Creggan pulled off a shock when they recovered from a bad start to beat Dunloy by 3-09 to 0-13 in the quarter final of the Under 21 Football Championship in Creggan on Monday night. Trailing after 12 minutes, despite playing with a strong wind behind them, Creggan suddenly sprung to life with two goals before half time to open a 2-03 to 0-06 lead at the change of ends. Despite having a three point lead most pundits would have had their money on Dunloy as the second half got underway, and when they closed to within a point two minutes after the restart they were back on course. However Creggan dug deep and a seven minutes spell which saw them hit a goal and three points, gave them a seven point lead. Dunloy came back strongly near the end but the Kichams held on to secure a semi-final meeting with St Gall’s next weekend.
Tom (2) and Luke McFerran put Dunloy three in front after six minutes before Conor Johnston got Creggan on the scoreboard in the eighth. Dunloy were dominating possession and when Barra McCloskey pointed to put them 0-04 to 0-01 up the Cuchullains appeared to be in command. Creggan started to find a bit of flow in their play though and a Conor Johnston point was followed by the opening goal of the game
by corner forward Shea McCann. Jack Martin-McShane pulled a point back but Fintan Kelly grabbed his team’s second goal to stretch their half time lead to 2-03 to 0-06 at the interval.
Two Donach Laverty points at the start of the second half appeared to have put Dunloy in a strong position but three on the trot from Shea McCann, Conor Johnston and Fintan Close were followed by a Shea McCann goal which put his team seven clear.
Dunloy were rocked but they started to claw their way back as Aodhan McGarry and Charlie Cunning fired over. Shea McCann pushed the gap out to six again and Dunloy were unlucky when an Oisin McCamphill ‘rocket’ rebounded off the crossbar. With just three minutes left of normal time the gap was still at six but three points in as many minutes from Oisin McCamphill and Tom McFerran (2) left just three between them.
Creggan’s backs were against the wall but they showed great character and when Shea McCann struck a great point into the wind from forty metres the victory was secure.
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Reigning U21A champions, St. Gall’s served notice that they are serious challengers for this year’s title when they proved much too strong for visitors St. Paul’s at Milltown on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts showed their intentions right from the start and Manus Crossan got them on their way with a clinical finish from a short distance after the Milltown men enjoyed an early spell of possession.
Paul Austin added an excellent effort and the St. Gall’s centre-half-forward would go on to play a starring role for his side and finished the evening as top scorer.
Callum Walsh added another as the Milltown side moved two ahead and as the St. Gall’s pressure began to pay dividends, Padraig Murray fired to the net in the 18th minute to put some distance between the sides.
Murray stole in at the back post to punch Niall Fallon’s delivery to the net before Austin pointed a free to extend the St Gall’s lead to five points with just eight minutes remaining to the break.
Dubhultach MacCracbhaga and Paul Austin added two more to increase their lead in the period leading up to half time as the home side enjoyed a commanding lead.
St Paul’s tried to respond and O’Dufaigh pointed from a free from close range but this score would be cancelled out after Callum Walsh struck a terrific effort that sailed just inside the right hand side.
The reigning champions led their Shaw’s Road rivals by six points at the break and even at this stage it was hard to see St. Paul’s turning this one around in the second half.
Murray and Austin added two early points on the restart as St Gall’s continued to press and then Crossan and Walsh combined again to move St. Gall’s 11 ahead as St. Paul’s struggled to contain a lively home attack.
The one way traffic towards the visitor’s goal continued as Murray converted a free and even at this stage it looked all over with St. Paul’s offering little in response.
St Gall’s lead continued to increase with Paul Austin showing precise accuracy from the placed ball as he continued to punish indiscretions by an over worked St. Paul’s defence.
The visitors were still battling against the odds and Ciaron Ó’Dufaigh struck a brace of frees to reduce the deficit to nine but that would be as good as it got as the home side responded once more.
Austin was the instigator as he combined with Gaireach Adams, Ethan Walsh and Niall Fallon to set up the incoming Franco McCullagh who fisted to the St. Paul’s net and it was game over.
Paul Austin’s two-pointer put the icing on a fine performance by the Milltown Row side and sealed the fate for St Paul’s with Ciaron Ó’Dufaigh replying with what proved to be a mere consolation score for St Paul’s as St Gall’s ran out convincing winners on the day and will be hopeful they can make it a second U21 championship in a row.
StGall’s: C Óg Mullan; C Hale, G Adams, F McCullagh 1-0; A Mackel, L Lynn 0-1, E Walsh 0-1; M Crossan 0-2, O Maskey; D MacCracbhaga 0-1, P Austin 0-9 (0-2f, 1xx2P), C Walsh 0-4; J Rafferty, N Fallon 0-1, P Óg Murray 1-2
Subs: C Wilson, L Walsh, O Kelly 0-1, C Devine
St Paul’s: A Carroll; T Duff, E McGreevy, D O’Sullivan; C Burke, C McAlea, L Phillips 0-1; C Killiyleagh, C Trainor; C Duffy, S Óg McClaren; P Crawford, C O’Dufaigh 0-5(0-5f), S Burns 0-1, S Munce
A big thank you to James, Dearbhlá, and all the staff at The Chelsea for hosting a fantastic Dinner Dance for Glenavy GAC. It was a brilliant evening with over 60 attendees, including players from the men’s and ladies’ senior teams, committee members, coaches from across the club, and our dedicated grounds team.
Club Chairman Eddie Forester opened the night with a speech thanking all coaches, players, and volunteers for their commitment throughout the year. He also spoke about the importance of community and volunteering within the club, and shared some of the exciting plans for the future.
The first award of the night — the Francie Doone Club Person of the Year — was presented to Catherine Nelson, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Glenavy GAC, particularly her work on the New York Draw which raised over £20,000 for the club.
Next up were the Senior Ladies’ awards, presented by coaches Cathal McManus and Marie-Anna Forester, who reflected on the team’s incredible journey in recent years — from Junior football to the Intermediate Ulster Final, and now firmly established as a Senior side in Antrim football. Players’ Player of the Year: Cassie Shannon Player of the Year: Bronagh Forester
The evening concluded with the Senior Men’s awards. Nick McNally was named Reserve Footballer of the Year after an excellent season that saw the team win their Championship, reach the McCormick Cup Final, and enjoy a strong league run. Coach Martin Clenaghen praised Nick’s development from a new senior player into a leader within the group. The Senior Men’s side finished their league campaign strongly and reached the Championship semi-final.
Young Player of the Year: Pádhraic McKevitt
Player of the Year: Pearse O’Neill
A big thank you also to Bert Trowlen for attending and capturing fantastic photos of the event — always much appreciated by everyone at Glenavy GAC.
A strong second half in which they scored two goals and six points saw Gort na Móna get the better of Glenavy in Sunday’s Under 21 Hurling Championship game at Enright Park. Visitors Glenavy had done well in the opening half and led by 0-08 to 0-05 at half time but the home side dominated after the break and were deserving winners in the end.
Manus McMullan put the Gorts ahead with a point in the second minute but Finn Jack Shannon levelled for Glenavy six minutes later. A two pointer from Gorts centre forward Tarlach Enright put his team two clear but Glenavy came back strong and two points from Leon Laverty and a 2pointer from a Darragh Brown free put them three ahead. Daire Keenan pulled on back for Gort na Móna but three in a row from Laverty saw the visitors lead by double scores, before Enright pulled on back for the home side to leave them trailing by 0-05 to 0-08 at the interval.
Rian Brown and Matthew McDonnell got the first two points of the second half for the Gorts to bring them back to within one but Laverty pushed the Glenavy lead out to two by the forty second minute. Three minutes later the game changed completely when Matthew McDonnell got in for a goal for the home side which saw them take control. Points followed from Daire Keegan and Daithi MacEoghan to push them four ahead and though Lavery brought it back to three with a Glenavy point, that was to be the visitors final score and the Gorts finished with a goal and a point to book their place in the semi-final.
Ulster Camogie Senior Club Championship 2nd November 2025
Loughgiel 7-11 Slaughtneil 0-05
Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Emmet Park, Slaughtneil.
Loughgiel set out their Ulster stall with an emphatic 7-11 landslide win over a rebuilding Slaughtneil squad that were pinned over the sixty minutes to just 0-05. It was an exquisite display of camogie from Loughgiel of the highest level. Slaughtneil never got going such was the might and dominance from Loughgiel. In truth, the Emmets were Shamrocked.
On a breezy day on the lower pitch at the foot of the Sperrins, Slaughtneil hosted Loughiel in the AIB Ulster Camogie Senior semi final. Match official Philip McDonald from Cavan and his select group of officials got the game underway promptly after a minutes silence for Marie O’Hagan, associated with Loughgiel and Con Magees in Glenravel in many ways.
Loughgiel’s Amy Boyle won the toss and in typical fashion, opted to turn around and play into the diagonal wind blowing up the hill towards the top pitch. It would prove to be a chilly affair and took a small toll on long pucks but it didn’t play a part in how Loughgiel would eventually dismantle the Emmets over the hour. A sharp Annie Lynn pick pocketed a ball mid air from Aoife Ni Chiaside and over the bar it flew within the first minute to register the first score.
Slaughtneil replied with three points on the trot from Aoibh Mulholland, Dervla McGuigan from a free and another point from Mulholland as she worked up a ball from the ground that flew in from a prior free that didn’t have the legs to reach the goal mouth. It could have been an ominous sign as the Emmets pulled away by two points but Annie Lynn, protagonist of Loughgiel’s county final, steadied the ship with a strike over the Emmet’s bar from an Amy Boyle offload in the twelve minutes.
Within less than a minute, Loughgiel would return and hit heavy and hard from a Caitrín Dobbin strike to goal after a sumptuous pass from Katie McKillop. The Shamrocks would build on that with two more points, both frees from an on form Roísín McCormick. The Emmets could have closed the gap somewhat by two consecutive points from frees, only Cliona Mulholland found some difficulty in the drift from the breeze.
At the opposite end of Emmet Park though, the Laverty sisters weren’t bothered by the breeze. Marie Laverty made a run into the scoring zone but good defending from the Emmets offered up the only sensible option, which was a pass to sister Ciara and from the Loughgiel dugout, floated a high and dropping sliotar that slipped in behind the keeper for the second green flag in twenty three minutes.
Ciara Laverty made good of a pass from sister Marie for the Shamrock’s second goal.
There would be no respite for Slaughtneil in the torrent of Shamrock activity as Annie Lynn broke free to puncture the silence with roars from Loughgiel supporters as the net bulged from her strike. And within two minutes, the deadly duo of McCormick and Dobbin returned to deliver a fourth goal as McCormick enjoyed the offload from Dobbin.
Roísín McCormick was a real handful for the Emmet’s back line on Sunday, raising two green flags.
The Emmets replied with a point from Bridin McAllister to keep vocals alive on the sideline but that was quickly neutralised when Katie McKillop successfully flighted a free just ahead of McDonald’s half time whistle, scores on the board displaying Slaughtneil 0-04 Loughgiel 4-05. Could Slaughtneil come back in the second half, would they close the gap significantly to reemerge as a threat, the sideline was buzzing with speculation.
And they didn’t have long to wait, although Slaughtneil swept a sliotar past the Loughgiel uprights in less than 30 seconds of the restart with a wide from a free, Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty scooped up a loose ball offering it to Clare McKillop on the advance. That sliotar was also passed on to an industrious Amy Boyle finding McCormick on the end of her pass and on the fourth minute a fifth green flag took to the air. The Shamrocks had a taste for green. McCormick would tag on another point from a free just minutes before Slaughtneil scored their last point from Tina Bradley with only six minutes elapsed in the second half.
Amidst the scoring it has to be said, physical rucks favoured few but Loughgiel’s Clare McKillop and Boyle had their fair share of the spoils. And at the Shamrock wall of defence, McGarry, Lynn and Campbell continued to recycle advances back out to frustrate the Emmets all the more. Slaughtneil managed to slip around that wall but at short range, arguably point blank range, Loughgiel’s keeper, Emma McAllister was put to the test as Slaughtneil’s Bridin McAllister lashed the sliotar goal ward, but the Shamrocks’ instincts foiled the goal attempt and that would be the last real opportunity for the Emmets to return to the game.
Loughgiel’s keeper, Emma McAllister instinctively reacts to spoil an Emmet attack.
Loughgiel pursued their game plan and points continued to flow from McCormick from a 45 created from a Dobbin attempt to strike into the heart of the goals but forced wide from a kneeling position. Annie Lynn returned to complete on another scoring attempt from Dobbin to soar a fine point on the recycle and Dobbin would eventually be rewarded for her tenacity, with her own point from a pin point accurate pass from Kirsty McKendry.
Half way through the second half Ciara Laverty offered a ball to Marie, running into the scoring zone but being walled up by a sea of maroon, had to recycle around to complete her intent of raising yet another green flag, this one was a simple shove into an open goal as Laverty found herself beyond keeper McMullan who had come out to deal with the first attempt.
Marie Laverty makes no mistake in guiding the sliotar over the line for the Shamrock’s sixth goal.
By now the All Ireland medal winning management made a call to turnover the bench and three on for three off had Mary McKillen point within minutes of entering the field. Another point lifted the Shamrocks to 6-11, and the Shamrocks seventh and final goal from Annie Lynn derived from Clare McKillop dragging the sliotar out from under a ruck witnessed the game run to a halt in little over 32 minutes.
Annie Lynn made the going tough along the Emmet back line raising two green flags of her own.
This Ulster final will go down in history as one of the most surprising emphatic wins in an Ulster encounter that drew all of the Shamrock players into the mix for an exemplary team performance, but the Shamrocks won’t linger on that thought. The final game against Clonduff in the Box-IT Athletic stadium, Armagh will be their next focus and Clonduff will be well aware now of the bar Loughgiel can set having had eyes on the game on Sunday. Nothing will be taken for granted in two weeks time.
You can view more photos from Sunday’s game by following this link to our album…
