by thesaffrongael

Ardoyne head back to “the District” with both points

ACHL Division 4

St. Gall’s 11 0-8 Ardoyne 2-12

Photographs & Report: Brian McKee

While this was not a game that will live long in the memory, Ardoyne headed back across the city with both points secured from this Div 4 Hurling League fixture. The opening half was dominated by the Northenders with Patric McGreevy leading the way in collecting the scores.

Two early scores from play from McGreevy set the tone for the rest of the half with St Galls finding it difficult to stay in touch. Stephen McIlhatton though put over St Galls opening point, with Odhran Delany following up with an exquisite point from a tight angle. The rest of the first half was dominated by an Ardoyne team that despite keeping a healthy lead, never really got themselves into top gear.

Ardoyne kept the scoreboard ticking over and by the 15th minute were 8 points ahead. Goals from Cormac Barnes and Caolan Wallace threatened to overrun a St Galls side that were finding it difficult to get a handle on this game.

Half-Time: Naomh Gall II 0-05 Ciceam Ard Eoin 2-08

The second half did not prove to be as one sided, with St Galls matching the Ardoyne men on the field. Despite this, they were let down by wayward shooting that saw them missing opportunities to put any meaningful pressure on Ardoyne.

It was 10 minutes before they eventually got their first score of the second half but they will be encouraged in that they held Ardoyne to a total of 4 points in the second half. Although Ardoyne never looked in danger of losing this game, they will be disappointed in their second half scoring ability and their inability to stamp their authority on the game.

The frustration of both teams was evidenced in the number of frees awarded. However, Ardoyne will be pleased with two points secured, while St Galls will be hoping for a better display in the next game away to All Saints.

Naomh Gall: Lorcan O’Ciarnan, Stephen McIlhatton(0-01), Michael McMullan, Maghnus Dunne, Ciaran McCaffrey, Anto Healy, Simon Dowds, Tiernan McAleenan, Aodh Mullan, Josh Southern (0-05, 3f), Tom Ghee, Mark McArevey, Paul Loughran, Odhran Delany(0-02), Dylan Meighan, Adam O’Hare, Caoimhin Pierce

Ciceam Ard Eoin: Connor O’Neill, Cormac Curran, Paul Baker, Dean Goodall, Paddy Heaney, Pascal Clarke, Matthew Crommie, Pól McGuigan, Diarmuid Martin, Patric McGreevy(0-06, 3f), Matt McKillen(0-02), Cormac Barnes(1-0), Caolan Wallace(1-0), Micheál McGreevy(0-03), Patrick McKillen, Pól Og McGuigan(0-01), Sean Searle, Enda Slattery, Aran Stewart, Cahal Clarke, Emmet Corey, Stephen Hill, Pearse Hull, Fiontan Lagan, Michael Lee-Murphy

Referee: Hugh Torney

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by thesaffrongael

Cuchullains Comfortable Against Oisin’s

Antrim Senior Hurling League – Division One

Dunloy 4-16 Glenariffe 0-17

Sunday 12 April

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

Dunloy continued their winning start to the 2026 league campaign with an 11 point win over Glenariffe.  Two goals in either half proved to be the difference with a fast start by the home side laying the foundation for the victory.

Despite going nine points down after just over 10 minutes, Glenariffe hit six points unanswered to find their footing in the game but they never looked like they were going to add to their opening day victory.

Oisin McCallin added to his burgeoning reputation with a final tally of 1-6 while Aaron Crawford, Ciaran Elliott and Eamon Smyth all found the back of the net.  Aodhan McGarry had another busy performance while Ryan McGarry excelled at full back.

The Oisín’s were best served by Niall Magee, Orrin O’Connor and Alex O’Boyle – O’Boyle finishing top of their scoring charts with 0-6 while O’Connor and Oliver Kearney shared six points between them.  Despite the result, it was a strong performance from the Waterfoot men who showed they are well able for Division One hurling.

With the wind blowing towards the Academy, it favoured Glenariffe in the first half.  Despite this, the Cuchullains started superbly.  Ciaran Elliott’s goal with the home sides first attack coming via a super delivery into space from Ryan McGarry.  Elliott rounded his man and hammered home from close range to give Dunloy the perfect start.  McCallin and Nicky McKeague raised white flags either side of O’Connor’s first point of the game before Aaron Crawford fired in the second goal.  The home side cutting through the Glenariffe defence before Nigel Elliott’s reverse pass found Crawford in space.  The Dunloy man made no mistake from close range.

Scores from McCallin (free) and Aodhan McGarry followed but the home side wouldn’t register another score for 15 minutes as the Oisin’s found their feet in the game.  Four points from Alex O’Boyle along with scores from O’Connor and Michael O’Boyle brought Glenariffe to within three points with five minutes of the half remaining.

Dunloy responded with scores from McCallin, Smyth and Tom McFerran before Alex O’Boyle’s fifth white flag of the half left Dunloy 2-8 to 0-8 ahead at the interval.

Dunloy started the second half brightly with points coming from Smyth, Aodhan McGarry, McCallin and McKeague – Alex O’Boyle with the solitary response for Glenariffe in that opening 10 minute spell.

Points followed for the visitors from substitute Oisin Gillan and Oliver Kearney to keep Glenariffe within touching distance.  The home side responded with McCallin firing over either side of McKeague’s third white flag of the match and while Daniel Kearney left nine points between the sides going into the final 10 minutes, the home side scored their third goal of the game to all but end the hopes of a Glenariffe win.  Daire McMullan sent a free into the path of Ciaran Elliott who found Smyth running through the middle.  The half back had work to do but he finished superbly to put the difference into double digits.

Glenariffe responded well with three unanswered points in as many minutes – Gillan, Michael O’Boyle and Oliver Kearney with the scores.  Kearney bringing the best out of Ryan Elliott in the Dunloy goals with the Cuchullains ‘keeper deflecting his goal bound effort over the bar.

Substitute Chrissy McMahon dissected the uprights and while Glenariffe responded with points from O’Connor (free) and Oliver Kearney’s third of the match, Dunloy and McCallin had the final say.  McMahon this time with the assist as he unselfishly passed to McCallin who was unmarked to fire home from close range.

The Cuchullains are on their travels for their next game, heading to Ballygalget next Sunday while Glenariffe make a first trip to the City when they face Rossa on the same afternoon.

TEAMS

DUNLOY: Ryan Elliott; Conor Kinsella, Ryan McGarry, Sean Og Blaney; Eamon Smyth, Paul Shiels, Daire McMullan; Aaron Crawford, Paudie McGilligan; Nigel Elliott, Nicky McKeague, Aodhan McGarry; Ciaran Elliott, Oisin McCallin, Tom McFerran

Subs: Ben O’Kane for C Kinsella (42); Chrissy McMahon for N Elliott (42); Oisin McCamphill for N McKeague (47); Jack Martin for P McGilligan (52); Francis McMullan for A Crawford (56)

Scorers: O McCallin 1-6 (3fs); E Smyth 1-2; N McKeague 0-3; A Crawford 1-00; C Elliott 1-00; A McGarry 0-2; R McGarry 0-1; T McFerran 0-1; C McMahon 0-1

GLENARIFFE: Paul McMullan; Odhran Gillen, Colla Ward, Conor Patterson; Niall Magee, Daniel Kearney, James Kearney; Calum McIlwaine, Donall Kearney; Orrin O’Connor, Phelim Ward, Michael O’Boyle; Seanie McIntosh, Oliver Kearney, Alex O’Boyle

Subs: Oisin Gillan for P Ward (24); Cailin Devlin for D Kearney (40); Canice McIntosh for S McIntosh (54)

Scorers: A O’Boyle 0-6 (3fs, 2’65s); O O’Connor 0-3 (1f); O Kearney 0-3; M O’Boyle 0-2 (1’65); O Gillan 0-2; D Kearney 0-1

REFEREE: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

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by thesaffrongael

Clash of colours fails to disrupt clash of the ash

ACHL Division 2

St. Mary’s Ahoghill 4-24 St. Brigid’s Cloughmills 2-16

A clash of colours at Cloney on Sunday failed to disrupt the clash of the ash as Cloney Gaels overcame the challenge of St. Brigid’s Cloughmills in a high scoring and thoroughly entertaining game of hurling.

Referee Darren McKeown was quite happy to let the game go ahead as both sides took the field in very similar strips and the St. Gall’s official did a good job of identifying the players as the game got underway.

Playing with a strong wind in their favour it was the Ahoghill side who made the early running and points from Dan O’Neill 0-2, Ronan Graham 0-2 and Colla McDonnell in response to one from a Michael Devlin free had them 0-5 to 0-1 ahead after 12 minutes.

A great point from distance from Bernard Graham saw Stephen Smyth reply from an equally impressive effort but Ahoghill were enjoying the better of the exchanges and Dan O’Neill and Eoin Graham extended their lead before Rian Dobbin replied with the ‘Biddies’ third of the afternoon.

The Ahoghill pressure was beginning to tell however as Colla McDonnell fired to the net in the 19th minute and points from Bernard Graham, McDonnell and O’Neill moved them 11 ahead.

Michael Devlin struck another good free into the wind for the visitors and then replied to two more from Dan O’Neill to keep his side’s challenge just about alive.

Cloney’s final score of the half came from the lively Dan O’Neill but two in reply from Kevin O’Boyle and Eoin Dobbin left it 1-15 to 0-8 ahead at the break and given the strength of the breeze, it didn’t look an insurmountable lead.

St. Brigid’s needed a good start to the second half if they were to claw back the Cloney lead but it was the Ahoghill side who made a blistering start to the second half with PJ O’Connell finishing to the net after 30 seconds.

Seamus Duffin replied with a point at the other end but Cloney Gaels continued to look dangerous and Christopher McKernan in the St. Brigid’s goals brought off a great save to deny Dan O’Neill.

The visitors were doing everything in their power to get themselves going and Eoin Dobbin struck a fine point from distance but it brought another decisive response from the Cloney side as PJ O’Connell finished to the net from close range.

O’Connell was making his first start for Ahoghill in more than a year and while he might not be as fast as he once was, he certainly hasn’t lost his instinctive poaching qualities as he got his second and his team’s third goal and it looked as good as over with 13 minutes remaining.

To their credit St. Brigid’s continued to battle with Stephen Smyth pointing and then getting in for a goal as they began to enjoy a wee bit of success.

A second goal by James O’Boyle had the gap back to seven but the ‘Gaels’ continued to find their range with Patrick Graham, PJ O’Connell and Eoin Graham splitting the posts.

Substitute Rian McFarlane and the sweet striking Mickey Devlin add points for the ‘Biddies’ but O’Connell completed his hat-trick for the home side with time almost up and his return to the Cloney side will provide them with a massive boost as the season progresses.

Ahoghill: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Shea Neeson, 3 James Magee, 4 Harry O’Donnell, 5 Fionnbar O’Neill, 6 Diarmaid Graham, 7 Bernard Graham, 18 Eamonn Brady, 9 Ryan McPeake, 10 Patrick Graham, 11 Patrick Dougan, 12 Eoin Graham, 17 PJ O’Connell, 13 Colla McDonnell, 14 Ronan Graham, 15 Dan O’Neill.

Subs: Jack McFall

Cloughmills: 1 Christopher McKernan, 2 Jack McDowall, 3 Sean McKendry, 4 Aaron McGuckian, 5 Johnny Duffin, 6 James Doherty, 7 Dara Watterson, 8 Geoffery Og Laverty, 9 Eoin Dobbin, 10 Michael Devlin, 11 Kevin O’Boyle, 12 Rian Dobbin, 13 James O’Boyle, 14 Seamus Duffin, 15 Stephen Smyth

Subs: Rian McFarlane, Ryan Watson, Corey Blair

Referee: Darren McKeown (St. Gall’s)

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by thesaffrongael

St Gall’s beat the Faughs with a bit to spare

Antrim Hurling League – Division 2

Carey 0-08 St Gall’s 3-14

Three first half goals set up St Gall’s for victory over Carey Faughs in Sunday’s Division 2 League game at Ballyvoy. The home side, who were short a few regulars, had a day to forget, scoring only one point from play in the whole game and only one point overall in the second half.

The excellent free taking of corner forward Conor McBride kept Carey in the contest in the early stages but the visitors had a wide range of score takers throughout the game. Jackson McGreevey, Patrick Friel and Tomas O’Ciaran hit the target early on as they fired over points but when full forward Tomas O’Ciaran grabbed his team’s first goal from close range it was clear the boys from the Bog Meadows were going to be hard to contain. A second goal followed soon after from Niall Fallon and when Fergus Donnelly soloed through to grab the third it was clear it was going to take a specia effort from the Faughs to deny the boys in blue.

Conor McBride hit a series of great frees for the home side and midfielder Patrick Butler grabbed one from play but by half time St Gall’s led by 3-04 to 0-07, despite playing against the stiff breeze.

With wind advantage in the second half stretched their advantage by the minute as Mark Napier, Fergus Donnelly and Jackson McGreevy stretched their team’s advantage. Napier added three more and McGreevy two to widen the gap even further, while Carey’s only score of the second half came from Patrick Butler late in the game.

Carey Faughs

No.Player Name
1Conlith McKinley
2Eoin Hill
3Sean McBride
4Adam Hughes
5Michael McVeigh
6Conall McGlynn
7Peadar McVeigh
8Cathair Brogan
9Patrick Butler
10Brendan McQuaid
11Shea Hunter
12Ryan McQuaid
13Patrick Gillan
14Fiachra McVeigh
16Jimmy Joe Burns (GK)

St. Gall’s (Naomh Gall)

No.Player Name
1Kurtis McGreevy
2Gregory McGreevy
3Daniel Churchill
4Eoghan McCready (Handwritten)
5Ewan Rush
6Gairech Mac Adhaimh
7Michael Marlow
8Patrick Friel
9Jack Hopkins
10Fergus Donnelly
11Oran McIlhatton
12Niall Fallon
13Jackson McGreevy
15Mark Napier

Carey Faughs assistant treasurer Anne McBride presents a cheque for £500 to the Saffron Gael before Sunday’s league game with St Gall’s. Pic by Stevie McAfee

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by thesaffrongael

Ballycastle edge past St. John’s in All County Hurling League Division 1 thriller

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Venue: Páirc MacUílín, Ballycastle

Final Score: Ballycastle 1-16 | St. John’s 1-15

Ballycastle withstood a late rally by visitors St John’s to securea hard-fought 1-16 to 1-15 victory over the county champions in a tightly contested All County Hurling League Division One clash, to record their second consecutive win of the campaign.

The game began with high energy as Ballycastle’s Niall McClean opened the scoring. St. John’s were quick to respond, with their sharpshooter Oisin MacManus immediately leveling the game. The early stages were a tight affair, with Ballycastle’s Seamus McAuley trading points with the St. John’s attack to keep the sides deadlocked at 0-2 apiece.

Ballycastle began to find their rhythm as McAuley capitalized on a series of frees to build a lead. The pivotal moment of the first half came following a strong, flowing team move that culminated in a crucial goal from Tiernan Smyth. Smyth quickly followed up with a point from play, putting St. John’s on the back foot.

However, the county champions showed their resilience. MacManus kept St. John’s well within striking distance, punishing Ballycastle’s indiscretions with multiple successful frees, cutting the deficit to a single point at various stages. However late first-half points from Conor Donnelly and Niall McAuley gave Ballycastle some breathing room, sending them into the halftime break with a 1-9 to 0-9 advantage.

Ballycastle started the second half exactly as they finished the first. Seamus McAuley fired over two quick points to set the tone, and another well-worked move allowed Tiernan Smyth to add to his tally. When Niall McAuley raised another white flag, Ballycastle had stretched their lead to six points (1-13 to 0-10) and looked firmly in control.

St. John’s, however, refused to lie down. Oisin MacManus continued his masterclass from dead balls, methodically chipping away at the Ballycastle lead. In response, Diarmaid McShane and the ever-reliable Seamus McAuley landed crucial scores to keep the hosts ahead as the game entered its twilight.

The momentum violently swung back to the visitors in the 31st minute when St. John’s were awarded and converted a vital penalty goal, Shea Shannon stepping up to the mark to fire home, and when McManus followed it with yet another free, suddenly bringing the deficit down to the bare minimum.

Despite intense late pressure from the champions, the Ballycastle defense held firm in the dying moments. The final whistle sounded to the relief of the home crowd, sealing a dramatic one-point victory for Mac Uilín CLG and making it two wins from two starts.

Teams

#Ballycastle McQuillansSt. John’s
1Eamonn ElliottSimon Doherty
2Oran KearneyMichael Dudley
3Eoin McAlonanCiaran Johnston
4Conal ColganSean Boyle
5Ardan KellyRonan Donnelly
6Conor BoalEnda McGurk
7Cathair DonnellyLorcan McCallin
8Niall McCleanSean Wilson
9Reuben McCleanCaomhan Mooney
10Darragh KellyMichael Bradley
11Seamus McAuleyShea Shannon
12Niall McAuleyOisin MacManus
13Conor DonnellyDonall Carson
14Tiernan SmythAaron Bradley
15Diarmaid McShaneRuairi Galbraith

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