Aquinas Grammar battled back in the final quarter of Wednesday’s Rosina McManus Shield final to beat St Aidan’s Cootehill and seal their first Ulster Camogie title for the school.
Éabha Slowey gave St Aidan’s the lead with a goal in the fourth minute and they appeared to be in control, but a goal from Aquinas captain Katie Christie eight minutes into the second half pulled her side level.
In what had been a low scoring affair up to this stage suddenly transformed and Rose Geoghegan sent over a point for Cootehill to put them back in front. Less than a minute later Katie McKavanagh fired in a goal for Aquinas but Geoghegan hit back with a brilliant individual goal to make it 4-3 to 2-8 with 13 minutes to go.
Aquinas, pushed on and McKavanagh’s accuracy from frees saw them take control again. The St Bridget’s player had edged her side into the lead before Maisie Quilton blocked a clearance and raced through for a goal. A minute later McKavanagh’s long-range free went all the way to the net.
Máiréad Markey grabbed a goal at the other end for St Aidan’s, but it was Aquinas who finished strongest with a point from Ciara Doyle and two from McKavanagh, bringing her personal total to 2-8
Dalata Hotel Group Ulster U20 Football Championship, Group A Antrim 0-2 Donegal 3-23
Antrim’s opening game in the Ulster Under 20 Football Championship became something of a nightmare when they were totally outclassed by a brilliant Donegal team at Dunsilly
Man of the match Seanan Carr scores the second of his two goals
This was Antrim’s first outing in Group A and it is one they will seek to park as the Tír Chonaill men, fresh from a big win in their opener against Fermanagh, were in a merciless mood throughout.
They had big performances all over the field with Seanan Carr leading the way in the scoring stakes, finishing with 2-10 with 1-4 of that tally from play, but all over the field, they were a different class than their hosts.
To their credit Antrim battled hard throughout, but the Tir Conaill men were simply on a different level. They bossed the game from start to finish conceding a mere two point over the hour, none of them in the second half
They went for the jugular from the throw in and right half back Fionn Coll grabbed an early goal as he cut through the Antrim defence in spectacular fashion. While Antrim’s few attacks came down the wings the visitors went straight through the middle, going from end to end without a glove laid on them.
The pace of Donegal was causing Antrim real problems as their ability to move the ball at speed was opening up the home defence time and again, while they were also on top around the middle as they owned the Antrim restarts.
Conor McGinty landed twice before Antrim got off the mark through Rory McErlean, but there was no let-up as Donegal continued to attack in waves and the scores flowed with Carr, Shane Callaghan and Kevin Muldoon landing before the latter thumped over a two-pointer which stretched the gap to 10.
The second goal arrived on 22 minutes from a Seanan Carr penalty, awarded after Donncha McGurk was adjudged to have fouled Kevin Lynch but to be honest it looked a bit harsh as Lynch appeared to lose his footing and fall over the top of the Antrim man.
Although Antrim responded with a score from Ciaran McAleese, it would prove to be their last of the game as matters got worse when Niall Hynds was sent off on a second yellow with 27 played.
There was no way back even at this stage and with Conor McCahill and Dylan Mulholland also getting their name on the scoresheet, Donegal went in at the break with an unassailable 2-11 to 0-2 lead.
There was no easing up in the second period despite a raft of changes as Donegal rattled off four early scores – three from Carr – before Antrim were awarded a 42nd-minute penalty for a touch on the ground, but Padraig McBride was equal to Conhuir Johnston’s effort. Again it seemed harsh on the Antrim boys as the ball appeared to have crossed the line with the umpire clearly signalling that.
It would have been little but a consolation and Donegal were in no mood to give anything else away as they blocked countless shots, while at the other end, the scores continued to flow with substitutes Donnacha Boyle, Jack, Gallagher and Darragh Hennigan all chipping in.
But Carr was the star of the show and he got his second goal of the evening with three minutes to play, capping a fine evening for his team who maintained their impressive start to the competition.
For Antrim, it’s a matter of dusting themselves off and quickly as they host Fermanagh – who had a tough evening of their own against Tyrone – on Saturday at Dunsilly (2pm)
Donegal goalkeeper Padraig McBride saves Conhuir Johnston’s penalty during the second half
Antrim scorers: R McErlean 0-1, C McAleese 0-1
Donegal scorers: S Carr 2-10 (1-0 pen, 0-6f), F Coll 1-1, K Muldoon 0-3 (1x2pt), C McGinty 0-2, D Mulholland 0-2, C McCahill 0-1, S Callaghan 0-1, D Hennigan 0-1, D Boyle 0-1, J Gallagher 0-1
Subs: Segade Adams for E Ward (ht), Michael McKenna for C McAleese (ht), Tarlach Enright for S Boyd (37), Lorcan Phillips for JJ Higgins (37), Ethan Walsh for C Walsh (43)
DONEGAL: Padraig McBride; Ruairi Callaghan, Niall Prenderville, Cathal Ó Gallchoir; Fionn Coll, Callum McCrea, Conor McGinty; Sean Martin, Kevin Muldoon; Mark McDevitt, Dylan Mulholland, Seanan Carr; Conor McCahill, Kevin Lynch, Shane Callaghan.
Subs: Jack Gallagher for M McDevitt (ht), Donnacha Boyle for C McCahill (ht), David Monaghan for K Muldoon (ht), Odhran Doherty for C McCrea (ht), Darragh Hennigan for C McGinty (42)
REFEREE: C Brady (Monaghan)
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Dalata Hotel Group Ulster U20 Football Championship Group A, round two
Antrim v Donegal (Wednesday, Dunsilly, 7.30pm)
Antrim get their Ulster U20 campaign underway at Dunsilly tonight (Wednesday) and face what looks a very difficult opponent when they take on Donegall.
The Tir Connaill men have already one game under their belt in the group stages where they had 10 points to spare over Fermanagh and will start tonight’s game as odds on favourites.
Manager Colin Toal believes their opening match with Donegal this evening will show just where Antrim are at.
Antrim have announced their starting 15 for tonight’s U20 Ulster Championship meeting with Donegal at Dunsilly
Antrim manager, Colin Toal with joint captains Senan Nagle and Donnacha McGurk, looking forward to tonights visit of Donegal to Dunsilly
Donegal are coming into this one on the back of great club success, with Four Masters winning the Ulster Minor League and Abbey Vocational School got to the MacRory Cup final so no doubt they’ll be very strong.”
Antrim will also take on Tyrone, Down and Fermanagh in the group series over the next few weeks and will hope to improve on last year’s record, when they finished at the bottom of the table with four defeats from four outings.
Senan Nagle of St. Enda’s and Donncha McGurk have been appointed joint captains of the side for 2025 and we call on Antrim Gaels to come out in numbers to support the young Saffrons tonight at Dunsilly
Antrim take on water during their warm up routine against Down– photo Michael Corcoran
WHO HAS LEARNED THE MOST FROM LAST WEEKEND’S ‘DEAD RUBBER’
Antrim v Clare Very Div 1B National League Final in NGDC, Pitch 1 Abottstown, Saturday 28th March 2025, throw in 2pm
The Antrim v Clare game played last Saturday may have been pronounced a ‘dead rubber’ (where the outcome of the game has no intrinsic value, having been either resolved earlier or to be determined by a final game) but both sides will have extracted their own intel and exercised a testing strategy or two. It’ll have been mostly about sizing up and giving the necessary game time to some of the players.
Antrim’s Maeve Kelly making a welcome return to play against Down– photo Michael Corcoran
Clare ran out a complete second team compared to the panel against Limerick, Antrim on the other hand, gave game time to returning players. The question remains unanswered until Saturday, ‘what are the margins between Clare’s first and second team, did Antrim mostly shadow box?’ But any boxer worth his salt will tell you that’s an essential part of any build up to the big night.
It’s a fabulous result to win the league with a clean sheet, but on the day though, it hardly matters Antrim won 5 of 5 games to Clare’s 4 from 5. We will see two different teams and that’s what’s so exciting about Saturday’s Very Div 1B league final. The game will be played on pitch 1 in the National Games Development Centre, at Abbotstown, a fitting venue for the final game, the technical specification for the pitch being matched to none other than the ‘field of dreams’ in Croke Park.
The throw-in will be at 2pm and the Saffron Gael will have ringside access to bring you a report and photos of all the relevant action from the final.
Cargin made it two wins out of two in Division 1 of the Antrim Football League when they beat Lamh Dhearg on Sunday in Toome in a high scoring encounter.
Ronan Devlin’s charges appeared to be cruising to a very one sided win when they moved nine points clear during the latter stages of the opening half, but the men from Hannahstown upped their game considerably in the second period and they made the county champions work for their win.
With both teams winning their opening games in Division 1 this game was expected to be close, but despite facing a stiff breeze Cargin were quick from the traps and after Callum Gribbin raised a white flag in the opening minute and things got even better when Gribbin’s brother Jamie set up Sean O’Neill for a goal one minute later.
The Lamhs hit back however and after Ben Rice sent over a point Conor Murray won a high ball near to the Cargin goal and fired home from close range to bring his team right back into the game.
Cargin soon settled and a good move saw the ever dangerous Tomas McCann grab a goal, following a good move involving O’Neill and Bennan Kelly, and goalkeeper John McNabb added to the tally with a well taken point to stretch the lead to 3-03 to 1-03. The visitors pulled a point back through the hard grafting Conor Murray but Cargin were in charge and goal number four arrived when Sean O’Neill set up big Pat Shivers. The pattern of Cargin dominance continued when Michael McCann got through on goal once again and blasted home to send the men in green to the changing rooms with a 5-06 to 1-06 half time advantage.
With the strong breeze now in their favour the visiting fans must have feared the worst, but the Lamhs came out with much more vigour than they had shown in the first half and they got a goal back when Owen Matassa fired home. Micahel McCann and Jamie Gribbin replied with points for the home side. Conor Murray and Terry McCrudden came back with points for Hannahstown.
The visitors were back in contention as they reduced the deficit to just five points, but any hopes they may have had of a dramatic turnaround were ended when the McCann brothers combined brilliantly again and Mick sent home goal number six to seal another two league points.
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