Steven and Neil from Contact Marketing are delighted to continue their support of The Saffron Gael, having been loyal supporters of our endeavours right from the start.
They are thrilled to be standing outside their new offices and warehouse extension, completed in April of this year.
As Ex Loughgiel Shamrocks and Antrim Gaels they both keep a keen eye on the development of all age groups of these hurling and camogie teams.
Neil and Steven of Contact Marketing presents a sponsorship cheque to John Curly McIlwaine of the Saffron Gael as they continue their support for the website
To support the work of The Saffron Gael and the Saffron Business Forum, they want to offer to all Gaels and non-Gaels pet owners/lovers the following discount offer;
When you use the following code at the checkout of the below websites SAFF10 not only will you receive a 10% discount off the normal retail price, but Contact Marketing will ring fence a further 10% of the purchase value to be accrued and split evenly between the efforts of the Saffron Gael and the Saffron Business Forum. We hope all pet owning Saffron Gaels see the merit in moving their pet food and treat purchases to www.favour.co.uk and www.clinivet.com ***code available to use at all times except when goods are on promotion***
Twenty minutes into Wednesday evening’s Division 2 league game at Hightown things were looking good for the home side St Enda’s when they led the league leader Moneyglass by 0-03 to 0-2 but things took a dramatic turn during the next 45 minutes as Moneyglass took complete control of the game and went on to win by twenty points.
Colm Duffin opened the scoring with a Moneyglass point in three minutes but Naomh Eanna came back with two from Conor Eastwood in the 5th and 8th minutes to go ahead. Conlith McCann pointed to bring St Ergnets level on 15 minutes but the home side edged in front again two minutes later when Owen Kennedy split the posts. However as the first half advanced Moneyglass stared to find a bit of rthrym in their play and they dominated the closing ten minutes, pulling three clear by half time through points from Paul Duffin, Conor Boyd, Conleth McCann and Sean Boyd. (HT – 0-03 to 0-06)
The gap remained at three as the first four points of the second half were shared, but in the remaining twenty minutes of play the home side managed just one more point, while the Moneyglass men cut lose. Colum Duffin started it all with a goal on 39 minutes and following points from Tyler Cassidy, Sean Boyd, Seanahan Duffin and Conor O’Kane, Aidan McErlaine stepped up to grab the second goal on fifty minutes. The floodgates were now open and after Colm Duffin got another point he grabbed his team’s third goal on 54 minutes. A minute later Kevin McCann scored Moneyglass’s fourth goal and he then finished off the scoring with a point in the last minute of the game.
St. Paul’s recorded their first win of the season to move onto 4 points and climb off the foot of the table after an impressive performance at home to Dunloy on Wednesday night.
The Shaws Road side always looked in control and will be glad after improved performances in recent weeks they have produced a much deserved win. The Belfast men had the slight breeze at their backs in the first half and were quick out of the blocks racing in to a 0.04 to 0.01 lead in the opening 10 minutes.
Cuchullain’s, who had their fair share of possession struggled to break down the St Paul’s defence which would be a theme for the remainder of the half with the hosts more clinical at the other end.
Patrick Crawford and Caoimhin Duffy kicked some impressive scores and Dunloy could only manage another 2 points in the first half to leave the half time score St Pauls 0.10 Dunloy 0.03.
Dunloy would have looked to capitalise on the slight breeze in the second half but the half started as the first half had ended with St Paul’s being more clinical in front of goal. They added two further points to open up a 9 point gap going in to the final 20 minutes and it looked to be game over.
Dunloy however got the spark they needed when Anton McGrath breached the St Paul’s defence and made no mistake with his finish to the net. Tom McFerran added a 2-pointer and suddenly it was game on.
With the Cuchullains chasing the game they struggled to close the gap any further and St Paul’s where able to close out the match with their more impressive forward play which had been on show for most of the evening.
Antrim Camogie Senior Division 1 league 13th May 2025
Loughgiel 4-26 Ahoghill 0-04
Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel
It couldn’t have been a surprise to anyone to learn that Loughgiel were the winners of last night’s league game in Fr. Healy Park, but what was interesting though, were the early signs of a robust methodology used to score and defend. Solid communications, reading the game and a strong desire to possess the ball regardless of where it was on the field and make it count, made for a testing game for Ahoghill.
But it wasn’t all about how the Shamrocks performed, St. Mary’s came to the game short of players due to unavoidable commitments and their desire to engage and run all evening was a credit to the panel.
Loughgiel’s Charlene Campbell stretches to jab lift into the hand of a waiting Maeve Scullion
Match referee, Anthony McAuley, set the scene for an enjoyable summer’s evening of camogie when he declared a game of two halves of ten minutes and then retreat to the nearest premises for sherbets or ice creams if you prefer. It got a laugh but both teams were looking forward to a full game and in went the sliotar at 7:15pm for two good halves of camogie.
The tone of the evening was set with an early goal from Loughgiel’s Kirsty McKendry and soon it would be two after Katie McKillop was fed from an Orlagh Laverty-McKendry sequence before Ahoghill’s first point from a big run by Noreen Graham, despite Louise McKillops’ best efforts to hook Graham.
The Shamrocks would take the lion’s share of possession and work the scoreboard with another two green flags and a collection of points from mostly the half and full forward positions, but Ahoghill’s Graham was eager to show there were cracks in Loughgiel’s defence and took the opportunity to drop two more points over the bar before the short whistle blew.
Ahoghill’s Maura Downey has her eyes on the prize in a race for possession with Loughgiel’s Shanna Deery
The second half didn’t throw up any surprises and offered the Shamrocks the opportunity to ease up a little and avoid unnecessary injuries or dehydration cramps given the warm evening, whilst St. Mary’s continued with spirit and sought opportunities to possess and score, despite their only point coming from Roisin Loughlin.
Loughgiel panel and scorers
Shauna McKillop, Charlene Campbell, Megan McGarry, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Maeve Shannon, Ciara Laverty, Anna Connelly, Louise McKillop 0-02, Katie McKillop 1-05 (3f), Shanna Deery 0-05, Christine McCloskey 1-02, Orlagh Laverty 0-05 (1f), Kirsty McKendry 1-03, Anna McKillop 1-04, Emma McAllister, Zoe Cassley, Erin Connolly, Aoibheann Gillan, Sarah Flavin, Anna Smyth, Ciara Connolly, Carlina Sullivan, Caela Dobbin, Therese McKinley
Ahoghill panel and scorers
Aine Graham, Anna Mitchell, Orla Neeson, Fiona Blaney, Aoife Neeson, Éadaoin McGarry, Caoimhe Scullion, Maura Downey, Enya Neeson, Mollie O’Connell, Noreen Graham 0-03, Anne-Marie O’Neill, Molly Friel, Roisin Loughlin 0-01, Alex Burns
Photos from the game can be seen in the album by clicking on the link below…
Antrim winners of the Ulster Camogie Senior Championship Final Sunday 11th May 2025
Match report and photos from Antrim PRO Michael Corcoran at Pearse Park, Dunloy
As the sun beat down on Dunloy for today’s Ulster camogie senior final, few would escape its intensity or that from today’s thrilling final. The first half witnessed Antrim grinding out a draw into the wind against a slightly uphill turf, where Derry just couldn’t make their hay whilst the sun shone. The second half oozed drama as Pearce Park fell into the doldrums for the first ten or so minutes but was arguably Antrim’s most productive phase, setting them on a course destined for the win. When an injury time goal from Antrim’s Orlaith McAllister was slammed into Derry’s net, that was the curtain puller that effectively shut Derry out of the game and handed the win to Antrim.
Our match referee, Philip McDonald from Cavan, got proceedings underway after the parade around the grounds lead by piper Eamon Downey, a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for the recent passing of Kitty O’Neill, mother of Ulster Camogie’s administrator and the national anthem.
Antrim would be the first to activate the scoreboard with a point from Lucia McNaughton after Roisin McCormick delivered a tidy short range hand pass from winning the sliotar in a ruck from a McAtamney free. Derry weren’t fazed by the early score and when Orlaith Hull dropped over a free due to an Antrim over carry, Derry announced they were now in the game.
Derry’s Aoife Ni Chaside, gathering up the sliotar under threat from Antrim’s Amy Boyle and Roisin McCormick
Antrim’s Lucia McNaughton would be influential in setting up Eimear Johnston for her point in under three minutes and when McCormick pointed from an in off the upright, Antrim were three up with no reply from Derry. As eight minutes elapsed, Antrim dealt an early blow to Derry’s campaign when Nicole McAtamney dropped an awkward ball into the path of Derry goalkeeper, Niamh Gribben. Gribben, feeling under pressure from an advancing Maeve Kelly misjudged the bounce and the sliotar rolled over the line to raise Antrim’s first green flag of the day.
Derry sensed the need to draw Antrim back and three points from Orlaith Hull (2) and Aimee Lennon neutralised the early goal. For the last fifteen minutes of the first half, both sides went toe to toe, trading scores until the short whistle froze the scores at Antrim 1-06 Derry 0-09, however Antrim’s right half back, Erin Coulter’s point is a mentionable, having took possession from close to her half back position, solo ran deep into Derry’s scoring zone and pitted her strike against the wind for a fine point.
With the second half underway, the wind dropped offering Antrim no advantage but undeterred, the Saffrons mounted several attacks amassing five points compared to Derry’s point from a free taken by Orlaith Hull.
Anna McDaid takes possession in today’s Ulster Senior Championship final
Excitement erupted in the Oak leaf County bench as a Derry sideline ball caught Antrim off guard when a patrolling Sinead McGill at close quarters to the square picked up the loose sliotar and tucked it neatly past Caitriona Graham. But Antrim’s McCormick and McArthur were about to change Antrim’s luck with three points, two of those from McArthur, before Derry mounted a one-point reply.
Derry’s reply would prove to be too little and too late as Antrim’s Janey McIntosh and Player of the Match, as selected by the streaming team, Roisin McCormick, clipped a point and 45 respectively over Derry’s bar. And things were about to get even better for Antrim as an alert Orlaith McAllister stepped aside to allow Janey McIntosh a shot to goal, the rebound coming under McAllister’s powerful pull and as she returned a minute later for her point, McDonald blew for the end of play and Antrim had secured their back to back Ulster Senior Championship.
Roisin McCormick receiving Player of the Match as selected by today’s Quinn Media streaming teamUlster Chairperson, Karen McCormick, presents the Ulster Camogie Senior Championship trophy to Antrim’s captain, Amy Boyle
