained the upper hand in the closing stages as John Kelleher kicked them in front and Cian McMahon made sure with a mighty point from distance.

Scorers for St. Mary’s Magherafelt: T Shivers ( 1-1), C Johnston ( 0-2), R McEldowney, B Kelly, R Forbes, N O’Donnell and J Cassidy ( 0-1 each).

St. Mary’s Magherafelt: J Gribben; C Heron, N Rafferty, S Matterson; R Wallis, E McEvoy, R Forbes; L Convery, R McEldowney; B Kelly, C Johnston, J Lavery; C Quinn, T Shivers, N O’Donnell.

Subs: J Cassidy for C Quinn (45).

Referee: L Devenney (Mayo).

by thesaffrongael

MacRory winners head West

The Hogan Cup ‘A’ Championship

St Brendan’s, Killarney v  St Mary’s, Magherafelt 

Saturday 26th Feb – 5.30 pm – Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan, Claremorris, Co Mayo. … 

St. Mary’s Magherafelt, who collected their second MacRory Cup title recently when they defeated Holy Trinity, Cookstown in an excellent final at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh, face another stiff challenge on Saturday when they take on St. Brendan’s Killarney in the Hogan Cup semi-final.

The Kerry seat of learning won the Hogan cup in 1969, 1992, 2016 and 2017 and will pose a stiff challenge for the Mid-Ulster College and the long journey to Clairemorris is not ideal for Kevin Brady’s side but it is a challenge St. Mary’s will relish.

The Derry school has a strong representation from South West Antrim with three players from Erin’s Own, Cargin – Conhuir Johnston, Tom Shivers and Benen Kelly, Paul Duffin from Moneyglass, Sean Byrne from Portglenone and Sean McAuley from Creggan. Jarlaith McKeating from St Comgall’s in Antrim is also a panel member but has been out injured all season.

The South West players with manager, Kevin Brady from Moneyglass

The Saffron Gael have been following the fortunes of St. Mary’s this season as we did back in 2017 primarily because of that Antrim connection and we carried previews, interviews and reports with photographs on their MacRory success.

We hope to have a photographer in Clairemorris on Saturday and wish Kevin Brady and his team our best wishes against St. Brendan’s and on the evidence of what we saw at the Athletic Grounds the Magherafelt side have the talent to overcome St. Brendan’s and advance to the Hogan Cup final.