TWO members of the first hurling team to represent St MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower, in Ulster Colleges’ combat, have sadly passed away in recent weeks. Denis McKillop and fellow Cushendall day student Alex McCollam died aged 86 and 87 respectively. McKillop, from Tavnahan, Glenaan, passed away in Antrim Area Hospital a few weeks ago.
Denis McKIllop RIP
He was once the goalkeeper for Antrim Minor and Junior hurling teams, and also the first goalkeeper in a Garron Tower team to debut in Ulster Colleges’ hurling competition during the 1951-’52 season His funeral Mass and Burial were held (on Tuesday April 1) at St Mary’s Cushendall. An avid historian, Denis lived for a time with his family in the Feystown area of Glenarm. Born in November 1938 in Glenaan, he attended the local Primary School on Glenaan Road before securing entry to St MacNissi’s College in September 1951. Forever devoted to the game of hurling he was selected, after trials, by the late Fr Paddy McKavanagh to the Tower’s first team – and in 1956 gained county honours with Antrim Minors. He always bemoaned the fact his ‘minor days’ were confined to one session, even though winning the Ulster title – and was included in the squad for the 1956 All Ireland semi-final against Tipperary at Croke Park. He was then 17 but his 18th birthday fell outside the January 1st ruling. Later, he played one season in the Antrim Junior team, as goalkeeper. Denis, who spent his closing years in Cushendall, enjoyed good times in club hurling affairs with Cushendun Emmet’s – where he impressed as a cornerback – and then with Cushendall Ruairi Og as their goalkeeper.. He also had an association with the Latharna Og team in Larne and the Shane O’Neill hurling club in Glenarm.
Alex McCollam spent one year at St MacNissi’s College, joining in 1951. Fr Paddy McKavanagh, the College’s first hurling team manager, included Alex in the opening season action before the Cushendsll pupil left the Tower and joined Ballymena Academy. Following some years working in Belfast he emigrated to Western Australia, where his son Declan is a club professional golfer. Alex Died at Perth, Western Australia.
A point deep into injury time from Jay Maguire was enough to give the Paddies a share of the spoils, in a lively and entertaining encounter AT Ballyvoy on Saturday. The visitors held the upper hand in the early exchanges and held a 0-11 to 0-07 at the break, courtesy of five points from Aghagallon footballer Enda McCartan, with Finn Jemfrey, Oisin Coleman and Calan McKernan getting their other scores. Carey never really got settled into the game, but remained in contention with scores from John McMride, Darren McGowan, Conal McGlynn, Calum Cane, Conlith McKinley and Conor McBride.
The second half saw an improved Carey, and three Conor McBride points had the sides level, but an opportunist Osin Coleman goal on the 45 th minute gave the west Belfast men back their three point margin.
Conal McGlynn with three points on the bounce and a Con McKinley point gave the Faughs back the lead with seven minutes remaining, but Jemfrey equalised for the Paddies, only for McBride and McGlynn points to restore Carey’s one point advantage.
It looked like the home side had done enough to secure both points, but Sarsfields never gave up and Maguire cancelled out in stoppage time to earn his team a share of the spoils.
Carey.
S Hunter, O Healy, S McBride, A Hughes, S Mathers, J McBride, Z McCaughan, C Cane, P Butler, F McVeigh, C McKinley, D McGowan, C McBride, D McBride, C McGlynn
Sarsfields
D McKernan, O Coleman, M Johnston, D Coleman, J Ward, C McKernan, R McKenna, D Smyth, A McGarrigle, N McEnlea, E McCartan, F Jemfrey, J Maguire, T Ward, J McKernan
TWO goals and three points in the opening eight minutes of the second half of this Fr Davies Cup quarter final in Creggan on Tuesday morning have set St Dominic’s Belfast up with a first ever semi final against St Patrick’s Keady next week.
Overall St Dominic’s were the better team with strong performances from the half-back line of Niamh Murray, Nina McBride and Aoibhinn Austin with Sadhbh Drain and Niamh Keenan strong in the forward line.
Loreto
Nevertheless Loreto Coleraine, driven on by Dunloy pair Clíodhna O’Kane and Anna Martin in defence and dangerous forward Ellie McCaul from Dungiven, had a promising start to the game spurred on by a goal from McCaul in the first minute.
Points each from Aela Niblock and Niamh Keenan helped St Dominic’s settle and Chloe Irvine pushed them ahead with a 12th minute goal. However Loreto hit back with goals from McCaul and Glenullin’s Nellie Rose Bradley.
A goal from Niblock put St Dominic’s back level and Carragh Flynn edged them into the lead before a late goal from Ciara Christie left them 3-4 to 3-0 ahead at the break.
On the re-start the Falls Road side pushed on to put the game to bed. Points from Flynn, Niblock and Aoibhinn Austin (a 45) were followed by goals each from Sadhbh Drain and Chloe Irvine and there was no way back for Loreto at 5-7 to 3-0.
However a goal and two points in the last quarter from Nellie Rose Bradley better reflected their contribution on the scoreboard to the overall play.
St Dominic’s: C Irvine 2-1, A Niblock 1-2, S Drain 1-1, C Christie 1-0, C Flynn 1-0, N Keenan, A Austin (f), S Fryers and I Smyth 0-1 each
Loreto: NR Bradley 2-2, E McCaul 2-0
Starting teams:
St Dominic’s: Cara Garland, Amelie Donnelly, Jay Austin, Niamh Wallace, Nina McBride, Aoibhinn Austin,
Sarah Burnett, who played for Breakthrough TD1in the Tír na nÓg GAC Quid Games, topped the prize money with £10,000, half which she donated to her charity and the other half to the Tír na nÓg GAC Youth Development Fund. Sarah is seen here with club chairman Nicky Bones
On Saturday night Tír na nÓg GAC Randalstown hosted Quid Games in their 4G Hall. This game-show was to raise funds towards their club development plan whilst supporting local charities, too. On the night, there were 30 contestants competing across 6 games. Sarah Burnett, playing for Breakthrough TD1, a diabetic charity, won £10,000. Donating £5,000 to the charity and £5,000 to the Tír na nÓg Youth Development Fund. Anthony Martin, won £2,000 on the night as he was the top contestant fundraiser. He donated £1,000 to his charity- The Jam Store and £1,000 to Tommy’s.
The club donated a further £2,000 to 3 other charities- The National Deaf Children’s Society, Luekamia & Lymphoma NI and Macmillan recognising the efforts of the top 6 fundraisers in the event (Anthony Martin, Sarah Burnett, Michael Magill, Paul Heffron, Aidan Savage & Nathan Rocks) A mighty night had by all in attendance. A huge effort from the club, the organising committee and all of those who worked on the night to make it a success. Well done to everyone involved and good luck with the further development in the club.
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PHOTO FROM THIS GREAT EVENT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Healy Park, Loughgiel
Summer arrived in Fr. Healy Park and temperatures hovered around 20 degrees at the 7pm throw-in. The pleasant warm air augmented the evening’s sporting entertainment as spectators lined the Park in short sleeves.
Jerome McAllister officiated the game and once the sliotar was rolled in, Ballycastle’s Elen McIntosh had the honour of the first strike for a point but the sliotar floated wide of the post and that honour would fall to Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty who took possession straight from the puck out.
Loughgiel’s Carlina Sullivan and Anna McKillop would improve their score with another two points before Ballycastle’s Sionainn Graham closed the gap by one, a minute later.
Pushing up into Ballycastle’s half resulted in another two points for Loughgiel, both coming from close quarter passing from Christine McCloskey to Ciara Laverty and McCloskey took her own point as Marie Laverty offered up the sliotar.
Ballycastle’s Nuala Devlin keeps the sliotar ahead at arms reach as Loughgiel close in
Loughgiel’s free taker, Katie McKillop, stepped up to take her first free of the evening with ten minutes elapsed on the scoreboard; McKillop’s dropping sliotar finding the back of the net from an acute angle, dropping just under the bar, but Ballycastle would quickly neutralise that green flag when a goal mouth scramble from a sliotar brought safely to earth by keeper, Shauna McKillop, resulted in the sliotar momentarily rolling over the goal line from an outstretched stick of Sionainn Graham. McAllister was quick to acknowledge the umpire’s call, and the game quickly reverted to a four-point game, Loughgiel 1-05 Ballycastle 1-1.
For the remainder of the first half, both sides went toe to toe for the next six points but drama wasn’t far away as Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty closed in on Ballycastle’s goalkeeper, Erin O’Hara, although O’Hara’s first block prevented Laverty from a score off the stick, the quick-thinking Shamrock kicked the sliotar towards the goal, but Kathyrn Mullan was on the line to save the Town from a certain goal. At the other end of the pitch, Ballycastle’s Eimear McCaughan found the sliotar after a long puckout from O’Hara, solo running and a strike to a certain goal had it not been for the heroics of Finvola McVeigh stretching to deflect the sliotar wide. At the short whistle, Loughgiel held onto a four-point lead, 1-11 to 1-07.
Loughgiel’s Shanna Deery shakes off Ballycastle’s Fay McIntosh in tonights league game
The second half of tonight’s fixture witnessed a comeback from Ballycastle, as they mounted their attack and over nine minutes, found the catch net four times compared to Loughgiel’s one point from a 45. One of those points from Ballycastle’s Eimear McCaughan wouldn’t be found in any camogie textbook, as she took her point intentionally from striking a bouncing ball. That peppering of Loughgile’s catch net closed the gap to just two points, but with only seven minutes left of normal time, the Shamrock’s appeared to drop into another gear and cruised five points without reply to the long whistle, the scoreboard registering Loughgiel 1-20 Ballycastle 1-13.
This was a great game to watch so early in the league campaign, even though both sides were missing players, spectators were treated to a fast and physical game.
Loughgiel panel and scorers
Shauna McKillop, Charlene Campbell, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Sarah Flavin, Megan McGarry, Maeve Shannon, Louise McKillop, Ciara Laverty, Katie McKillop 1-11 (2×45, 5f), Marie Laverty 0-02, Christine McCloskey 0-02, Ciara Connolly 0-01, Carlina Sullivan 0-01, Anna McKillop 0-01, Emma McAllister, Aoibheann Gillan, Erin Connolly, Anna Connolly, Therese McKinley, Shanna Deery 0-01
Ballycastle panel and scorers
Erin O’Hara, Niamh Ann Donnelly, Kathryn Mullan, Maria Donnelly, Maebh O’Neill, Enya McShane, Catherine McShane, Aoife Toner, Fay McIntosh, Elen McIntosh 0-07 (1×45, 4f), Sionainn Graham 1-02, Riana McBride, Nuala Devlin 0-01, Marie Bakewell 0-01, Eimear McCaughan 0-01, Fionnuala Toner, Louise McBride, Christina Hamilton, Fay Roddy, Eva Graham, Mary Cate Slevin, Olivia Connolly
Photos from this evening’s game can be found by clicking on the link here…
