DOWN’S run to the All-Ireland Intermediate final in September has been recognised by the Ulster Schools’ camogie selectors with three players named in the All-star team announced yesterday in Armagh by the schools’ honorary president Sr Máiréad Fearan.
Lively corner-forward Saoirse Sands, daughter of former Ulster hurler Noel, scored a point in each half in Croke Park, while Blanaid Savage from the neighbouring Ballygalget club was a defender with the Mourne county who also collected the Ulster senior title last June for the first time in 13 years.
Beth Fitzpatrick, a sub in Croke Park, picks up a second successive schools’ All-star award, but that in turn is eclipsed by Sorcha McCartan who has gained favour for a third time.
The St Louis, Kilkeel student and Castlewellan club player is the daughter of Down All-Ireland medallist and football All-star Gregory McCartan and she has also collected Schools’ All-stars in football.
In addition to Sorcha and Beth two other players are recognised in the camogie team for a second year, Cross and Passion Ballycastle pair Maeve Kelly and Róisín McCormick.
Kelly and McCormick have had a stellar under-age career collecting multiple schools’ medals at all levels and are in line for a third successive Corn Uan Uladh title this year with the school and, after helping Antrim to two successive All-Ireland minor B titles, will still be involved as the Saffrons step up to the minor A grade in the spring time. They have already made their Saffrons senior debuts.
Two more players from Cross and Passion, Charlie McCarry and Anna Connolly, are also double All-Ireland minor medallists, while St Louis pair Maura Downey and Áine Graham were in the Antrim minor team that won the national title last April with an injury time goal from McCormick against Westmeath.
Goalkeeper Áine’s award continues a remarkable sequence for the Graham family as older sister Caitriona was selected goalkeeper for three years in succession 2015-17.
However Antrim, who have dominated Ulster under-age camogie for several years now, will be disappointed with their return of just nine players in the selection – and none from August’s All-Ireland winning under 16 side.
Derry will also be disappointed with just three players out of the 22 named; Kimberley Burke, a student in St Louis Ballymena, Loreto Coleraine’s Tiegan Mullan and Maghera’s Céat McEldowney who was outstanding in the Slaughtneil defence during their recent championship campaign that saw them crowned Ulster senior champions for the third year in a row.
For the first time ever there are no players from St Mary’s Magherafelt in the selection and just one, McEldowney, from Maghera, a huge shift from the first decade of the scheme when the two schools were dominating team competitions at all levels.
Meanwhile two of the Clonduff side that collected the Ulster Intermediate title last month have got the nod from the selectors, midfielder Beth Fitzpatrick and corner-forward Isabella O’Hare, a student in Our Lady’s Newry.
Meanwhile Eimear Colton’s selection means that St Joseph’s Donaghmore have gained their first ever All-star, bringing to 28 the number of schools that have had a player in the selections over the 15 years of the scheme.
This year there are 12 different schools contributing players to the panel who will meet this weekend for training and then play a challenge game on Wednesday against Queen’s, all in preparation for the inter-provincial in Dublin on November 24th.
Ulster Colleges’ Camogie All-stars’ panel 2018-19
Maeve Kelly, Roisin McCormick, Charlie McCarry, Anna Connolly (Cross and Passion, Ballycastle)
Aine Graham, Kimberley Burke, Maura Downey (St Louis, Ballymena)
Faye Fitzpatrick, Aislinn McMahon (Sacred Heart Newry)
Beth Fitzpatrick, Aoife McDowell (St Mark’s, Warrenpoint
Kirsty McFerran, Tiegan Mullan (Loreto Coleraine)
Eimear Colton (St Joseph’s Donaghmore)
Caoimhe McNaughton (St Killian’s)
Blanaid Savage (Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock)
Céat McEldowney (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
Casey Mullan (St Catherine’s, Armagh)
Isabella O’Hare (Our Lady’s, Newry)
Aislinn Harvey (St Patrick’s, Keady)
Saoirse Sands (Assumption, Ballynahinch)
Sorcha McCartan (St Louis Kilkeel)
Corn Uan Uladh
Cross and Passion Ballycastle 5-20 St Louis Ballymena 1-3
St Mary’s Magherafelt 8-9, St Catherine’s Armagh 1-7.
HOLDERS Cross and Passion Ballycastle look a safe bet to make it three successive Corn Uan Uladh titles after swamping St Louis Ballymena in a group game this week, a repeat of last year’s final.
Ballycastle were 2-10 to 0-3 up at the break and St Louis only scored a goal from Erin Traynor during the second half as the holders piled up the scores. Last week they showed the same ruthlessness in front of goal against St Patrick’s Maghera and it is hard to imagine any change in the current order when the knock-out games start after Christmas.
Meanwhile last year’s Fr Davies’ Cup champions St Catherine’s Armagh played their first match in Corn Uan Uladh in over a quarter of a century on Thursday and it didn’t go well with the concession of four goals in each half paving the way for a heavy defeat to St Mary’s Magherafelt.
Having said however that they competed well in the opening half, scoring 1-5 to Magherafelt’s 4-2, who scored an early goal from Kate Gribben. That was followed by 2-1 from Portglenone’s Eimear McKee and a goal from Tanya O Neill.
St Catherine’s best player Casey Mullan hit back with a goal on half-time, but she was only able to add two free during the second half as Magherafelt pushed on for their win
Cross and Passion : Aoife Toner 2-1, Charley McCarry 1-3, Riana McBride 1-2, Roisin McCormick 0-10 (0-5 frees), Maeve Kelly 0-2, Aine Magill 0-1, Katie Laverty 0-1
St Louis : Erin Traynor 1-1, Maura Downey 0-2 frees.
2.10 to 0.3 at half time
St Mary’s : Kate Gribben 3-0, Eimear McKee 2-1, Tanya O’Neill 2-0, Clodagh Curran 1-1, Rachael Downey 0-5 frees, Sarah Madden 0-1.
St Catherine’s : Casey Mullan 1-5, Caoimhe Donnelly 0-2
Corn Uan Uladh results
Wednesday 7th November : St Mary’s Magherafelt 0-6 St Louis Ballymena 2-10, 2pm at St Mary’s.
Friday 9th November : St Patrick’s Maghera 2-4 Cross and Passion Ballycastle 5-13, 2pm in Glen Maghera 2pm
Wednesday 14th November : St Catherine’s Armagh 1-7 St Mary’s Magherafelt 8-7
Thursday 15th November : Cross and Passion Ballycastle 5-20 St Louis Ballymena 1-3
Corn Uan Uladh fixtures next week
Monday 19th 12pm in MUSA : St Louis Ballymena v St Catherine’s Armagh
Thursday 22nd November, 11.15am at Sherry’s Field, Armagh : St Catherine’s Armagh v St Patrick’s Maghera
Corn Uan Uladh Table
Team Pl W D L Pts
Cross and Passion 2 2 0 0 4
St Louis Ballymena 2 1 0 1 2
St Mary’s Magherafelt 2 1 0 1 2
St Patrick’s Maghera 1 0 0 1 0
St Catherine’s Armagh 1 0 0 1 0
Fr Davies’ Cup
THE semi-final line-up is almost complete for the Fr Davies’ Cup with defeat for last year’s beaten finalists St Killian’s Garron Tower against Our Lady’s and St Patrick’s Knock meaning that they will face St Pius X Magherafelt in the first semi-final next Wednesday in Ballymena.
Knock won both their group games this week and have topped Section 1. They now play the winner from Monday’s final game in Section 2 between St Patrick’s Keady and St Clare’s Ballyjamesduff.
Knock were expected to beat Loreto Coleraine – and they did fairly comfortably – but in their head to head with St Killian’s for top spot in the group they got an early boost when Anna McKee goaled after just three minutes and Aoibheann McCarville and Cliodhna Kane quickly added points.
By half-time they had moved into a 1-6 to 0-2 lead with only Niamh McKay registering for St Killian’s.
However the Antrim side got back on track with an early second half goal when Emer Quinn hit a low shot to the net. Five minutes later however Aoife Bell finished a good move from Knock and with Tara Monan raiding from half back they moved on to win by double scores, 2-8 to 1-4.
Knock : Anna McKee 1-2, Aoife Bell 1-1, Tara Monan 0-2, Aoibheann McCarvill 0-1, Cliodhna Kane 0-1, Aoibhinn Brentnall 0-1
St Killian’s : Emer Quinn 1-0, Niamh McKay 0-2, Caoimhe O'Hara 0-1, Shauna McDonnell 0-1
Section 1
Team Pl W D L Pts
OLSP Knock 3 3 0 0 6
St Killian’s Garron Tower 3 2 0 1 4
Loreto Coleraine 2 0 0 2 0
Assumption 2 0 0 2 0
Section 2
Team Pl W D L Pts
St Pius X Magherafelt 3 3 0 0 6
Ballyjamesduff 2 1 0 1 2
St Patrick’s Keady 2 1 0 1 2
Loreto Cavan 3 0 0 3 0
Meanwhile in the Senior Medallion Shield there were several comprehensive wins as teams close in on semi-final places.
St Colm’s Draperstown, winners of the Junior Shield at Halloween have pushed on and beaten West Belfast Gaels by 3-14 to 1-1. Junior players such as Aoife Doyle at midfield, Sinead McGuigan, Sara Lagan and Cara Donnelly all showed up well as did lively full-forward Áine Doyle.
St Colm’s have games against St Joseph's Donaghmore and Our Lady's Newry scheduled this coming week.
Meanwhile Sacred Heart Newry followed on from their win over St Mark’s Warrenpoint last week with a 4-16 to 0-3 win over St Louis Kilkeel. Aislinn McMahon, Niamh Burns and Faye Fitzpatrick turned in good performances for a team on course for a semi-final.
The last of the provincial club finals will take place tomorrow at 2.30pm in Nowlan Park Kilkenny when champions Thomastown take on St Martin’s of Wexford.
All-Ireland champions Slaughtneil made it three-in-a-row in Ulster, but the three-in-a-row bids of Sarsfields in Connacht and Burghess-Duharra in Tipperary both ran aground.
The All-Ireland semi-final line-up for January is Ardrahan (Galway) v Slaughtneil (Derry) and Inniscarra (Cork) v the winners from Nowlan Park
