Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate Championship Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel 21^st June 2025 

Antrim 4-19 Meath 0-13 

Match report and photos from Antrim Camogie PRO Michael Corcoran 

Despite temperatures soaring to 25 degrees in Fr. Healy Park, Antrim were unrelenting in their game today, turning up the heat even more against their travelling opponents, Meath, to secure a semifinal place in St. Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, Co. Kildare on the 12^th July. 

Supporters were entertained with four Saffron goals and a wide spread of points from across the squad. This was one of those games where everyone put in a solid shift and consequently, the result showed on the scoreboard and created an opportunity for Antrim management, McCormick and Coulter, to flush out the bench in the second half. 

Meath was competent in spells, and it would have been a mistake to think they couldn’t be dangerous but today, Antrim’s defence was solid like a ring of steel and able to quash all Meath approaches to goal. 

With no more than thirty seconds or so on the clock, Antrim’s Lucia McNaughton struck at the heart of Meath’s catch net from a Katie Molloy pass and after Caitrín Dobbin followed swiftly with her point, Molloy returned with a striking point won on her own volition as she persevered to win the sliotar and make the run down the dugout side of the pitch. 

Antrim would now be four points up after Dobbin took possession from a great Shannagh Heggarty pass before Meath clipped a point over Antrim’s bar from Brodie Kelly at five minutes on the clock.  

There would be no breathers in this game, the unrelenting pace witnessed Antrim’s Maeve Kelly take a big hit on the move but undeterred, Kelly struck the sliotar for her point only a minute after Meath’s. However, Antrim’s physicality yielded two Meath frees and in quick succession, Meath’s Aoife Carey and Tara Murphy had closed the gap to just two points. 

Carey and Murphy each stepped up to flight two more frees over Antrim’s bar, with bookended points from Antrim’s Dobbin, McCormick and Boyle to steady the scoring campaign and start the drift away from Meath at 0-10 to 0-05. 

The gap would widen within five minutes of Boyle’s point with a goal from Maeve Kelly, driving in a high ball that unexplainably dropped in over the goalkeepers head, running over the line and chaperoned to a result by a sheltering McCormick, preventing any Meath influence. 

Antrim had a taste of goal, and you sensed the full forwards wanted in on the action and they didn’t have long to wait, as Katie Molloy offloaded to McCormick running outside the Meath box. McCormick spotted and offloaded to an unmarked Cassie McArthur and under strict instructions from the sideline, ‘to bury it’ Antrim had their second goal. 

Meath attempted to close the gap with two points from substitute Grace Coleman, however Antrim quickly neutralised those from a McCormick free and a simple but effective combo from a McNaughton sideline into the hands of Dobbin to close out the second half Antrim 2-12 Meath 0-07. 

Antrim now enjoyed the breeze largely on their backs at the restart, and with a flush of substitutes at the whistle. Right from the ‘get go’, Fionnuala Kelly made her intentions known as she assisted McCormick in the raising of a green flag. Antrim’s three goals were about to become four as McCormick brought more trouble to Meath’s door. A raking shot intended for goal was intercepted by Cassie McArthur as she raised her hand for the catch and the deflection into goal meant four for Antrim. One staved thumb later and a slow walk back to the dugout seen McArthur safely on the bench for some treatment. 

Meath weren’t without their chances all the same, as witnessed ten minutes into the half, Meath’s Brodie Kelly found a gap between Antrim defenders wide enough to test goalkeeper, Caitriona Graham. It was a decent effort but a better save, ending out wide for the 45. 

Both sides would trade points up to the final whistle, but not before Meath’s Claire Coffey blocked a certain goal from Maeve Kelly that was cleverly fed in from Sarah O’Neill. 

At the final whistle, Antrim’s 4-19 to Meath’s 0-13 secured a semifinal place in Newbridge, Co. Kildare on the 12^th July. In the meantime, Antrim, like the winners of group two, Kerry, will wait to see who their opponents will be after quarter final play offs on the 5^th July. 

Antrim Panel and Scorers 

Caitriona Graham, Dearbhail Dobbin, Katie Lynn, Caoimhe McNaughton, Clare McKillop, Sarah O’Neill 0-01, Shannagh Heggarty, Amy Boyle 0-01, Nicole McAtamney, Maeve Kelly 1-01, Roisín McCormick 1-07, Lucia McNaughton 0-01, Cassie McArthur 2-0, Katie Molloy 0-02, Caitrín Dobbin 0-04, Becky Ellis, Erin Coulter, Katierose Bell, Sarah Fyfe, Niamh Neeson, Janey McIntosh, Eimear Johnston, Eavanne Martin, Aisling O’Donnell, Annie Lynn, Orlaith McAllister 0-01, Fionnuala Kelly 0-01, Dervla Cosgrove, Colleen Patterson,  

Meath Panel and Scorers 

Tara Murphy, Laura O’Neill, Claire Coffey, Sophia Payne, Leah Devine, Maeve Clince, Ciara Foley 0-02f, Rachel O’Neill, Brodie Kelly 0-01, Isabel O’Connor 0-01, Erin Leddy, Grace Connolly, Aoife Carey 0-03 (2f, 1×45), Emma Regan 0-02 (1f, 1×45), Katie Connolly 0-02, Ellen Burke, Eimear Fagan, Grace Coleman 0-02 (1f, 1×45), Aisling Byrne, Cliodhna O’Riordan, Tracy King, Roisin Heaney, Amy Boyle, Lauren Woods, Alex Donoghue, Bláithnaid Hughes, Ciara Flanagan, Ella O’Brien, Shíofra Deegan 

You can enjoy more photos from today’s game by clicking on this link to the album… 

https://myalbum.com/album/o62b4owPoYRU9F/?invite=5bc33050-e5d5-45d6-84c8-9f53abf262d2

Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate Championship Group 1 Round 3 Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel Saturday 21st June, 2pm

Preview and photos from Michael Corcoran

Saturday 21st June will see the final game for Antrim in the round robin group stages of the Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate championship, where they will play host to Meath. At the moment, Meath sit third in the table with a healthy win against Westmeath, 3-15 to 2-08 but a bruising loss against Offaly, 0-11 to 3-15. Meath are largely an unknown quantity in 2025, as Antrim hasn’t had the opportunity to step into the ring to date. That will change on Saturday.

Antrim, and applying allowances for last week’s weather in Mullingar, will want to tidy up a few loose ends that were exposed in Cusack Park. Apart from that, the Antrim machine will roll out onto home turf and spectators should be in for a thrilling game. Last week’s majors came from three of Antrim’s well known players, namely Nicole McAtamney, Roisín McCormick and Caitrín Dobbin.

McAtamney was in authoritative form patrolling mid field with her signature scan of the parish before offloading to a saffron jersey, dropping in a penalty and a long haul free for two green flags.

McCormick was busy generating opportunities with a spoonful of tyranny as she reshaped Westmeath’s defence and was rewarded with her own goal, whilst Dobbin enthralled Saffron supporters in the stand with her first touch and regularly lighting up the afterburner for two goals gifted in by McCormick. If Saturday’s game offers up half of those thrills and spills, Antrim could be on a semi final ticket.

The important weather forecast offers up lots of sunshine and a warm air, conducive to supporter jerseys on mass, cool drinks and maybe an ice cream or two. Don’t forget to apply sun cream.

Match report and photos to follow the game right here on the Saffron Gael.

Your ticket link can be found here… https://www.universe.com/users/camogie-association-0LQ93P