This Saturday we have u14’s and Minors in action
U14 Festival of Football
Antrim host Tyrone and Down in Carigan
Fermanagh hosts Donegal and Monaghan in Derrygonnelly
Cavan host Armagh and Derry in Ballyjamesduff
Minors
Antrim v Armagh – 2pm Glenavy
Derry v Fermanagh – 2pm Ballinascreen
Donegal v Tyrone – 2pm St. Eunan’s, Letterkenny
Down v Monaghan – 2pm Ardglass
Image courtesy of Erin Treanor
Bailieborough CS (Cavan) 5-12
Coláiste Muire (Ennis) 2-6
By Damien Donohoe
Bailieborough Community School completed a superb double by adding the Lidl All-Ireland PPS Senior C All-Ireland title to the Junior C title they won last week as they ran out 15 point winners against a determined Coláiste Muire from Ennis at Geraldine Park in Athy.
The younger and smaller Cavan side opened the scoring with a point each from Ella Sheridan and Kayleigh Browne but Ennis responded with a point from Lucy Power and a well taken goal from Eabha Browne.
Bailieborough’s pace and skill soon began to find holes in the Clare school’s defence as Isabel McCullagh was fouled and joint captain Sheridan dispatched the penalty to the net. Browne added a second point and joint captain Holly McPhilips edged Bailieborough into a three point lead.
McCullagh raised a second green flag for the Cavan side before player of the match Abby Reilly left the score 2-5 to 1-1 as the second quarter began.
Caoimhe Brady began her scoring with a third Bailieborough goal but Coláiste Muire replied with a free from Sophie Culleton with six minutes remaining in the half.
Bailieborough finished the half strong with corner forward Brady hitting two points and goal set up by Sheridan and McPhillips to take a 14 point lead into the break.
Holly McPhillips Bailieborough CS
The Cavan side started the second half strong but missed a number of chances and forced a brilliant save from Elisha Rowland in the Ennis goal. A point each from Eabha O’Driscoll and Lucy Power followed by a goal finished to the net by sub Ivanna Costello to close the gap to ten points with 12 minutes remaining.
Ella Sheridan and Lyndsay Clarke traded points but when Brady was fouled going through on goal, Bailieborough’s Sheridan finished her second penalty to the net ending the game as a contest.
Sophie Culleton finished off the Coláiste Muire scoring with a free while Abbey Reilly, Sheridan and Browne all raise white flags for Bailieborough before the final whistle sounded.
Bailieborough Community School
Scorers:
Bailieborough: C Brady (2-2), E Sheridan (2-4,0-1f), K Browne (0-3) I McCullagh (1-0), A Reilly (0-2), H McPhillips (0-1).
Coláiste Muire: E O’Driscoll (1-1), I Costello (1-0), S Culleton (0-2f), L Power (0-2), L Clarke (0-1).
Bailieborough CS: M Smith; C Clarke, A Rogers, E Banville; A Filby, É Lynch, A Connolly; G McCabe, C McNicholl; K Browne, A Reilly, E Sheridan; C Brady, I McCullagh, H McPhillips. Subs: E O’Sullivan for E Banville (50), E Morris for C Brady (59), S O’Sullivan for A Filby (60), N Sheridan for A Connolly (60), M Ryan for C McNicholl (60).
Coláste Muire Ennis: E Rowland; M Potter, A Cahill, A McGann; A Killeen, L Clarke, C McDonnell; S Culleton, L Power; S Leahy, R Meaney, A Reynolds; K Jones, E O’Driscoll, S Griffin. Subs: I Costello for K Jones (43), A O’Loughlin for A Reynolds (59), A Baker for C McDonnell (59).
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).
Its another very busy weekend for teams from the province with U14 Festival of Football, Ulster U16’s and the last round of the LIDL National League all scheduled.
Good luck to all
SATURDAY
U14 FESTIVAL OF FOTTBALL
Armagh host Donegal and Down in Silverbridge
Derry host Antrim and Fermanagh in Faughanvale
Monaghan host Tyrone and Cavan in Latton
LIDL NATIONAL LEAGUE
Kildare v Tyrone – Newbridge 2-30pm
Armagh v Meath – Armagh 2-30pm
SUNDAY
ULSTER U16’s all at 2pm
Tyrone v Fermanagh – Fintona
Antrim v Monaghan – Musgrave Park
Cavan V Armagh – Cornfaen
Donegal v Derry – Ballyshannon
LIDL NATIONAL LEAGUE
Donegal v Cork – Ballyshannon 12-30pm
Westmeath v Monaghan – Ballynacargy – 2pm
Cavan v Limerick – Crosserlough 2pm
Down v Carlow – TBC
LIDL NAT LEAGUE DIV 4 SEMI FINALS
Fermanagh v Sligo – Tarmonbarry 1pm
Antrim v Leitrim – Kingscourt 2pm
LONDON LADIES TO PLAY IN ULSTER
This year’s Ulster Junior championship will see London take part in the provincial competition for the first time. The ladies from the English capital will travel to the province for games against Antrim and Derry. Manager Jimmy Creedon and player Martha Jordan were in attendance at the championship launch in Armagh and both are looking forward to their visits in early May.
After the provincial competition is complete London will be back to play in Group B of the All-Ireland nine team junior championship. They will meet Antrim once again and also travel to Carlow. They will have one home match when they welcome Longford to Ruislip. London have appeared in seven All Ireland junior finals, winning twice, in 1993 and 2008.
Five teams will be hoping to claim the Ulster intermediate title. First up is the preliminary group meeting of reigning All Ireland junior champions Fermanagh and Tyrone. The winner won’t have time to rest on their laurels as a week later they will meet Down in the semi-final. The other semi-final will see neighbours Monaghan and Cavan meet. The final is set for the weekend of 17th/18th May.
The senior final is a repeat of last year’s decider between Armagh and Donegal which the Orchard girls won by 2 points (0-17 to 1-12). What makes this a potential spicy affair is the fact that Donegal’s manager is James Daly, an Armagh native. These two have played some cracking games in recent times and another close encounter is expected.
The thirty MFC PPS All Stars received their awards on Friday evening at a function in Canavan’s. Ronan Mc Carthy was compere on the night and the 170 in attendance also heard contributions from Ulster President Gerry Dotherty and Honorary President Mary Keegan. Gerry accompanied by Oisin from MFC made the presentations. Players from 23 schools in 8 counties received their awards.
PPS All Star Panel 2025
Brónagh Butler – Carndonagh Community School
Katie Dowd – St Columbas College Stranorlar
Emma McCrossan – Loreto Grammar School Omagh
Isabella Grimes – St. Joseph’s Grammar School, Donaghmore
Aine McAllister – Loreto Coleraine
Fiadhna Loughran – Saint Patrick’s High School Keady
Ellie-Mae Carr – Saint Patrick’s High School Keady
Áobhinn Nic Cormaic – Coláiste Oiriall
Katie Tierney – St Clare’s college ballyjamesduff co cavan
Sinead Kelly – Virginia College Cavan
Amy Jo Kierans – Largy College
Katie Mc Adam – Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
Dervla Cawley – Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
Ella Sheridan – Bailieborough Community School
Ellie Brady – Loreto Cavan
Sarah Clarke – Loreto Cavan
Kayla Bartley – Loreto Cavan
Niamh Moran – St. Patricks College Banbridge
Anna McGarry – Dominican College Fortwilliam
Erin Gough – St Malachys HS Castlewellan
Annie Stanfield – St Paul’s High school Bessbrook
Siofra Doherty – Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry
Emily Bingham – St Mark’s Warrenpoint
Hannah Donaghy – Rathmore Grammar School
Clíodhna Logan – Rathmore Grammar School
Eilildh Meabh Duffy – St Catherine’s College Armagh
Cara Donnelly – Assumption
Abbie Browning – St Genevieve’s High School
Hannah Cavlan – St. Patricks Academy Dungannon
Catherine Moohan – St. Patricks Academy Dungannon
Bailieborough CS (Cavan) 9-13
Scoil Mhuire agus Íde (Limerick 4-7
By Deniese O’Flaherty
Ella McPhillips scored 4-1 as Cavan’s Bailieborough CS claimed the Lidl All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Junior C title.
The Cavan school were exceptional and clinical throughout. Limerick’s Scoil Mhuire agus Íde battled hard but they had no answer for them in a goal-packed final at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.
Bailieborough CS made the perfect start to the game. They won the ball in their own half, McPhillips made a great run before she passed the ball to Lucie Gibson who found the back of the net inside the opening minute.
The Cavan school were ahead by seven in the ninth minute. Scoil Mhuire agus Íde got their first score in the 10th minute when Eva Power kicked over a free. Emma Horgan fired over a point but Bailieborough replied in terrific fashion with goals from McPhillips and Leila Cooney.
McPhillips stretched the lead to 15 points in the 25th minute with an excellent goal. One minute later they were down to 14 when Gibson was sin binned. Power and Olivia O’Brien added points for SMI but they were cancelled out by scores from Abby Reilly (free) and Caoimhe Brady as Bailieborough held a 4-7 to 0-4 lead at the break.
Two minutes had elapsed in the second half when McPhillips grabbed her third goal and her side’s fifth; a stunning finish after a great run from the midfielder. SMI keeper Maeve Cussen was called into action shortly after and denied the Cavan school twice in quick succession with good saves.
SMI grabbed a goal back in the 40th minute when Power got through and fired low to the net. One minute later O’Brien raised the green flag for the Limerick school.
Bailieborough didn’t panic though and scored three goals in a two minute spell; Abby Reilly with one and Gibson scoring two, one of them from a penalty.
It was all action and the impressive McPhillips followed that up with a point in the 46th minute. She was on the scoresheet minutes later when she grabbed her fourth goal of the contest.
At the other end Ciara Lanigan raised a green flag and Power followed that up with a point. The scoring didn’t end there and Bailieborough kept the scoreboard ticking over with points from Brady and two from Reilly, one of them a free.
Power scored a penalty right at the end for Scoil Mhuire agus Íde but the day belonged to Bailieborough CS.
Scorers – Bailieborough CS: E McPhillips 4-1, A Reilly 1-6 (3f), L Gibson 3-0, L Cooney 1-1 (1f), C Brady 0-3, G McCabe, K Browne 0-1 each.
Scoil Mhuire agus Íde: E Power 2-5 (1-0 pen, 4fs), O O’Brien 1-1, C Lanigan 1-0, E Horgan 0-1.
BAILIEBOROUGH CS: M Smith; A Connolly, A Rogers, A Clarke; E O’Sullivan, E Lynch, G McCabe; C McNicholl, E McPhillips; E Reilly, A Reilly, K Browne; C Brady, L Gibson, L Cooney. Subs: E Hill for Cooney, O McCullagh for Clarke (both 51), E Farrelly for Lynch (54), B Smith for Reilly, L Kierans for O’Sullivan (60).
SCOIL MHUIRE AGUS ÍDE: M Cussen; G Kelly, K Carr, A Horgan; E Kelly, C Long, A Kelly; O O’Brien, K O’Gorman; E Power, C Lanigan, A Dore; K Clarke, I O’Brien, E Horgan. Subs: C O’Doherty for Kelly, A Kelleher for Dore (both 49), C Lyons for A Kelly (57), A Mullins for Horgan (58).
Referee: Aaron Clogher (Roscommon)
The action continues this weekend with games in our minor competition and the LIDL National League
MINORS – SATURDAY (2pm)
Cavan v Donegal – Knockbride
Monaghan v Armagh – Drumhowan
Antrim v Down – Glenavy
MINORS – SUNDAY
Tyrone v Derry – TBC
LIDL NATIONAL LEAGUE – SATURDAY
Waterford v Armagh -1pm Kilmacthomas
Tyrone v Dublin – 3pm TBC
LIDL NATIONAL LEAGUE – SUNDAY
Donegal v Tipperary – 1pm Naomh Padraig Leifear
Monaghan v Galway – 2pm TBC
Down v Offaly – 2pm TBC
Picture Credit – Erin O Neill
Our Ulster U16 B and C winners will go chasing silverware this week as they play in the LIDL PPS All Ireland finals.
First up on Wednesday are Bailieborough Community College who play Limerick side Scoil Mhuire and Ide, Newcastlewest.
The following day, Thursday St. Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon will play St. Mary’s, Macroom on the B final.
ULGFA would like to wish both schools all the best in their respective finals.
U14 FOF – SATURDAY
Cavan host Down and Fermanagh
Tyrone host Derry and Donegal
Antrim host Armagh and Monaghan
U16 SUNDAY
Fermanagh v Antrim – Newtownbutler
Down v Tyrone – Bright
Donegal v Cavan – Lifford
Armagh v Derry – Middletown
