The St. Paul’s Fona/Cab Ulster Minor Football championship, 2025 starts this weekend with Clontibret of Monaghan and Derrygonnelly of Fermanagh getting the action underway when they meet at Colaiste Feirste at 3-00pm on Saturday.
Sportslann Colaiste Feirste is the venue for all three of the weekend’s games and later at the same venue on Saturday Southern Gaels of Cavan and Bredagh of Down cross swords at 6.30pm.
The following day Antrim champions, Casement’s Portglenone make their Ulster bow and face what looks like a difficult opponent in Ardboe of Tyrone in a Preliminary round game at 1pm.
As always these games are sure to attract good crowds to Colaiste Feirste and we will bring you all the action from the weekend games in the Saffron Gael and continue to bring you coverage of the tournament as it progresses.
1/11/2025 Defending champions Fourmasters will face Dungiven when they put their Fonacab Ulster Minor Tournament on the line in December . It is a repeat of the 2022 decider won by Derry Champions with a late , late winner , The reining champions are striving for three titles in a row , having come through Donegal for the forth successive year . Fourmasters , Dungiven and Clontibret are the three teams in the draw who have won the competition before with Ardboe and Southern Gaels losing finals . Tyrone champions Ardboe will face Portglenone in the preliminary round with Dromintee waiting in the last quarter final Picture Seamus Loughran
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 1-12 St Patrick’s Maghera 2-7
CROSS and Passion Ballycastle retained the Danske Bank MacNamee Cup in an exciting final in Allen Park, Antrim on Wednesday evening evening, a goal from Ronan Smith two minutes before half-time the key score in the contest.
In a game played in cold conditions, which included a few snow showers, both sides served up a game of excellent hurling with little separating them throughout.
Cross & Passion’s K Gillan comes out to clear the danger
Up until Smith’s strike, St Patrick’s Maghera seemed to be able to respond to everything CPC threw at them. However they went in at the break a point down, 1-7 to 1-6, and the Ballycastle boys then hit them with three points in three minutes to open a gap.
Cross & Passion just about deserved their victory as they moved the sliotar that little bit faster and more directly while Danny Cassidy in the Maghera goals denied them at least two goals in the first half and another after the break.
Maghera had a lot of possession in their opponents’ half and could have taken points to keep the score-board moving. Instead they over-elaborated and Ballycastle were able get in around them and snuff out the danger.
They were held scoreless over the last 24 minutes of play. Ballycastle only scored two frees in that period, but those two scores divided the teams at the final whistle.
Sean Johnston, one of the stars of the game for CPC, started the scoring with a point, but that was the only time Ballycastle led until Smith’s goal. Fionn Mullan responded with a point and Daithí McGarrity took a pass from Mullan to hit the net.
Although free-taker Ruairí McQuillan hit back with two scores, the goal was still the difference at the midway point of the half.
Ballycastle then hit three scores in two minutes, from Iarla Gillan, Johnston and Jake Feetham to level the game. But within two minutes Maghera were on top again with points from McGarrity, Mullan and Davin Gallagher.
St. Pat’s Daniel Boyle breaks down the sliothar.
There was another McQuillan free before Smith’s snap-shot hit the Maghera net and on the resumption Smith and Johnston (two) stretched their lead.
Maghera hit back with a point from a Kearney free and in the 36th minute the same player stroked a penalty to the net. Unfortunately that was their last score.
Indeed there were only two further scores in the remaining 24 minutes, both Ruairí McQuillan frees that were enough to see CPC home.
Cross & Passion: R Smith 1-1, R McQuillan 0-5 (fs), S Johnston 0-4, I Gillan and J Feetham 0-1 each
St Patrick’s: D Kearney 1-2 (1-0 pen, 2 fs), D McGarrity 1-1, Fionn Mullan 0-2, Fiontan Mullan and D Gallagher 0-1 each
CPC: O McConville, K Gillan, C McAuley, C Keenan, D McMullan, D Boyle, O O’Connell, C Bailey, I Gillan capt, R McQuillan, S Johnston, N McAuley, R Smith, J Feetham, B Murtagh
Subs: R Hennessey for C Keenan (19), J Richmond for B Murtagh (39)
St Patrick’s: D Cassidy, D Ruddy, C Ruddy, S O’Kane, R Quinn, C McNicholl capt, C Dillon, D Kearney, Daniel Boyle, Fionn Mullan, D McGarrity, D Gallagher, F Kerr, Fiontan Mullan, Danny Boyle
Sub: P Hogan for Danny Boyle (39)
Referee: Lorenzo McMullan
Alistar McGilligan presents the Danske Bank MacNamee Cup to Cross & Passion captain, Iarla Gillan
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St Patrick’s Maghera 3-15 St Killian’s Garron Tower 2-12
St Pat’s Maghera turned in a polished performance to see off the challenge of St Killian’s, Garron Tower in Tuesday evening’s Mageean Cup semi-final at Portglenone to book their place in the final for the first time in four years. St Killian’s, the 2023 champions, stayed with the Derry boys well in the first half and were only three points adrift at the break, but St Pat’s upped the pace at the start of the second half and a powerful third quarter sealed their place in the decider.
Two late goals from St Killian’s Connlaodh McNaughton gave his team a glimmer of hope, but St Pat’s had the groundwork done as they won by seven in the end.
To their credit the Garron Tower boys produced a strong finish and two goals from corner forward Connlaodh McNaughton gave them late hope. McNaughton was in on goal again in the final minutes and could have cut the deficit back to a single score, but St Pat’s keeper Dnnacha Collins made a good save to deny his side a nervy finsish and they pointed at the other end a minute later to seal a deserved seven point win.
The early stages were evenly contested when points from left half forward PJ Glover and centre-forward Padraig O’Kane were matched by Connlaodh McNaughton and Oisin Gillan for the Tower and the boys from the Antrim coast actually hit the front when Canice McIntosh put his team ahead. However St Pat’s were holding the upper-hand and when Rian Collins fired home their superiority began to show on the scoreboard. Collins added a point from a free as they began to pull away, but some well taken from points from McIntosh brought his team back to within three by the time match referee Colum McDonald sounded the half time whistle.
Fionn Cartin celebrates after scoring St Pat’s third goal
When Maghera beat CPC in the first group game at the same venue they blitzed their opponents in the opening ten minutes, but this time around that surge came at the start of the second half and three point advantage was stretched by the minute as they played some sparkling hurling, despite far from ideal conditions. Collins kept adding to his total before corner-forward Ultan McCloskey grabbed his team’s second goal as the gap was soon out to eight. Full forward Fionn Cartan grabbed St Pat’s third goal with a powerful finish from close range and it was all over bar the shouting, or so it seemed.
There was a few anxious moments near the end for the Maghera fans when Connlaodh McNaughton grabbed two quick goals for the Tower, but the their anxiety was short lived as Rian Collins pushed the gap out to seven in injury time.
St Pat’s await the winners of Thursday’s other semi-final between CPC and St Louis, which is fixed for Cushendun at 2pm.
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Lámh Dhearg hosted their annual Appreciation Day for players ranging from Fundamentals to under 10. The busy and popular day was divided into three sessions to facilitate such large numbers clearly illustrating the strength of numbers of the club juvenile section which augurs well for the club’s future.
Club PRO Buchanan warmly welcomed parent’s, players, and mentors. Paul paid tribute to the parents for their valuable support and encouraged the children to continue and strengthen their interest in playing for the club. Paul also acknowledged the commitment and work of the dedicated coaches during the year.
Two PowerPoint presentations were shown. Lámhs on tour 2025 and a Pictorial Review of the Year. The presentations generated great excitement and a jovial atmosphere.
All players were presented with a medal as a token of appreciation for their sterling efforts during the year in which has seen much enjoyment, games and sessions and more importantly positive development and progress and friendships built.
The sessions concluded with a Mini disco for the FUNdamentals/U6’S while the other two sessions thoroughly enjoyed competitively participating in the fun interactive Kahoot Quiz with some impromptu Karaoke.
It took extra time but Gort na Mona eventually saw off the resistance of Rossa in a classic final, to claim the U-21 B Football Championship after a 2-23-5-10 win at Woodlands on Sunday afternoon.
The Turf Lodge side looked to be in control and held a 2-13-2-08 lead with seven minutes to play, but Diarmaid Rogan bundled a goal in and three minutes into injury time Rory Grant shot home an equaliser.
Rossa pulled ahead for only the second time in the game in the second period of extra time through a Daire Morgan strike, but Gorts would lead by the midway point in the extra period through a free from talisman Tarlach Enright and then controlled the second period to claim the honours at the conclusion.
With the A decider postponed early on Sunday morning, a healthy crowd descended upon Woodlands for another all Belfast affair.
It took four minutes for the opening score to arrive with James Close finding Chrstopher Robb to drop over and edge Rossa ahead.
A converted David McKeown free restored parity shortly after and Gort then hit the front through a Matthew McConnell point following a fine crossfield pass into his path.
The opening goal arrived in the 13th minute, Rossa were guilty of switching off after conceding a close-range free and Tarlach Enright capitalised, blasting past Ruairi McDonagh to make it 1-2-0-1.
In response Christopher Robb converted a free at the other end and further scores were traded through Jack Ireland and Robb as the game was simmering nicely.
Rossa tied things up through an 18th minute goal. Goalkeeper Ruairi McDonagh came forward to attempt a two-pointed free that dropped short with Liam McEnhill reacting quickest to sweep home and make it 1-3 apiece.
A second Jack Ireland point of the half edged his side back in front and just when it looked like he had dropped over his third a minute later, the ball dropped short and David McKeown stabbed the ball home from close range to give Gort a 2-4-1-3 lead.
Daire Keenan extended the lead, but Rossa ended the half with back-to-back Robb frees closing them to within a goal at the interval (2-5-1-5).
Robb got Rossa up and running with a free inside the first 60-seconds of the second period, though Rian Brown swept over, Jack Ireland popped over his third point of the afternoon and a converted Tarlach Enright free had their side 2-8-1-6 in front by the 39th minute.
Successive Christopher Robb points from play in the space of a minute lifted his side briefly, however the pendulum swung back in Gort’s direction with another three unanswered points.
Tarlach Enright claimed two; one from play and the other a free off the ground with Ciaran MacGiolla Cheara swinging over in-between times.
With ten minutes remaining Rossa found a lifeline and hit their second goal. Corey Walsh’s precise pass found Niall May and he shot past Anton Farrelly to make it 2-11-2-8.
The Shaws Road side’s joy was short-lived as substitute Conor Scannell shot over on the turn and Matthew McConnell doubled his personal account.
Four minutes after finding the net for the second time, Rossa breached Gort’s defence for a third time and gave themselves renewed hope.
Walsh was again involved as he swung a high ball into the square and Diarmaid Rogan profited, palming home to make it a two-point game (2-13-3-08).
The bare minimum separated the sides when Christopher Robb notched up his 9th point- it all looked to be in vain though when Tarlach Enright converted a free on the 60th minute and captain Manus McMullan appeared to seal things with a point two minutes into added time.
Rossa had one last chance to save things in the remaining 60+seconds and did just that, levelling things thanks to a dramatic Rory Grant strike that had the game balanced at 2-15-4-09 at the conclusion as extra time was required to settle things.
Extra-Time:
Gort na Mona were first out of the blocks in the opening period and went two ahead through a Manus McMullan point and another from Conor Scannell.
In the 64th minute Rossa pulled ahead for the first time since the game’s opening score back in the 4th minute.
Diarmaid Rogan’s high ball dropped over and fell to Daire Morgan to pierce the ball low to the net on the turn and give his side a 5-09-2-17 lead.
It wasn’t an advantage they would hold for long as Gort had hit the front again by the first period’s conclusion.
Niall Brown squeezed an angled shot between the large posts and Tarlach Enright then converted a free to have the Turf Lodge side leading 2-19-5-09 at the midway point of extra time.
The first two-pointed score of the game arrived in the 74th minute and came in the form of a Tarlach Enright free.
Rossa’s talisman Robb brought his personal account to double figures- though Rian Brown replied at the other end as three remained the difference going into added time.
It appeared as though Rossa would have a chance to send the ball into a congested area and salvage something when they were awarded a free and Ruairi McDonagh came up to clip the ball in, but instead the free was reversed for a breach when they didn’t have adequate numbers back and the insurance score came from the resulting free by Enright as Gort ran out winners at the end of a fantastic spectacle.
ROSSA: R McDonagh, C Short, F McDonald, O McGarrity, R Grant (1-0), J Mulholland, S McDonald, D Morgan (1-0), L McEnhill (1-0), C Boyle, D Rogan (1-0), C Walsh, J Aughey, C Robb (0-10, 0-5f), J Close. SUBS: K og Greive for L McEnhill (37), N May (1-0) for J Aughey (45), J Collins for J Close (57), D Donnelly for O McGarrity (57), O Boyle for D Morgan (77).
GORT NA MONA: A Farrelly, C Clarke, J McIlroy, R Donnelly, N Brown (0-1), R O’Scolian, C MacGiolla Cheara (0-1), J Ireland (0-3), R Brown (0-2), D Keenan (0-1), M McMullan (0-2), M McConnell (0-2), T Enright (1-8, 1-7f, 1×0-2f), D McKeown (1-1), K McCann. SUBS: C Scannell (0-2) for K McCann (HT), K McCann for C MacGiolla Cheara (53), MJ Austin for M McConnell (53), M McConnell for K McCann (70), P Lawlor for J Ireland (78).
