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23 Mar 2026

St Mary’s Magherafelt hold off Kinsale comeback to win Allianz Junior C schools’ title!

Hat trick from Caoimhe McErlean helps Co. Derry school on their way to memorable victory

St Mary’s Magherafelt

The winning St Mary’s Magherafelt team.

Reporter:

Seamas McAleenan

04 Mar 2024 7:38 PM

Allianz Junior C schools’ camogie final

St Mary’s Magherafelt 4-13

Kinsale Community School 2-11

WHEN Emma McSweeney hit a goal and a point in quick succession around the 50th minute, it looked as if Kinsale Community School had the momentum behind them to collect this Allianz All-Ireland schools’ Junior title at the Connacht centre of Excellence.
The Cork side had come back from a deficit of two goals in the 40th minute to go ahead by 2-11 to 2-10 just 11 minutes later. Magherafelt needed something special to get themselves out of bother and Eva Forbes delivered it.
The Ballinderry forward picked up a poc out from her own 'keeper, dashed up the pitch and fired over the bar for the score of the game. It dragged St Mary's Magherafelt out of their slumber and a couple of minutes later sub Sarah Gribbin found herself in the clear and fired to the net. Caoimhe McErlean's hat-trick goal a few minutes from time merely confirmed the inevitable at that stage.
St Mary's had taken control of the game with the first of McErlean's goals, but they hit that rocky patch midway through the second half. When they got back on track, they were unstoppable and have become the third Ulster school in four attempts to lift this title after the first 14 years proved barren for the Liatroim Fontenoys' Cup champions.
St Colm's Draperstown broke the ice a week before Covid struck. There was no competition in 2021, but when it resumed St Killian's Garron Tower powered to victory. Last year St Patrick's Keady beat St Mary's on their way to the Ulster crown, but came unstuck against eventual champions St Raphael's Loughrea.
A month ago, St Mary's had brushed aside Leinster champions Heywood from Laois, but defeat for their senior squad on the last Saturday of February in the Lily Spence Cup final had dented Magherafelt's spirit. 
Aoife Rocks, Laura Scullion, Caoimhe McErlean, Eva Forbes and Leah Stewart had all started that senior final and each of them delivered top performances on Monday evening. However the super scoring exploits of Forbes and McErlean were put in the shade by central defender Aoibh Shivers who picked up the Allianz Player of the Match award. 
Fay McGuckin at full-back was also brilliant and she seemed to be fouled in the lead up to Kinsale's second goal in the 50th minute. The referee however waved on play and Emma McSweeney stuck the sliotar in the Magherafelt net to really throw down the gauntlet to St Mary's who had been in charge up until then.
McSweeney hit two early points and Caoimhe O'Donnell another to put the Munster champions 0-3 to 0-2 up after eight minutes. Eva Forbes levelled and Caoimhe McErlean smashed home the first of her three goals in the 11th minute.
Although McSweeney (two) and O’Donnell responded with points to level the game once more, McErlean edged her team ahead with a point and followed up with her second goal. The Ulster side went on to lead by 2-5 to 0-7 at the break.
They stretched that lead to 2-8 to 0-8 early in the second half with points from Ella Rafferty, Forbes and a McErlean free, before the Cork side sailed back into contention. 
Kinsale had brought on two substitutes at the break and one of them Erin Ridgeway got the final touch in a goal-mouth scramble to force the sliotar over the line.
Kinsale's confidence rose while St Mary's stuttered and it was no surprise when the game was levelled, 2-10 each, with a goal from Emma McSweeney in the 50th minute.
When she added her sixth point from a free 90 seconds later, the Cork bench and supporters were on a real high.
However the Ulster side found the resolve to see the game out with Forbes delivering two excellent points, Ella Rafferty hitting a third second half point and McErlean finishing the job with a goal and a point.

Scorers

St Mary’s: C McErlean 3-4, 0-3 frees, S Gribbin 1-0, E Forbes 0-5, E Rafferty 0-3, A Rocks 0-1.

Kinsale: E McSweeney 1-7, 6 frees, E Ridgeway 1-0, C O’Donnell 0-3, C Murphy 0-1

 

Teams

St Mary’s: G Oliver, G Devlin, F McGuckin, G O’Boyle, A Shivers, L Scullion, S Scullion, A Rocks capt., O Devlin, L Stewart, E Forbes, E Cullen, C McErlain, E Rafferty, E Chivers.

Subs: C Doherty for S Scullion (40), S Gribbin for E Chivers (50)

Kinsale: K Cusack, A Dennehy, C Hurley, F O’Riordan, A Kelleher, S Lynch capt., A Halpin, C Kiely, K Harrington, C Murphy, C O’Donnell, R Farley, E McSweeney, L Crowley, H Deasy.

Subs: E Ridgeway for K Harrington and S Galvin for A Dennehy (both ht),

Referee: Ciarán Groome (Offaly)

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