MAGEEAN CUP 2023
December 30, 2023
Danske Bank Mageean Cup
Final – Wednesday 3rd January 2024
St Killian’s Garron Tower 0-17 V Cross & Passion Ballycastle 0-13
St Killian’s bridged a 60-year gap and lifted the Danske Bank Mageean Cup for just the second time in their history after defeating Cross and Passion in the final at the Dub last night.
Cross and Passion were first off the mark after Colla Ward felled Roan McGarry – who converted the resulting free, but St Killian’s replied instantly when goalkeeper Thomas McLaughlin picked out Cormac McKeown to drop over from range.
McKeown would draw a foul from Darragh Kelly and that allowed Orrin O’Connor to send the resulting free over and give their side the advantage that they would hold onto for the rest of the half.
Callagh Mooney extended the lead within 60 seconds before McLaughlin doubled his tally from play.
Killian’s made it four without reply and for the second time McLaughlin linked up with Cormac McKeown with a similar outcome to the first time they combined.
Cross and Passion replied before the midway point in the half, Ronan Fitzgerald made himself available and collected a free before swinging over to reduce the deficit (0-5 to-0-2).
It failed to the shift the momentum that was firmly with Garron Tower and they added another four unanswered points.
Orrin O’Connor grabbed his third point of the half after turning over the Cross and Passion puck-out and finding a score from range.
Ruairi Og prodigy Joseph McLaughlin then added three scores on the spin, the first a fine angled effort before converting two frees that opened up a 0-9-0-2 lead.
Cross and Passion remained in touch and claimed four of the final five points in the half. Roan McGarry added two further frees and Liam Glackin produced a nice score in-between times.
Despite McLaughlin converting an injury-time free, Ronan Fitzgerald doubled his tally with the last act of the half to ensure his side remained in touch, trailing 0-10-0-6 at the break.
Cross and Passion reduced arrears upon the resumption with Conor Donnelly floating over within 60 seconds of the restart.
Oran McCambridge instantly replied, and St Killian’s stole a march again and established a six-point lead by the 39th minute.
Niall Magee added a point from range and Cormac McKeown brought his personal tally to 0-3 with an excellent score that had his side 0-13-0-7 ahead.
Cross and Passion free-taker Roan McGarry dropped over his first from play in response and Oisin McCallin then swung over after Ronan Fitzgerald dropped a high ball into the danger area.
Back-to-back scores from Cormac McKeown and talisman Joseph McLaughlin (free) opened up a six-point advantage again for St Killian’s with four minutes of normal time remaining, though Cross and Passion landed four without reply and ensured a grandstand finish was on the cards.
Ben and Roan McGarry dropped over back-to-back frees and in the 60th minute Ronan Fitzgerald landed a super point from play to make it a three-point game (0-15 to 0-12).
A further Ben McGarry free left it a single score game with two of the five minutes added on remaining.
St Killian’s held their nerve, though, and Joseph McLaughlin converted a free and dropped over an angled insurance score that ensured Garron Tower ran out winners.
St Killian’s: T McLaughlin, C Ward, C Devlin, C Graham, A Birt, C McAuley, N Magee (0-1), C McIlwaine, C Mooney (0-1), C McKeown (0-4), J McLaughlin (0-7, 0-5 frees), O O’Connor (0-3, 0-1 free), P McDonnell, O McCambridge (0-1), N Hynds
Subs F McKillop for P McDonnell (48), J Scullion for N Magee (60)
Cross and Passion: E Richmond, C Donnelly, C Baudant, J Magee,B O’Kane, B McGarry (0-2 frees), T McGarry, R Cunning, D Kelly,R Fitzgerald (0-3), L Glackin (0-1), P Martin, O McCallin (0-1), C Donnelly (0-1), R McGarry (0-5, 0-4 frees)
Subs C Crane for J Magee (26), A McGarry for T McGarry (48), G McToal for P Martin (51), C Crawford for O McCallin (54),P Martin for R Fitzgerald (60+3)
Published in The Irish News January 04, 2024
Garron Tower bridge 60-year Mageean gap – Click To Read
Danske Bank Mageean Cup Final🏆
🟦🟨 St Killian’s College V
🟥⬛️ Cross and Passion College
🗓️ Wednesday 3rd January 2024
⏰7:30pm
📍The Dub Arena
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📺This game will be Streamed live on Ulster GAA TV
⏭Ulster GAA TV Live Stream Link – This is the only link
Mageean cup final goes ahead tonight Click to read
First-time winners indicate the depth of schools’ hurling
The success of St Killian’s, Dean Maguirc and Gaelcholáiste Dhoire is a huge positive for the game
ULSTER schools’ GAA has first-time winners across all three senior hurling competitions.
Dean Maguirc College, Carrickmore entered a team at senior level for the first time this year and promptly won the Danske Bank Casement Shield, beating another relatively ‘new’ school in Castleblayney College, who featured a couple of the club players from the town who had picked up the Ulster junior winners’ medals a couple of weeks earlier.
Then, last year’s shield winners Gaelcholáiste Dhoire became Casement Cup champions with a 2-11 to 0-11 victory over Aquinas Grammar, another first-time finalist, the week before Christmas.
Gaelcholáiste were only established in 2015 and have now completed a clean sweep of second-tier hurling competitions. They have already played in the top-tier competitions for the MacNamee and Leonard Cups this season, with the Foresters’ Cup to follow this term and then the Gallagher Cup in term three..
Technically, St Killian’s breakthrough in Wednesday evening’s Danske Bank Mageean Cup final is not a first for the school as their fore-runner on the Garron Tower site, St MacNissi’s College, collected the first-ever Mageean Cup in 1963-64 season, having already won five and shared two of the Senior Shield competitions that ran before the competition became know as the Mageean Cup.
Nevertheless a gap of 60 years constitutes a significant milestone.
Incidentally, their victory means that the last seven Mageean Cup competitions have been won by seven different schools.
St Killian’s lost the 2016 decider to St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast and that was followed by wins for Maghera, An Dún and Cross & Passion before Covid cancelled the 2020-21 edition.
Since lockdown, St Patrick’s, Downpatrick have collected a first title, with St Louis, Ballymena picking up their third last year.
What a shift there has been since the dominance of St Mary’s in the 60s and 70s. The advent of Maghera then created a virtual duopoly until Ballycastle’s fifth title in 2006 led into a further five titles for the north Antrim school and three All-Irelands.
Dean Maguirc College, Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and St Killian’s will all play their All-Ireland semi-finals on Saturday March 2.
By Seamas McAleenan Published by The Irish News January 04, 2024
Danske Bank Mageean Cup final
Final – Friday 8th December 2023 – POSTPONED
St Killian’s Garron Tower v Cross & Passion Ballycastle.
First of all the good news is that tonight’s final goes ahead after a pitch inspection this morning!
It is hard to believe that Friday evening’s Mageean Cup decider brings together two teams that have never before met in the final of the the competition. Garron Tower first won it (then called the Ulster Shield) in 1953 . . . . . .
FIXTURE:
Danske Bank Mageean Cup Final🏆
🟦🟨 St Killian’s College
🟥⬛️ Cross and Passion College
🗓️Friday 8th Dec
⏰7:30pm
📍The Dub Arena
Programmes will be on sale at the game for £3
This game will ONLY be streamed live on Ulster GAA.
Mageean Final Talk night.
As part of our celebrations this year and in the build up to the Danske Bank Mageean Cup Final, Ulster schools will be hosting a night on the History of the Mageean Cup night..⚾
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📅Wednesday 6th December
⌚7:30pm
📍St Louis Ballymena.
Tickets are limited so reserve your place now;
Click For Tickets
⚾️⚾️⚾️
RESULTS: Semi Finals
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 2-20 v St Mary’s CBS, Belfast 1-5
Report Ballycastle Beat St. Marys to set up first meeting with st Killians – Click To Read More
St Killian’s Garron Tower 6-22 V St Patrick’s Maghera 1-7
Report Garrontower Topple Maghera – Click to read more
Semi Finals
St Killian’s Garron Tower V St Patrick’s Maghera
Cross & Passion Ballycastle v St Mary’s CBS, Belfast
Quarter Finals
St. Mary’s, Belfast 2-15 V St. Louis, Ballymena 1-10
OL&SP Knock 2-7 V St Patrick’s Maghera 2-12
Report Mceldowney guides Maghera To Semi – Click To Read More
RESULTS:
St. Mary’s, Belfast 2-15 V St. Louis, Ballymena 1-10
Report St Marys End St Louis Ruin as Champions – Click To Read More
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 6-17 Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock 2-10
Report Ballycastle Pull to semi click to read more
St Killian’s Garron Tower 4-15 St Patrick’s Maghera 1-8
Report St Killians Semi Final click to read more
OL&SP Knock 3-21 St Louis Ballymena 3-17
Report Knock Shock Ballymena
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 6-18 ⚫️🟠 v St. Louis, Ballymena 0-6 🔵🟡
Report CPC beat the holders but it was a sham fight | The Saffron Gael
