by thesaffrongael

Keelan Molloy: “We feel like we’ve got our mojo back”

By Brendan McTaggart

Dunloy maestro, Keelan Molloy is one of the best players in the county but when it comes to interviews, he normally shies away.  He prefers to do his talking on the pitch with his hurl or the size 5.  After last year, he was one of a group of Dunloy players who elected to step away from the county panel before returning for the Leinster championship.  Molloy gave us some insight into that decision and subsequent return to club action earlier this summer: “It was a combination of things.  Long seasons with Dunloy, both codes and county commitments.  It took its toll and we probably just needed that break.  We needed to just forget about things for a while and it helped, it definitely helped.

“Greg (O’Kane) would give the lads that’s involved with the county an extra couple of weeks before coming back into the squad.  It’s there and it’s up to you if you take it or not. 

“We were keen to put last year behind us as soon as possible.  We got together as a full group again from start of July and you could just see the hunger there again.  There’s a desire to get back to the team that we know we can be and back to how we can play.”

From a Dunloy perspective, that decision has been vindicated.  Molloy and the others have been looking back to their best, especially in the semi final against Loughgiel: “You look at that semi final against Loughgiel (2023) last year and we just weren’t at ourselves.  We weren’t expecting what they brought and we were caught on the day.  I think we definitely let some complacency creep in against Loughgiel.”

On this years championship and playing an additional game in comparison to previous years, Molloy was keen to look at the positives and how it’s worked in the favour of the Cuchullains: “We’ve been building all through the championship but not looking any further than the next game.  Last year, we maybe took our eye off the ball a bit and looked beyond games but you couldn’t do that this year.  It was a tough group with St John’s, Rossa and Cushendall.

“Things were going well but the Cushendall game definitely was a bit of a set back.  It’s the first time we were in the quarter final but I honestly think it helped in the long run.  It refocussed our minds again and it was maybe a wee bit of a reality check. 

“We were maybe shocked more than anything.  They did a number on us but we’ll take our learnings from that day.

“That Cushendall game was good for us in a strange way and having to dig deep against Ballycastle as well but we showed our hunger and resilience against Loughgiel in the semi final.”

The Cuchullains looked to be close to their best again in the last four as they swept aside the challenge of Loughgiel in the wind and rain.  Molloy’s goal in the closing stages all but sealed the win and substitutes Nicky McKeague and Paudie Martin tagged on further scores.  Molloy told us that they used the hurt from last years match and went out to right what they felt were a wrongs from 12 months previous: “It was in our head, there’s no point in telling you any different but we used that as the fuel, as a positive.  We looked at ways that we could enforce our game.  We were bullied and outplayed last year but we were a lot hungrier this time around.”

Sunday will be the fourth time in seven years the Cuchullains will meet Cushendall in the decider.  These two know each other inside out at this stage and as Molloy finished off by saying, there’s an inevitability about the pair meeting: “When it comes to winning the championship, you know you’ll have to face Cushendall at some stage.  We’ve nearly played them every year late in the day so you know you have them to contend with but look, we’re just preparing as best we can.  We aren’t thinking on that game, that can bring a negative into your mind that just isn’t needed but we’re in a good place now.  We feel like we’ve got our mojo back, the confidence is there and we’re in a good place coming into Sunday.”

Keelan Molloy: “We feel like we’ve got our mojo back”
by thesaffrongael

Calm before the storm unlikely to last

Intermediate Hurling Championship Final preview

Oisin Glenariffe v Carey Faughs

Loughgiel-Saturday 2-00pm

With the storm forecast for Sunday casting a shadow over the senior hurling final between Cushendall and Dunloy in Ballycastle, Saturday’s Intermediate decider in Loughgiel should be played in more pleasant conditions.

The calm before the storm might be wishful thinking however as North Antrim rivals, Carey Faughs and Oisin’s Glenariffe go head to head in a final that is likely to dray a big crowd to Healey Park.

These sides are no strangers to each other and have met numerous times in league and championship over the years but we have to go back to 2000 for their last meeting in a championship decider.

Oisin’s won that one in Armoy but it’s been a while since the Waterfoot men have had their name inscribed on the Intermediate Cup.

Carey have had more recent success in the competition with a win over Creggan at Dunsilly in 2021 and gained promotion from division 2 the same year before returning to Division 2 the following year.

It’s been a mixed season for both sides with Cathaoir an Ri enjoying a great season in Division 2 of the ACHL where they finished top with 10 wins and 2 draws while Oisin’s finished mid-table with 7 wins from 14 starts.

Both sides were drawn together in Group 1 in the Intermediate Championship and were favourites to advance from the group and eventually that was how it panned out but not before a few hiccups.

Glenariffe, under the guidance of former Cloney Gaels manager, Hugh Dobbin and his assistant Shea O’Hagan have shown marked improvement as the season has progressed and have racked up some impressive scores in the championship.

They defeated St. Gall’s 5-18 to 1-21 at Milltown on day one and registered a 4-18 to 1-11 victory over a Shane O’Neill’s side who finished second to Carey in the league, on day two.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s opponents, Carey Faughs got their championship campaign up and running with a five point win over the Glenarm men in Ballyvoy before suffering a surprise defeat to St. Brigid’s Cloughmills on day two.

The week leading up to the game had been shattered by the untimely death of 6 year old Joe Hegarty, the team mascot and many felt that the tragic death of the young man had affected the home side’s performance.

It left Carey in a precarious position when they travelled to Belfast to play St. Gall’s on day 3 and early in the second half the Ballyvoy men looked in danger of heading out of the championship.

The home side looked to be heading for their first Group 1 win when they led the Ballyvoy side by 2-10 1-9, six minutes into the second half following a goal from the penalty spot from Ryan Ervine.

However St Gall’s lost two men to red cards, the second a double yellow, and the game began to turn in favour of the ‘Faughs’.

Immediately after Ervine’s success from the spot, Mark Napier had added a point to move St. Gall’s five ahead but Callum Cane’s second goal of the evening midway through the second period swung the momentum in favour of the Carey men.

They went on to win by five points but still needed something from their meeting with Oisin’s in Waterfoot on the final day of the group stages if they were to qualify for the knockout stages.

Carey held off a late rally from the Oisins to book their place in the semi-final against Tir na nOg. The Faughs came into the game knowing that anything less than a win wouldn’t be good enough and for most of the game it looked like they were going canter over the winning line, such was their superiority.

However the Oisins, who started without four of their first choice players who were rested because of the forthcoming  Minor final, brought two of those players on at half time, and the other two midway through the second half, and suddenly the tide began to turn.

Trailing by six at half time, Oisins hit the first three points of the second half and when substitute Orrin O’Connor finished to the net and O’Boyle and Kearney followed with points there was only two between the sides.

Carey regrouped to hold on for the win and secure their place in the semi-final against Cloney Gaels while Oisins had already qualified prior to this game and faced Tir na nOg in their semi-final.

Glenariffe ran out winners against the Whitehill side at Slemish Park in Ballymena with second half goals from Oliver Kearney and Orrin O’Connor paving the way for a 2-14 to 0-14 victory.

The other semi-final in Glenravel provided a high scoring spectacle of hurling as Carey Faughs fought back from seven points down at one stage in the opening half to beat Cloney Gaels by 3-23 to 2-24 after extra time in an absorbing battle at Fr Maginn Park, Glenravel.

The Faughs outscored the Ahoghill men by 0-06 to 0-03 in the first half of extra time to lead by 2-23 to 1-21 with three points from Conor McBride, two from Calum Cane and one from Michael McVeigh.

A Tom McGlone point for Cloney Gaels cut the gap back early in the second period, but Conor McBride struck a telling blow for the Faughs when he fired in his second goal of the game.

By virtue of that win in Waterfoot, Carey Faughs will probably start Saturday’s final as slight favourites but they will face a free scoring Glenariffe side who have got better and better as the season has progressed and will have their full complement of championship winning minors available for selection.

Colum Cunning from Dunloy is the man in charge of Saturday’s final and the calm before the storm might not last too long as these two well matched sides battle for supremacy.

by thesaffrongael

Gregory O’Kane: “All we want is for them to be the best version of themselves they can be.”

By Brendan McTaggart

Beware the wounded animal.  With their ‘drive for five’ derailed at the semi final stage 12 months ago, Dunloy return to the final hurdle for the Volunteer Cup on Sunday with a point to prove.  A point that was perhaps proven in their performance against Loughgiel two weeks ago.

Dunloy manager Gregory O’Kane, is well used to these occasions at this stage.  Sunday will be his sides sixth final since 2017 and the fourth time these two have met in that same period.  Dunloy have won their previous three contests.  When it comes to knockout hurling in the Antrim championship, this group of Dunloy players know how to get the job done but O’Kane admitted, last year was a step too far for his side: “We probably reached the end of our tether last year and we needed that break.  The lads stepped away from the National League and we’re probably seeing the benefits of that now.  They’re back and hungrier than ever.  They’re all fit and healthy and playing well.”

The Cuchullains have had to deal with dual senior commitments this year again.  Much has been said of number of players involved in both codes – mainly 11 and at times 12 starting in both 15’s, but O’Kane said he feels they’ve dealt with the round robin well: “The round robin has always been about getting through it, managing the players workload, and keeping players fresh and injury free.

“The footballers were unlucky against St Brigid’s.  I felt that if that game had gone on for another five or so minutes, they could have won that game.  It was tough on the lads.”

Against Cushendall in the last round of group games, the Ruairi’s underlined their champions credentials in a dominant display.  Dunloy never met the challenge and paid as O’Kane said, they paid the price: “We weren’t good enough and we know that ourselves.  We know that we’ll need to be better on Sunday but look, every game and every championship game is different.”

That defeat meant the Cuchullains played in the quarter finals and a game against a Ballycastle side who relished the opportunity of causing an upset.  O’Kane said that while they weren’t at their best, he saw signs of his side clicking into gear: “It was the first time this group of players have played in the quarter finals and to be fair, Ballycastle gave us our fill of it.  They hurled well but I always felt like when they got close then we found another gear.”

Their semi-final against Loughgiel laid to rest some of the demons from 12 months ago.  Dunloy played with precision and a slick brand of hurling that saw them reach serious heights in 2022.  It wasn’t a complete performance but the Dunloy manager said: “It was the right time for this group to play Loughgiel.  After the Ballycastle game, we’d put in a serious amount in the training pitch and it all came to fruition that day.  We looked more like ourselves and it was very pleasing to see that performance and the lads getting their rewards for the efforts they’ve put in.”

Although the bookies favourites for Sunday’s final, O’Kane said Dunloy are concentrating on themselves and ensuring they are in the right frame of mind come 2pm on Sunday: “We’re in a county final and that’s exactly where we set out at the start of the year to be.  The lads have put in the effort and all we want is for them to be the best version of themselves they can be.  If they do that then it’s left it God’s grace but we’re looking forward to it.”

by thesaffrongael

Brian Delargy: “It’ll come down to who wants it most on Sunday”

Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final preview

By Brendan McTaggart

Cushendall manager Brian Delargy is in his fourth season at the helm of the Ruairi’s.  He has overseen a resurgence in a side that some may have been too quick to write off.  With Loughgiel and Dunloy having a monopoly on the minor championships for the better part of 10 years barring the odd exception, Cushendall’s consistency in the senior championship shows no signs of waning. 

Sunday will be Delargy’s third decider as Cushendall’s main man and he has guided his team to the final unbeaten.  A run that includes a comfortable win against Dunloy in the round robin.  As reigning champions, they have coped well with the bulls-eye on their back this year and Delargy said that a lot of that comes from the squads desire and hunger: “Last year was parked as soon as we got the lads back together.  We felt it wasn’t doing us any good to keep going on about it but the hunger was there in the lads to get going again.

“There wasn’t any pre-season as such.  When the league started it was basically seeing who was fit and available when lining out.  With the split season, we use it for preparing.  Getting boys fitness levels back and maybe bringing through one or two others into the senior set up, looking at other lads who might have stepped up from the previous season.”

Cushendall’s win against Dunloy in the group stage at Páirc Mhuire ensured they would book their passage directly to the semi-final.  It was the first time since this format’s inception that the Ruairi’s would go through a campaign unbowed and it’s fair to say they have impressed.  They had to withstand a Rossa comeback and the Ballymena monsoon before accounting for the Cuchullains in their backyard and highlighting their credentials as county champions.  It was a warning shot to the rest of the county but Delagry said they’ve been concentrating on the next fixture and the next fixture alone: “There was nothing about prioritising.  We knew it was going to be three tough games but the way it’s scheduled, it works well for us.  We had no other distractions in between our games and it allowed us to get ready.

“When you’re travelling to Rossa Park for a first round game, you know what you’re going to get.  It’s never going to be easy.  Once you get into the nitty gritty of the round robin, it’s about tailoring your way through it.”

On that Dunloy game, Delargy said: “We’ve been around long enough to know that there’s a huge difference between group stages and knockout championship hurling.  The championship doesn’t really start until the knockout stage and you just have to look at the St John’s game for further evidence of that.”

That semi final against St John’s saw his side come back from the brink.  They showed the infamous Cushendall trait of ‘mentality monsters’ and when Delargy spoke of that game, he gave a nod to those who stepped up to be counted when his side needed it: “We were obviously delighted to get through that game.  When you consider we were four points down closing in on half time in extra time, it was a time for someone to step up and the boys turned it around well.

“It was a massive test and a test that we needed.  That lads have learned from that and it’ll stand by us going into Sunday.”

It wasn’t exactly a flowing performance from the Ruairi’s and they had to dig deep into their reserves.  Essentially though, semi finals are for winning and the Cushendall manager said he’s happy with where his squad are now: “There’s room for improvement but that’s no bad thing.  It comes from the high standards and goals this group have set themselves.  Some didn’t meet those standards, and others did.  That was a pleasing aspect of the game.  Hurling is a team sport and it took a team and panel effort to get us over the line.”

Delargy finished off by adding: “We both know each other well.  The players probably know each other better than the managers do.  It’s sounds like a cliché but it’ll come down to who wants it most on Sunday.  With the weather forecast not giving great, it won’t be pretty and we’re under no illusions as to the task we have but the lads are ready for it.”

by thesaffrongael

Two Oisins legends faced each other in 1988 final

Main picture- Player manager Randal McDonnell (seated 4th from left on the front row) and his fellow selectors John Kerr, Laurance Darragh, Philip Jamison, Seamus Kerr and Artie Harvey

Intermediate Hurling Championship final preview

When Glenariffe and Carey met in the 1988 Intermediate final in Cushendall the man in charge of the Faughs that day was a Glenariffe legend, as was the man who helped seal the win for the Oisins.

Niall Wheeler, a man who gave so much to the Oisins cause during a long and distinguished career, had taken a step back in 1988 and when the Faughs ask him if he would guide their fortunes that season he said he would give it a go. Niall recalls team selector Pat McCarry and club secretary Chris Campbell coming to see if he would join the management team with McCarry and Vinny McCaughan and he said he would give it a go. Little did he think that when he guided the Faughs to the county final that the team he would meet in the decider would be his beloved Oisins, who were managed by another Oisins legend…..Randal McDonnell.

Niall recalls having a great time in Carey where he made many good friends and worked with a lot of very good hurlers. He told us that Pat McCarry and the players were great lads that he really enjoyed working with and talked at length about the hurling skills of men like the late Danny McKinley, Joe Butler and one man who in particular who stood out….John McVeigh.

During the 1988 final Glenariffe made a great start to the game and with Dominic Kearns, Raymond McDonnell and Conrad McDonnell leading the charge they seemed set for a convincing win. However they had a man sent off and with John McVeigh leading the line the Faughs fought back. They closed the gap to three by half time, and though the Oisins pulled away again in the second half, McVeigh kept pulling his team back into contention, only to be denied at the death.

Oisins legend Niall Wheeler managed Carey against the Oisins in thee 1988 Intemediate final

The man Niall Wheeler credits for getting his home club out of danger that day was his old team-mate and player-manager Randal McDonnell who was introduced as a sub. He had been ruled out of the starting line-up after hurting his back in training earlier that week, but when the call came the veteran was there to answer the call. Niall recalls “when Glenarrife started to look a bit shaky as Carey closed the gap, the man who steadied the ship was Randal, and he made a big contribution to get the Oisins over the line.”

Randal McDonnell was 45 that day and lined out along with his brother Charlie, his sons Raymond, Randal jnr and Conrad, plus Charlie’s son Shane. Some contribution from one family and what a great way to end your club career.