On Sunday 17 August, Gaels Against Genocide have organised an U9 hurling blitz under the theme of “ Paisti ag tacu le paisti” “ Children helping children” at Sarsfields CLG. in Belfast , from 10-12. Eight teams will participate in the tournament and uniquely each team will represent a city or town in Gaza or the West Bank, wearing a specially designed jersey by Bourke Sports. With the ongoing genocide and famine in Gaza, it’s important to show support for the children and their families who are facing horrific conditions daily in Gaza. Our blitz will last 2hrs / 7200 seconds. Each second represents 7 children killed or injured since Oct 7 2023 , over 50,000. All monies raised will go towards Gaza Mobile Maternity Unit .
All support on the day welcomed in what promises to be a feast of hurling by our young players.
Above – James Kelly who scored 0-17 of his team’s total in their win over Davitt’s at Enright Park
Casement JFC Group 1
Davitt’s 3-12 St. Brigid’s 1-21
An incredible display of scoring by man of the match James Kelly steered St. Brigid’s to to an incredible win over Davitt’s in the Junior Hurling Championship, Group 1encounter at Enright Park on Sunday.
Kelly wore number 3 on his shirt but played much further out the field and gave an exhibition of point taking, both from play and from frees as he picked off a series of incredible scores .
The Musgrave Park side led 1-13 to 2-5 at the halfway stage with all 13 of their points coming from the imperious Kelly and their goal finished to the net in the 8th minute by Oisin McDonnell.
Goals from Anthony Rowntree in the 12th minute and another from Oskar Deevy Persson on 19 minutes kept the Davitt’s in touch with Persson, Chris Gallagher, Rowntree, Deaglan Mooney and Cormac Maguire getting their points in a competitive first half.
If they were to turn this one around then it was important that Davitt’s cut down on their concession of frees but it was Donnacha McGurk who became only the third Naomh Brid player to register when he pointed after 2 minutes of the second half.
Anthony Rowntree and James Kelly exchanged further points before Christopher Gallagher put the Falls Road side right back in it with a goal in the 7th minute.
Cuan Polley extended the St. Brigid’s lead and then Canice Mooney in the Davitt’s goal pulled of a sharp save as the South Belfast side threatened to pull clear.
Davitt’s were hanging in there however and responded to further points from Kelly and Oisin McDonnell through Deaglan Mooney 0-2 and Chris Gallagher 0-2.
James Kelly looked to have sealed it for St. Brigid’s as he brought his contribution for the evening to 0-17with two pointed frees to put his side two in front with 2 minutes of normal time remaining.
Davitt’s refused to throw in the towel however and a Jason Park point closed the gap to the minimum going into injury time before Colm McKee levelled matters with a point in the 34th minute.
However there was no stopping Kelly and three more points saw his side safely home. The win puts them them in second place in the group, but they are not certain to quailfy for if Davitt’s beat Glenravel and Ardoyne beat St Brigid’s then the two of them would be through. However the Musgrave Park side will take great confidence from Sunday’s result and must feel they are in with a great chance of qualification.
Oisin McDonnell celebrates after scoring the St Brigid’s goal – Pic by Bert Trowlen
Davitt’s: 1 Canice Mooney, 3 Thomas Toland, 5 Peter Og Carleton, 6 Caoimhin Heaney, 7 Michael Og Rowntree, 8 Stephen McGivern, 9 Colm McKee, 10 Sean Kelly, 11 Deaglan Mooney, 12 Christopher Gallagher, 13 Cormac Maguire, 15 Padraig Keenan, 17 James Winters, 18 Oskar Deevy Persson, 19 Conor Daly, 22 Nathan Maginn, 23 Conor John Sullivan, 25 Anthony Rowntree
St. Brigid’s: 1 Brian McGurk, 2 Dara Sidebottom, 3 James Kelly, 4 Jake Massingham, 5 Jack Pardy, 6 Joseph McCarney, 7 Conor MacElhatton, 8 Niall Murtagh, 9 Donnacha McGurk, 10 Cuan Polley, 11 Niall Duffy, 13 Joe McKay, 14 David Prenter, 15 Oisin McDonnell, 20 Oliver Leggett, 23 Owen McCarney, 25 Anthony Rowntree, 27 Chris Lundy, 28 Pearse Hamill,
Referee: Niall Clifford
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A late pointed free from Niall O’Connor earned St. Enda’s a share of the points in this SHC Group 2 opener at Hightown on Sunday afternoon.
The Glengormley side went into this one as outsiders following a league campaign where the Johnnies had performed much better and given the fact that the visitors had recorded a 9 point victory over the same opposition in last year’s quarter-final
St. John’s had performed admirably in the league this season and were right in the running until the final two fixtures where a defeat to Rossa at Corrigan Park ended their hopes of a league title.
The early exchanges at Hightown were fairly even as Conor Hanna and Shea Shannon pointed for the Corrigan Park side before Niall O’Connor and Eoin Conlon replied for the home side to level matters with five minutes gone.
O’Connor was in splendid form for the hosts and was causing the visitors all sorts of problems and he added his third point in as many minutes with 13th minutes gone.
At the midway point of the half the momentum was very much with the Hightown side as O’Connor continued to provide problems for the St. John’s defence as he got in for the game’s opening goal.
Shea Shannon replied with two points for the Whiterock side in answer to a point from the dangerous O’Connor who continued to call the shots as he added another point in response to points from Odhran Carleton and Conor Johnston.
With ten minutes remaining in the half, Ruairi Donaghy and Conor Johnston swapped scores before an excellent catch and a great long ranged effort from Eoin Conlon for St Enda’s and another from O’Connor left his side three points clear.
Conor Johnston replied for the Johnnies who finally came to life in the closing stages of the half and Oisin McManus struck a hat-trick of points, two from placed balls, earning his side a one point advantage as the half time whistle sounded.
Niall O’Connor levelled the contest on the restart with a fine point from distance to take his personal contribution for the evening to 1-6 as the intensity of the contest moved up another notch.
O’Connor added another massive effort from inside his own half as the St. Enda’s faithful roared their approval but Shea Shannon and Ruairi Galbraith replied for St. John’s before Joe Maskey pointed for the home side to level the game once more.
Luke O’Connor fires in Naomh Eanna’s second goal
The Hightown side then struck what looked like a decisive blow when Luke O’Connor reacted quickest in a goalmouth scramble to dispatch his effort low to the St John’s net.
Back came the Whiterock Road men as O’Connor and McManus exchanged points with Galbraith and Shannon responding to another point from the St. Enda’s marksman and it looked like this one was going right down to the wire.
The tension was palatable as the Johnnies led by two points on the 59th minute but indiscipline caused them dearly with two of their players seeing red.
Niall O’Connor punished these lapses as he kept his cool to level the matters with the final poc of the game.
St. Enda’s: N McGivern, R Eager, D Maguire, C McAllister, E Conlon 0-2, J Maskey 0-1, C Jennings, O Ó Cuinn, E O’Connor, M McGribbon, K Jennings, N O’Connor 1-10 (0-7f), L O’Connor 1-0, M Mullan, R Donaghy 0-5 (0-3F)
SUBS: M Curran, O Kennedy, R Gillen, O Breen, E Maguire, C Cormican, C McAllister
St. John’s: D Nugent, R Donnelly, C Johnston, O Carleton, R McNulty, C Morgan, E McGurk, S Wilson, S Shannon, D McGuinness, C Johnston, M Dudley, R Galbraith, O McManus, A Bradley
SUBS: M Bradley, S Donnelly, P McCallion, A Donnelly, L Heenan, D McKeogh, J Wilson, C Hanna
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An injury time goal by Eamon Og McAllister saw Tir na nOg snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in Sunday’s Intermediate Hurling Championship second round game at Whitehill. The goal, his second in a ten minute spell, put the home side two ahead and though Conor McHugh cut the deficit back to a single point the visitors missed out on a share of the spoils when they missed a last gasp free with the last poc of the game. The win puts the Randalstown side top of their group, level on points with Oisins and Glenarm, but defeat for the Emmets leaves them needing to win their last three games, and depending on other games going their way if they are to have any chance of making the semi-finals.
Cushendun opened brightly and an early Sean McKay point had them ahead inside a minute but Tir na nÓg came back with points from the Duffin brothers Sean and Colm, plus one from McAllister. ‘Loaf’ McNeill pulled one back for the visitors but Randalstown pushed on and were ahead by double scores (0-06 to 0-03) by the end of the opening quarter.
Cushendun settled into the game a bit better during the second quarter and four points in a row from Thomas Scally, Sean McKay and Conor McHugh (2) edged them in front. Sean Duffin brought the home side back on terms a minute later but Cushendun finished the half stronger and went on to lead by 0-10 to 0-08 at the interval.
Conrad McDonnell and Conor McHugh hit the first two points of the second half to push the Emmet’s four ahead and though the Duffin brothers Sean and Colm pulled a couple back for the home side, Cushendun appeared to be firmly in the driving seat when Sean McKay grabbed a goal on 41 minutes to put the visitors six clear.
They still had a five point cushion with ten minutes left to play when Eamon Og McAllister got his first goal to set up a grandstand finish. Two from Sean Duffin in reply to once from Conor McHugh left just a point between them when McAllister struck again from close range to put the Whitehill men two clear. McHugh cut it back to a point in injury time but that was as close as they would get and Tir na nOg held on for a vital win which keeps them at the top of the table.
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Glenariffe were made to work hard for their victory against a very determined St Galls team who were fighting to stay in this year’s championship. Going in at halftime St Galls held a one point advantage on a scoreline of St Galls 0-11 to Oisins 1-7, and there were a few worried faces in the Glenariffe support. There needn’t have been as whatever was said at halftime seemed to have done the trick and Glenariffe outscored the vistors by 1-12 to 0-5 in the second half to win by 9 points on a scoreline of 2-19 to 0-16.
Eye on the ball!St Gall’s goalkeeper Kurtis McGreevy in action during the championship game against Oisins
St Galls took the lead in the first minute with a free from Greogory McGreevy, whose free taking was excellent and would finish with 6 points from placed balls in the first half. Glenariffe responded with an excellent point from wing half back Colla Ward, before St Galls took the lead from the excellent Ronan Crossan who finished the game with 6 pts(4 from play and 2 frees). Both free takers swapped points before Jack Hopkins finished off good work from the St Gall’s forward line to put St Galls one up again. Calum McIlwaine pointed from distance to level things again for Glenariffe, but the home team couldn’t seem to find their rhythm, and Greogory McGreevy continued to punish them from placed balls. Brogan 0’Connor was on the end of a great run from Odhran Gillan to score a good point and when Seanie McIntosh cut in from the left hand side to goal and give the home side the lead for the first time, drilling the ball so hard that it actually went through the net. You thought Glenariffe would kick on from here but St Galls finished the half the stronger scoring five points to Glenariffe’s two, to go in a point up at halftime.
Oisins Michael Haughey in action against St Gall’s
Orrin O’Connor and Ronan Crossan swapped points at the start of the second half, before a great catch from Seanie McIntosh on the edge of the square, where he turned and rifled his second goal of the game to give Glenariffe a two point lead. Greogory McGreevy pointed from a free again to bring St Gall’s back to a point, but then the Oisin’s hit a purple patch scoring the next six points without reply to open up a seven point gap. A point each from the O’Connor brothers and four from Alex O’Boyle placed balls, the pick being from all of 90 metres. Both teams continued to swap points and Glenariffe were unlucky not to increase their goal tally but for two great saves from Kurtis McGreevey in the St Galls nets who threw himself bravely at shots from Odhran Gillan and Alex O’Boyle. Ronan Crossan, who had now taken over the free taking duties, scored two from placed balls before the Oisins finished strongly with points from Alex O’Boyle and the hard working Orrin O’Connor after a great run from Niall Magee. The only downside to the second half for Glenariffe was the injury picked up by Calum McIlwaine who looks a doubt for the next round.
Oisins Seanie McIntosh, blocks down a St Gall’s clearance. The full-forward scored 2-02 from play in a man of hte match display
This was a spirited performance from St Galls who can take a lot from this game, particularly in the first half. Kurtis McGreevey was excellent in nets and was ably assisted by Jim O’Reilly and Jack Hopkins. Up front Ronan Crossan had a great game, Gregory McGreevey’s free taking was super and Fergus Donnelly caused problems all day.
Glenariffe may feel slightly disappointed with their first half performance but they weathered the storm to win comfortably in the end. Niall Magee had a great game in defence with David Kearney and Patrick McIlwaine putting their bodies on the line all day. Odhran Gillan and Calum McIlwaine put in a mountain of work at midfield. Alex O’Boyle had a good game up front finishing the game with 10 points ( eight frees and one 65), Orrin O’Connor had a great battle with Ciaran McCaffrey and worked hard to finish with three points from play and Seanie McIntosh was in great form scoring two great goals and two points, all from play.
Up next in two weeks’ time for St Galls is Cloughmills and Glenarfiffe face Randalstown, both games being at neutral venues.
Glenariffe
1.P McMullan 2.P McIlwaine 3.M Haughey 4. C Devlin 5. D Kearney 6. N Magee 7. C Ward(0-1) 8. C McIlwaine(0-1) 9. O Gillan 10. O O’Connor(0-3)11. N Murray 12. M O’Boyle 13. B O’Connor (0-2)14.S McIntosh(2-2)15. A O’Boyle (0-10, 8F &1 65)
Subs Used: D Kearney for B O’Connor 38min, J Kearney for M Haughey 48min, P Ward for N Murray 49min, R Leech and C Graham for P McIlwaine and C McIlwaine 52min.
St Galls
1.K McGreevey 2. A Mackle 3. G Adams 4. O Kelly 5. E Walsh 6. J O’Reilly 7. C McCaffrey
8.D Churchill 9. J Hopkins(0-2) 10. A Mullan) 11. O McIlhatton 12.G McGreevey (0-7, 7F) 13. M Napier (0-1)14.F Donnelly 15.R Crossen(0-6, 2F)
Subs Used: E Loughran for C McCaffrey 39min, E Farrelly for A Mullan 42min
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