April 11, 2025April 11, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Colleges Camogie All Stars at the Elk

THE 2024-25 EOS IT Solutions All-star camogie team received their awards at a gala dinner on Thursday evening in the Elk Restaurant.

The All-star awards were presented by double All-Ireland senior club medallist and former Offaly All-Ireland junior winner Tina Bradley. Rosemary Hughes-Merry, representing Ulster Camogie, presented the senior winning captains with their trophies while Emer Rafferty, chair of QUB Camogie, presented the Player of the Match awards from the various senior finals on behalf of the sponsor QUB GAA.

Also in attendance were Sean McGourty representing Ulster schools’ GAA, while the All-Ireland winning teams from the province were recognised – St Patrick’s Maghera (All-Ireland sevens and All-Ireland Junior Corn Gobnait) and St Dominic’s Belfast (All-Ireland Junior Corn Úna).

The All-star panel of 24 players was drawn from 13 schools across the province with Erin O’Hara, Leah Cassidy and Fiadhna Loughran accepting awards for the second year in a row.

Goalkeeper O’Hara is one of six players from Cross & Passion Ballycastle in the selection. Three of the six are younger sisters of previous All-star recipients. Mary McArthur is following in the footsteps of Cassie (2022) and Ceala Dobbin bridges a ten year gap back to Caitrín while Marie Laverty has equalled the achievements of two older siblings Ciara (2020) and Orlagh (2022).

Another north Antrim school and beaten Corn Uan Uladh finalists for the third year in a row, St Killian’s Garron Tower, picked up four awards, all of them members of the Ruairí Óg Cushendall club that has been so successful at under-age level in recent years. Eva McNeill’s older sister Abi was selected two years ago while the other awards go to Laura Black, Kady McNeill and Amy McAlister.

Leah Cassidy from St Patrick’s Maghera also collected a second All-star award and added more Ulster senior medals to her collection alongside Katie McCloskey and Caoimhe Chambers first time All-star award winners. Katie, from Ahoghill, was also the QUB Player of the Match in the Corn Uan Uladh final in the Dub in January.

Ceala Dobbin with her sister Caitril who won her All Star ten years ago.

The third double All-star is Fiadhna Loughran a member of the Granemore side that won the All-Ireland Junior club title in 2023. She is a student in St Patrick’s Keady along with Eimear McGeary.

There are no fewer than nine schools in the selection with a single player picking up an award. Amongst those are St Patrick’s Dungiven who have picked up their very first All-star through goalie Aoife McAteer.

Staying in the north Derry town and Niamh Nig Uiginn became just the second student from Gaelcholáiste Dhoire to catch the eye of the selectors. Niamh was also player of the match in the Rosina McManus Shield final in January.

In total there are 24 players named in the squad, with half of them having represented Antrim at under-age level. Six are from Derry clubs, while four come from Armagh with Catherine Moohan from Edendork and Erin Daly from Bredagh completing the panel.

Fiadhna Loughran and Erin Daly finished the event by making acceptance speeches on behalf of the All-stars while the evening opened with each of the senior winning captains bringing in their trophies:

Rosina McManus Shield: Shield Maisie Quilton – Aquinas Grammar Belfast

Rosina McManus Cup: Caitlin Nic Eocháin – Gaelcholáiste Dhoire

Senior Medallion Shield: Grace Draine – St Conor’s Kilrea/Clady

Fr Davies Cup: Caitriona McArdle – St Patrick’s KeadyCorn Uan Uladh: Eimear Murray – St Patrick’s Maghera

In addition, the Players of Match in each of the senior finals picked up their awards, presented by Emer Rafferty, chair of QUB Camogie:

Rosina McManus Shield final: Katie McKavannagh from St Bridget’s club and Aquinas Grammar

Rosina McManus Cup final: Niamh Nig Uiginn from Sleacht Néill agus Gaelcholáiste Dhoire.

Senior Medallion Shield final: Ellie McCartney from Swatragh and St Conor’s

Fr Davies Cup final: Fiadhna Loughran from Granemore and St Patrick’s KeadyCorn Uan Uladh final: Katie McCloskey from Ahoghill and St Patrick’s Maghera

Guest of honour Tina Bradley receives a bouquet of flowers from

The EOS IT Solutions Ulster Colleges’ Camogie All-stars 2024-2025

Erin O’Hara, Cara Delaney, Shanna Deery, Mary McArthur, Ceala Dobbin, Marie Laverty (Cross and Passion, Ballycastle)

Laura Black, Eva McNeill, Kady McNeill, Amy McAlister (St Killian’s, Garron Tower)

Leah Cassidy, Katie McCloskey, Caoimhe Chambers (St Patrick’s, Maghera)

Fiadhna Loughran, Eimear McGeary (St Patrick’s Keady)

Catherine Moohan (St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon)

Paige Bell (St Pius X Magherafelt)

Grace Draine (St Conor’s Clady/Kilrea)

Erin Daly (Assumption, Ballynahinch)

Niamh Nig Uiginn (Gaelcholáiste Dhoire)

Jessica McCreesh (Our Lady’s Newry)

Aimee Ferris (St Genevieve’s Belfast)

Aoife McAteer (St Patrick’s Dungiven)

Emma Hart (St Catherine’s Armagh)

Aimee Ferris of St Geneive’s receives her All Star award from guest of honour Tina Bradley

TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/FPM4sXDr9u5bC2/?invite=d0603f32-c3ab-446c-a6c2-7e0afd2bb891

Digital copies of all the images from the night are available to buy for £20 by emailing john.mcilwaine@yahoo.co.uk

April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Build Casement March & Rally to take place on Saturday

South Antrim GAA are encouraging players, members and supporters to take part in Saturday’s march and rally to Casement Park in support of the Build Casement Campaign.

All participants should assemble at the car park at O’Donovan Rossa, with the march down the Shaws Road and onto Casement Park due to leave at 9.30

All support would be greatly appreciated to highlight the need for progress to the work to our iconic county ground

April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Tyrone too strong for Antirm in U20 championship

Ulster Under 20 Football Championship

Tyrone 2-24 Antrim 0-10

PICS BY BERT TROWLEN

At half time in Wednesday evening Ulster Under 20 Football game at O’Neill Park, Dungannon Antrim were still within touch as they trailed by five points 0-12 to 0-07, despite being outplayed for long periods of the first half. However after the change of ends the Red Hands were able to up the pace and pull clear to go on and secure a quarter final place.

Tyrone were on top for most of the first half and were four clear on twenty minute (0-06 to 0-02), three of the points coming from full forward Ruaiir McCullagh while corner forward Lorcan McMurray hit two and right-half forward Conal Sheehy one, while Moneyglass man Paul Duffin got a 2-pointer for the Saffrons. Corey Walsh hit a second 2-pointer to keep Antrim in touch.

Tyrone pulled away again as centre forward Liam Lawn picked off a point and full forward McCullagh added a 2-pointer, but Antrim full forward Lorcan Phillips pulled a couple back for the Saffrons to close the gap to five by half time.

Reigning All Ireland champions Tyrone soon stretched their lead after the change of ends as the dangerous McCullagh struck again, while centre forward Liam Lawn and midfielder Conor O’Neill also raised white flags. When Tyrone substitute Shea McDermott grabbed his team’s first goal twelve minutes from time Antrim’s fate was sealed as the home team really turned on the style to secure a quarter final meeting with Armagh back in Dungannon next Wednesday evening.

TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/GVm5bASM78PVw9/?invite=181b7703-7a40-4f25-bc27-a69e08dc924f

April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 by thesaffrongael

All the talking is over, time for action!

Ulster SFC Quarter-final

Antrim v Armagh

Saturday 12-30 Corrigan Park

All the talking’s over, hail, rain or shine Antrim will meet All Ireland champions Armagh in the quarter-final of the Ulster Senior Football Championship at Corrigan Park on Saturday.

The Saffron footballers and their management showed great resolve and strength of character to ensure the game would go ahead at the West Belfast venue after Ulster Council’s attempt to switch it to Newry.

Enough has been said about that but Antrim’s resolve and strength of character faces as great, or maybe even greater challenge when they face one of the top teams in the country in Saturday’s clash.

In a game that will carry a David v Goliath tag the Saffron are likely to be pushed to their limits but they must have no inhibitions about the size of the task and give it a real lash.

Andy McEntee’s side go into Saturday’s clash, having suffered relegation from division 3 this year but will feel that fate conspired against them in a number of those games.

Antrim had three home games in their league campaign and four away ties and could make an argument that they should have won more than the two that they did win.

They led Fermanagh, Laois and Kildare at periods against those sides and were well in it in their game away to Offaly at half time before losing two players to Red cards early in the second half.

Its history but that Offaly side went on to claim the division 3 title while Antrim will play their football in division 4 next season.

A closer look at nearly all of their games will show that Antrim were in charge in most of them for a period of time but their inability to maintain their best form for the full 70 minutes would ultimately prove their downfall.

There has been an opportunity to address those short comings since their last league outing and the mood coming out of the camp is positive and has been further boosted this week by the news that Marc Jordan could start or at least play a part in Saturday’s game.

**Antrim training at Jordanstown mid-week**

The last meeting between these sides was back in 2023 when Armagh had too much for Antrim at the Athletic Grounds and in that encounter too many players looked to be overawed by the occasion.

I don’t expect that to be the case on Saturday. Under Andy McEntee Antrim have a group of players capable of giving a lot more than their league form would suggest.

Paddy McBride and Conor Hand will relish the opportunity to face the reigning All Ireland champions on their own ground while Michael Byrne, Dominic McEnhill, Eoghan McCabe, Niall Burns and the Finnegans all play their football within a stone’s throw of Corrigan.

The South West contingent including captain, Dermot McAleese are all familiar with the Whiterock Road ground and the return of Marc Jordan could provide a massive boost for the underdogs.

At the time of writing no teams had been announced but whoever Armagh select for the encounter will be household names.

A big and vociferous home crowd could be just the tonic as David faces Goliath on the Whiterock and the Saffrons look set to give it a lash and while Antrim will start as long odds outsiders, remember who won that battle between David and Goliath!

April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 by thesaffrongael

Brendan & Aoibheann Walk The Portuguese Way

The Saffron Gaels Brendan McTaggart and daughter, Aoibheann, have their passports ready for the summer as they look to raise funds for ALPS Charity. Brendan tells us a little about the charity and how they took up the challenge…

ALPs are a wonderful charity. From the outskirts looking in, anyone that helps in their line of work are to be commended. After a brief chat with Ronan Gilchrist (ALPs founder) at their brilliant Santa’s Grotto in Portglenone, it edged me a step closer to what I wanted to do. If I was going to do any form of charity work or fundraising, this would be the charity.

For anyone who doesn’t know of ALPs – it stands for All Lives are Precious. They have bases in Downpatrick and Portglenone and have grown incredibly since 2014. They provide services to improve health and wellbeing in the north and south of Ireland. They offer counselling, training and other services to individuals, families and communities.

This July, me and my second eldest, Aoibheann, are taking on a camino walk in Portugal – The Portuguese Way. It’s a trek between Porto and Valencia that takes in over 100km which we will be doing over six days.

It’s both a wonderful opportunity and what we hope will be a fascinating experience. How Aoibheann will cope with seven solid days and no respite from her mum of me and my bad jokes will possibly be her biggest task.

The walk itself is described as both physically and spiritually challenging but incredibly fulfilling. It’s one step into a journey that we both want to continue after July. I have a feeling that when we get a taste for this type of experience, it may become intoxicating and we won’t be long in signing up for our next challenge. For the moment, that’s the plan.

We have to raise a minimum of £3000 between us for the trip and we’re asking for the help of the gaels throughout Antrim and beyond.

I have created a Just Giving page, here is the link that will take you directly to the page:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brendan-mctaggart?utm_term=wM2rnV7KJ

Any help would be greatly appreciated, no matter how big or small.

Six days, over 100 km, a couple of batteries in the camera, what can possibly go wrong?

Right?

Six months to prepare, I’ll probably have to start getting ready and preparing for it in some way. That will keep to between covering matches, work and coaching.

A piece of cake, really.

It’s something that I have been wanting to do for some time and it’s something that I’ve been keen to get my daughters involved in. It’s not quite ‘New Year, New Challenge’. I signed us up for this before Christmas but what better way to start 2025 than to have my mind set on a challenge like this?

That’s the positive mentality trying to stay prominent. If you see me at the side of the pitch between now and then, that positive mentality may not be as prevalent.

Thank you in advance for any donations!

Brendan & Aoibheann McTaggart