Category / Ulster Colleges

by thesaffrongael

Superb St. Mary’s advance to the decider

St Clare Cup semi-final:

St Mary’s Magherafelt 7-13 Cross & Passion Ballycastle 0-1

St Mary’s Magherafelt advanced to the St Clare Cup final when they proved much too strong for a hard working but outclassed Cross & Passion, Ballycastle in sparkling sunshine at Slemish Park, Ballymena on Tuesday afternoon.

Cliodhna Moore who score 4-3 in St. Mary’s Magherafelt’s victory over Cross & Passion, Ballycastle

The Ballycastle girls defended stubbornly during the opening exchanges but had great difficulty in mounting meaningful attacks themselves and when Gráinne Kerr’s shot came back off an upright, the clinical Clíodhna Moore reacted first and fired to the roof of the net.

That score opened the floodgates and there were three more scores within two minutes – a point from Grace McCloskey and then a goal and a point from Moore and Ballycastle were in trouble.

St Mary’s simply pushed on and by half-time led by 4-10 to 0-0, with Moore completing her hat-trick and McCloskey also hitting the net.

Even when Cross & Passion broke clear with goal on their mind, they found Katie Jo McCoy in superb form in the Magherafelt goals. She brought off a couple of point blank saves and then turned a penalty from Jane Feetham around the post in the dying minutes of the half.

Feetham tried to lift her team-mates with an excellent solo point in the opening minute of the second half, but it proved token resistance to St Mary’s who pushed on with Moore’s fourth goal, followed by one each from team captain Gráinne Doherty and sub Lucia McAleer.

The second semi-final takes place on Friday morning (11.30am) in Portglenone between St Patrick’s Maghera and St Louis Ballymena.

Scorers:

St Mary’s: C Moore 4-3, G Doherty 1-3, 0-1 free, G McCloskey 1-2, L McAleer 1-1, E Kelly 0-2, C McNally and G Kerr 0-1 each.

Cross & Passion: J Feetham 0-1.

Starting teams:

St Mary’s: KJ McCoy, C McNicholl, M Cleary, R Bradley, E McErlean, E Kearney, L Mullan, C McNally, G Doherty, E Kelly, G McCloseky, G Kerr, G McVey, C Moore, G McAuley.

Cross & Passion: EM Watt, E Devlin, B Irvine, C Flavin, M McAlonan, M Kearns, S McSparran, E Fairley, R McCaughan, C McShane, J Feetham, C McNaughton, E Hunter, M Healy, G Mullan.

Referee: O Elliott

TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/Ntsid8DuEZaVxy

by thesaffrongael

St Patrick’s Rasharkin at the the Double

St Patrick’s Rasharkin completed the football double adding the Fee MacGorman 7 a side boy’s football trophy to the indoor 5 a side won earlier this year.

At the annual Allianz Ireland South West cumann na mbunscoil blitz in Creggan the football on display was, like the weather outstanding. 

After a fiercely competitive morning of football the teams were split into a cup and a shield section.

In the shield a determined and skilful St Brigid’s Ballymena overcame hosts Creggan in an entertaining and enthralling game to see the school lift its first piece of boys football silverware in sometime.

In the Cup final Mount St Michael’s Randalstown and St Patrick’s Rasharkin produced a game of outstanding skill, quality and endeavour. It was nip and tuck the whole way, with the Rasharkin men prevailing at the end. Best wishes go to St Mary’s as they progress to represent the South West in the all county finals.

Well done once more to both teams.

In what was a memorable day for all and a big thanks must go to Kevin Small from Creggan PS for organising and to Gaelfast coaches and staff for making sure everything ran so smoothly.  

by thesaffrongael

Six of the best sees Lecale Trinity through

Treanor Cup

St. Mary’s CBGS 1-13 Lecale Trinity 6-9

Despite strong individual performances from Shea McGarry, Conall Dempsey, Padraig Kelly and Jack Kelly St. Mary’s had no answer to a powerful Red High from Downpatrick in this Treanor Cup encounter on Monday afternoon.

The old saying, goals win games was very much in evidence as the Co Down college hit six over the hour with Shea King, Darragh McAlinden, Ciaran Shields, Fionn Fennell, Daragh Convie and Darragh Morgan, rattling the St. Mary’s net.

St. Mary’s battled hard with Shea McGarry kicking their opening point and then seeing his well struck penalty go over instead of under the bar.

Shea King and Darragh Morgan formed a strong mid-field partnership for Lecale Trinity and were on top for long periods over the hour despite the best efforts of Shea mcGarry for the Glen Road side

Red High led 3-4 to 1-5 at half time with Padraig Kelly scoring the St. Mary’s goal and their points coming from McGarry, Conall Dempsey and Jack and Padraig Kelly.

The same quartet provided the majority of the Belfast side’s second half scores with Dempsey adding four to his first half total and Padraig Kelly 0-2 and Shea McGarry all adding points.

The ability of Lecale Trinity to hit hard and fast on the break and their ability to score goals proved the decisive difference in the end with McAlinden, Shea King, Darragh Morgan, Fionn Fennell and Ciaran Shields impressive for the Dowpatrick College.

TO VIEW MORE OF BERT’S PICS CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/yuC2Xf6EiJNeiU

by thesaffrongael

St. Mary’s Portglenone are Ulster Champions

St Mary’s Portglenone are the Ulster Cumann na mbunscol Allianz Ireland indoor camogie champions.

The girls travelled to the Meadowbank arena in Magherafelt to compete against county champions from right across the province of Ulster.

In the group stages the Bannside girls overcame the challenges from teams from Down, Donegal and Cavan to progress unbeaten to a semi-final.

In the semi-final they faced stiff opposition before finally coming out victorious against the Armagh champions.

On to the final they went, as fate would have it they came up against near neighbours, Kilrea, the Derry champions.

In a nip and tuck game the Portglenone girls fought back from a goal deficit to emerge as victors in a memorable day for the school.

Congratulations to them all.

by thesaffrongael

St. Louis ruled Ulster in 2006

In 2006 I covered an Ulster LGFA Final in Dungannon involving St. Louis Ballymena which the Ballymena College won. I cant remember the opposition college’s name but it may have been St. Catherine’s (Someone will undoubtedly let me know)

The celebration photographs from the game popped up on my Facebook memories today and I thought you might like to see them again.

Proud father, Tony mcNicholl with his daughter Liz
The main man! Team manager, Adrian Quinn with his proud parents, Arthur and Sally