THE final weekend of the Senior and Intermediate championship saw chaos and drama unfold as the finals in both tiers of the Antrim LGFA took place with an all-Belfast derby between rivals Gort na Móna and St John's with the home side hoping to rewrite the wrongs of last season.
And on Sunday, Moneyglass faced St Brigid's where they hoped to earn yet another title to their trophy room after a campaign which saw them run their race the whole way to an All-Ireland final in 2025.
Antrim Senior Ladies’ Football Championship Final
St Ergnat’s Moneyglass 4-11
St Brigid’s 1-07
Moneyglass cemented their dominance of Antrim ladies’ football by securing a remarkable sixth consecutive Senior Championship title with a comprehensive victory over St Brigid’s at The Bear Pit.
The defending champions produced a ruthless display, combining clinical finishing with a relentless attacking performance to pull clear after a competitive opening and ultimately run out 4-11 to 1-07 winners.
St Brigid’s made the brighter start when Abigail Carleton opened the scoring after just three minutes, but Moneyglass quickly settled into the contest.
Cliona Griffin levelled in the seventh minute before the champions produced the decisive spell of the opening half.
Maria O’Neill fired Moneyglass into the lead with the game’s opening goal in the ninth minute and, just two minutes later, Cathy Carey found the net again to leave St Brigid’s facing an early uphill battle.
Carey added a point in the 17th minute as Moneyglass continued to build their advantage, but St Brigid’s refused to fold.
Ellie Murphy and Laura Agnew kept the challengers in touch, with Agnew adding two further scores and Emma Ferran also finding the target before the interval.
Moneyglass, however, finished the half strongly. Ruby McErlain and Orlaith Prenter added scores before O’Neill registered again, leaving the champions six points clear at the break on 2-06 to 0-05.
St Brigid’s came out with renewed purpose after the restart, with Aileen McDonnell reducing the deficit inside the opening minute.
Moneyglass responded immediately through McErlain, although Agnew replied at the other end as St Brigid’s attempted to keep their hopes alive.
The champions then began to pull away once more with Prenter adding two points between the midway point of the half, with O’Neill also getting on the scoresheet as Moneyglass tightened their grip on the trophy.
St Brigid’s briefly threatened to reopen the contest when Cliodhna Logan found the net in the 20th minute, but any hopes of a dramatic comeback were quickly extinguished.
Prenter struck for Moneyglass’ third goal two minutes later before O’Neill added another point, and McErlain completed the scoring with a fourth Moneyglass goal in the 26th minute.
Moneyglass had too much firepower and composure for their opponents, outscoring St Brigid’s 2-05 to 1-02 in the second half to complete a convincing 4-11 to 1-07 victory.
The final whistle confirmed another landmark achievement for St Ergnat’s, who have now won six Antrim Senior titles in succession.
With their provincial campaign ahead, Moneyglass will now turn their attention to defending the Ulster crown as they continue to set the standard in Antrim ladies football.
St John's managed to overcome all the odds to beat Gort na Mona
LGFA Intermediate Championship Final
St John's 3-6
Gort na Móna 1-11
The Johnnies were crowned LGFA Intermediate champions after a superb display saw them overcome fellow Belfast side Gort na Móna at Davitt Park.
Playing into a strong wind in the opening half, Naomh Eoin made the ideal start when Hannah McAllister opened the scoring before Luisne Adams added another point from play.
Gort na Móna responded with frees from Ciara Maguire and a point from Debbie Boyd, but Naomh Eoin soon began to make their advantage tell.
The breakthrough arrived midway through the half when Hannah Mead finished a well-worked move to the net, giving Naomh Eoin a valuable cushion against the elements.
Gort na Móna struggled to turn their possession into a consistent flow of scores, while the champions continued to take their chances at the other end.
McAllister then found the net for her second goal before Adams added a third major approaching half-time to put Naomh Eoin firmly in control.
Maguire continued to keep the scoreboard ticking from placed balls, while Niamh Nic Ionnrachtaigh found the net to give Gort na Móna renewed hope.
However, the Whiterock Road side had negotiated the difficult opening half impressively and went into the break with a 3-3 to 1-5 lead despite playing against the elements.
With the wind now at their backs, Naomh Eoin looked to control the game after the restart. Adams continued to punish Gort na Móna from frees, while Anna Adams and Ellen Bradley added important scores as the champions maintained their advantage.
To their credit, Gort na Móna refused to go away. Maguire remained a constant threat from placed balls, with Boyd, Blaithin Nic Cathail, Casey Meighan and Alyssa Davidson all working tirelessly to try to close the gap.
But Naomh Eoin had built up too substantial a lead and continued to manage the contest effectively as the clock ran down.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved championship success for the West Belfast side, who had produced three first-half goals while facing into a strong wind before showing the composure required to see the job through after the interval.
For Gort na Móna, Maguire and Nic Ionnrachtaigh had provided moments of hope, but their opponents early attacking burst ultimately proved decisive.
It was a memorable afternoon for the Johnnies as they claimed the LGFA Intermediate title and completed a performance which combined clinical finishing with excellent control of the contest.
