Emma Kelly has notified the Antrim LGFA Executive of her decision to stand down from the role of Senior Intercounty Manager with immediate effect.
Emma has led Antrim Ladies through their most successful ever period, taking the county to two All Ireland Junior Finals, winning the 2022 All Ireland Junior Championship, the 2023 National League Division 4 and Ulster Intermediate Championship for the first time in the county’s history and just narrowly falling short in the All Ireland Intermediate Championship Semi-Final.
The County Executive wishes to place on record our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the work Emma and her team have put in over the last four years, the dedication and passion she has shown for Ladies Gaelic Football in County Antrim, both at the highest levels of intercounty competition and working with local clubs to grow the grassroots game.
The County Board will shortly begin the process to appoint a successor.
Emma Kelly
Emma Kelly has resigned as Antrim Senior Ladies Manager with immediate effect
I am writing to inform you that my management team and myself will be stepping down from Antrim Senior Ladies with immediate effect.
The last 4 years have been an honour and privilege to have taken the county.
I am proud to say we did win a lot of silverware and gave the county a lot of big days out over that time. Bringing pride, belief and expectation to the Antrim Jersey. We made people sit up and take notice of our county.
2021 – Ulster Junior Winners / All Ireland runners up
Unfortunately, this year was a transitional year and we had a lot of challenges both on and off the field but to be fair we didn’t look out of place up in Division 3. We were close in a few games but close doesn’t win games.
I would like to thank every single girl who was involved over the 4 years, without you none of the success and memories would have been possible. Thank you also to their clubs for developing them into such good players and for working with us and supporting the girls when needed.
To my 3 captains, Aislinn, Cathy and Ciara, no one sees how much extra commitment, effort and time you put in off the pitch with the captains role. It isn’t all the high life. Meetings, launches, events, travelling around the country. Thank you for doing all that with pride and for leading by example.
Thanks to Kyla who has been there from the start of our journey and to all those who were involved over the years- Stephen, Oisín, Ursula, Paula and anyone else who helped out at trainings or on match days.
Thanks to Debbie, Anthony and all the county board for your support over the years. Also to all the sponsors, our bus man Nigel from J&K buses who always made away days better. The physio group – in particular Brendan and Ian who took good care of the girls. All the clubs who let us use their facilities for training/games over the years, in particular Davitts, Cargin and also Antrim GAA for the use of Dunsilly, thank you.
Thanks to all the supporters, all the parents who brought your children to games to let them find real role models to look up to. All who got behind the girls at every opportunity and were that extra push to get across the line when we needed it.
I wish Antrim all the best in the future, no doubt with the talent available the silverware will not be long in returning and the saffs will rise again.
County champions Moneyglass had a runaway win over Con Magees Glenravel at Fr Maginn Park, Glenravel in the opening round of the 2024 LGFA Senior Championship on Friday night. The Glenravel girls were no match for the mighty Moneyglass side who go into another Senior campaign as red hot favourites
Sunday the 25th of August saw Gort Na Móna host their annual Bronagh Kelly Memorial u16 7-A-Side Camogie tournament. The competition which is now in its 17th year is historically hosted on the last Sunday of August and 2024 was no different. Throughout the years the camogie contingent of the club have hosted clubs from various counties but this year seen a first as all entrants were from belfast. A testament to the work going on for camogie development in the city. With last year’s Cup winners Swatragh unable to defend their position due to other club commitments the cup was up for grabs. The group stages seen some fantastic end to end fast paced quick touch camogie with St Paul’s and Lamh Dhearg coming out on top of their sections. The shield was more closely contested as it came down to score difference to determine what club progressed. High scoring Gort na Móna secured their spot to meet St Brigids. A close encounter saw Gorts just edge their competitors for the win. Much to the delight of the manager Lisa Pierce. The cup final was tight as both teams in red and white battled end to end with the Shaws Road girls taking the spoils. As the shield and cup was presented Gort na Móna took their opportunity to thank the Kelly family and all those who make the annual tournament a great success
FOR MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THIS TOURNAMENT CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Saffron Gael’s Brendan McTaggart met up with new Antrim’s new hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald yesterday at Dunsilly to check out his thoughts on taking over the Saffrons…
Davy with Tony Shivers and North Antrim chairman Paddy Gray at the Ballycastle v St Enda’s game on Saturday evening
There are times in life where you realise, you’re in the presence of something special. On Sunday at Dunsilly, a 20 minute official interview and the same again off the record, I got to see first-hand what makes Davy Fitzgerald tick.
It went from being a run of the mill, standard interview to a passionate insight into what Clare native wants to bring to the Saffrons and how he plans to go about taking Antrim hurling to the next level.
“It’s been a busy two weeks. I’ve had to look at the backroom situation and that’s had the majority of my attention for the last two weeks” started Fitzgerald. “It’s a learning process just at the moment. It’s evaluating everything and seeing where we’re going, what we’re going and who’s going to be involved.”
The rumour mill has been in full flight surrounding who Davy would bring into his backroom team and despite being pressed, he had a glint in his eye when he said: “I wouldn’t be telling you either.” Famously guarded when dealing with the media, Fitzy was joking from the work go and while he was giving nothing away in regards details, he did say: “People have got to trust me and who I pick. Will it suit everyone? Probably not. But I’m there to pick the people that I want to work with. I know what I want and people will have to trust me on that.
“I’ve been putting a lot of thought into it. There are no favours or getting someone in for the sake of getting them in.
“I’m coming up here (to Antrim) a good bit of time. I have a fair idea on who I want and if I’m doing this job, I have to be trusted with that, to make the best decisions possible to help me achieve what I want to.
“There are a certain type of people I need to get to help me achieve that.”
Fitzgerald got tongues wagging throughout the hurling landscape in the country after his ratification and before. He told us that he did turn down an offer from Waterford to stay on and while there was a definite plan to take a break, after speaking with the Antrim county board he was sold: “I stepped down from Waterford, I was offered another two years down there, I declined it. I took the summer off, it was my first time having a June and July off with Daithi Og (his son) and it was grand.
“The only persons I spoke to were Antrim. I had so many clubs coming to me, looking to give a hand here and there. I just didn’t want to and because I have a lot of friends up here – I travel up and down here for a number of years I said we’d have a conversation. Did I expect anything to come from it? If I’m being truthful, no. But their enthusiasm, Seamus (McMullan) enthusiasm was undeniable. There’s been progress made in Antrim over the last number of years but their vision, their goal and desire to make this happen, it really caught my attention.
“I’ve been hearing it for years: “ah they’re great up there”. Not many people get off their backside and get up to do something about it and I thought now was the time, it was now or never.
“I talked to my family at home, spent a good few days talking it over and the logistics of it. I wanted to see if they could come up some of the time and we came to an arrangement. We have two years and I have an option of a third if I want it.
“Sharon (Davy’s wife) knows that I like it up here, I love coming up. This is my chance to finally see, can we help out. Can we do something. I’m sick of people talking about it, at least I’ll be able to say that I gave it my all.”
It wasn’t hard to conclude from our conversation that the new Antrim manager is a devoted family man. How he spoke regarding his family and reverence surrounding them, to make a decision like this was going to be a team effort but in the past, it always has been: “When I went to Wexford, the love I endured down there was incredible. My family, the way they were treated – incredible whether we won or lost. I’m hoping, and it’s something me and Sharon has spoken about, I’m hoping that when people see the that I’m giving it my all then we’ll have the same situation here.
“I can’t say that I’m a magician. I can’t say that we’re not going to get some of the beatings that we’ve got away from home over the last number of years. We have made progress here at Corrigan – great. But we need to be better than that when we go away from home and that’s one of my goals.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen straight out but I have a plan, an idea of what I want to do but when you’re trying to change something and bring new ideas, you have learn those ideas. When you’re learning those ideas, you might be a small be slower on the field – when you have to think on something it takes a split second longer. That’s going to happen. I’d expect that the commitment levels will be off the charts but the game stuff we’ll be looking to bring in will might take that small bit longer to get it to where it needs to be. Once we’ve done it enough, that split second of time will be gone and it will become easier.
That might mean that we will be beaten by a team or two that we shouldn’t or some of the top teams will get us but I’m hopeful that in the long run, fairly soon, not saying it’s four or five years down the road, sooner than that, we’ll be consistent. Playing the way we want to.
“Consistency is a big part of what I’m looking at and to get a style of play and to get something that gives us an identity. I want people to look at us and know that this Antrim team are going to be hard working, they’re never going to give up. I want us to have that identity.”
The new Antrim manager was impressed with the surroundings at Dunsilly, stating that they have all the tools they need but he needs another ingredient: “Things are definitely going in the right direction but I have to see joined up thinking all the way down the line. That’s a big thing.
Davy in his playing days with Clare in 2005
“I’m not coming in here saying I’m going to sort out underage structures but I hope to be asked my opinion. I hope that we get the best people. Personally, myself and it’s my opinion only, we shouldn’t be putting positions out for nomination. We should be going out for the best people we can get for our squads. That’s my own opinion and it could be totally different from those in the county board but my opinion is we should be getting the best people for our squads and then we should all be in line of how we hope to play, how we coach and how we go about that.
“I don’t need to hear about people saying what needs to be done. Don’t give me that crap. Get up and do something about it. Get onto Seamus or get onto someone and say you want to be involved, you want to help out. I’m sure from talking to him that, trust me, this lad is willing to listen. If we all join up together and get the best structures in place, it can all be inclusive.
“There’s so much good stuff being done in clubs but it needs to be bigger than that. We need the best people we can involved here. There is good people and I like people who are constantly thinking outside of the box. You won’t evolve if you don’t. I don’t manage the same way I did six, seven or eight years ago, you have to evolve in hurling like the way you have to in life.”
Inevitably, styles of play came up in conversation. Davy went and gave me a masterclass in how he went about the 2024 championship with Waterford before dispelling myths surrounding his tenure with Wexford: “With Wexford, I played a plus one. Some people looked on that as an extra defender. It’s not. Anyone who knows anything about hurling knows it isn’t. For three quarters of the game it’s attacking up front with seven, eight and nine players.
“If you tell me that Limerick or Clare played with a straight 15, they never did. People are delusional if they think 15 v 15 hurling is out there. I’m going to see what suits us best. I want the players to play in a way that they have decisions to make may that be hand pass ball, long ball, dink ball, scoring from distance, I want them to have those decisions.
If you get the ball and just lump it down the field all the time, you get a scrum between four or six people. That was ok back years ago and people might like that but that’s not me. I want to see the skills in the game.
“There’s 110 dead ball situations in a game of hurling. 40 puck outs either side, 25 frees and seven or eight side lines. I want to see us be the best we can be in that. That takes a lot out of a game of hurling and people maybe don’t think of that.
“Did the people of Wexford care that I played a plus one? Yeah, maybe some of the older boys from the ’96 team but you look at the record. We won a Leinster Championship; we should have won an All-Ireland. We gave ourselves opportunities and that’s where I’d rather be. I’d love to see a heap of Antrim people coming down to Croke Park on a big day, that’s where I’m coming from.
“I will respect people’s opinion, there’ll never be a problem with that, but I’m also entitled to my opinion and how I think we should be playing. I want that support.”
Davy with Clare in 2013 when he became one of a unique group of men to have won an All Ireland title with his county and then go on managed one
Outside of hurling, the Antrim manager is looking to grow and sustain a culture. He added: “I believe that Antrim GAA can create a culture that will help young people evolve and grow into better young people. I believe that we can have more values and that can help with their home life. I believe our young people and senior team can do things that they’re not doing at home. This can be bigger. Antrim GAA have the chance to be a leader in certain areas and I hope I can help. I have a vision on how that can happen.
“Kids these days, they’re on their tablets and phones too much. I want to create a culture where they’re putting their phones and tablets down. I want them to be tidying up the changing rooms, don’t be leaving it to the caretaker. Tidying up around the field where we have so much pride in our facilities and making sure that we’re leaving the place in the same condition we found it. Those things, that culture, can be taken into home life also. Make you better as a person at home. Have talks on specific things, be it gambling or drugs, I want to see talks on different things. I want to have an impact on things outside of hurling. A happy home leads to a happy mind and helps to create a good hurler.”
Ultimately, Antrim have brought Fitzgerald in to get them to the next level. Progress has been made and an appointment of such a high profile manager is a massive step. Is it a risk? I think it’s one worth taking. Davy is right in that, hurling has evolved. Antrim hurling may need to evolve too. Fitzgerald concluded by adding:
“People need to stop worrying about styles and look to us getting competitive. Do you want people to continue saying: “ah they’re a great bunch up there”? I’ve no interest in that. I’m up here to change that, to get competitive. Let’s try and get to that next level.”
A couple for the McTaggart family album as Davy poses for pics with Brendan’s daughter Caoimhe and his dad Malachy
St. Joseph’s Glenavy got their Antrim LGFA Senior Championship campaign up and running with an excellent away win over St. Paul’s at Shaw’s Road. A blistering start to both halves proved to be the catalyst for victory for the Chapel Hill side as they raced into a five point lead by the 17th minute
Facing the breeze for the second half, the question was, would their four point half time lead be enough but again the visitors were quickest out of the start traps with Keela McAlister goaling from the throw in and Megan McGarry adding a second with three minutes gone.
St. Paul’s battled to the end and a goal from the penalty spot from Emile Rodgers put them into contention but the St. Joseph’s defence, superbly marshalled by Cathy Scannell held on for a deserved victory.
Ellen Morgan led the early Glenavy charge with two pointed frees and another from play and further points from Aiobheann Monaghan and Anna Rice had the visitors 0-5 to 0-0 ahead with 17 minutes gone.
St. Paul’s had struggled to find their rhythm but an excellent move from deep in their own half saw Aine Tubrity finish to the net in the 19th minute and suddenly there was only two between the sides.
Aisling Hyndman followed with a point to close the gap to the minimum with 8 minutes remaining to the break but Ellen Morgan replied from a pointed free before the Chapel Hill side struck with a somewhat fortunate goal When Keela McAlister’s shot took a bad bounce to deceive Shauna Murphy in the home goals.
Ormorla Dahunsi replied with the final point of the half for St. Paul’s to leave her side trailing by four at the break but with the wind on their backs for the second half.
Playing into the breeze in the second half, Glenavy got off to the best possible start with goals from McAlister and Megan McGarry within three minutes to stretch their lead to nine with St. Paul’s response coming from a Niamh Ritchie free.
Aiobheann Monagh stretched that lead to ten and it looked a long way back for the home side but they showed tremendous fighting spirit to slowly close the gap on their visitors.
Emile Rodgers led the way with a point from play, a converted free and when she fired home from the penalty spot in the 13th minute there was only five between the sides.
Aiobheann Monaghan for St. Joseph’s and Aoife Mervyn for the ‘Hoops’ exchanged further point but despite a concerted effort from the home side, the Glenavy defence closed shop and a late pointed free from Niamh Ritchie was all the home side could manage.
