CAMOGIE: Loreto go in search of Ulster glory

Loreto Coleraine v Assumption Ballynahinch

Thursday 2pm in Ballymena

Ten years after helping Loreto Coleraine win their last major schools’ trophy, Antrim senior camogie star Nicole McAtamney (née O’Neill) is back with her alma mater in an Ulster final, this time as coach to the side that has gone through the Junior Medallion Shield unbeaten and now face Assumption Ballynahinch in the decider on Thursday afternoon (2pm) in Ballymena.

As a player with the school she suffered defeat in three successive junior finals before winning a senior title with a 3-7 to 1-4 win over St Pius X Magherafelt in Ballymena.

She scored five points in that game alongside the likes of Eilís McNamee and Megan Kerr who would go on to represent Derry at senior level.

This time however it is all about a new generation of players that have topped their qualification group in September to go straight through to the semi-final where they overcame Our Lady’s Newry by 1-9 to 0-7 in Cookstown just before the Halloween break.

Dunloy’s Kerry Rose Drain got the all-important goal for Coleraine with player of the match Connie McBride eventually finishing with four points from midfield.

Loreto captain Lucy McQuillan (right) lines up before the semi final.

McBride is joined in the middle by her Glenullin club-mate Kate Healy while there are two other club members, Emma and Clodagh O’Connell, on the left wing of defence.

The local Eoghan Rua club also supply four players to the starting team including full-back Isabella O’Kane and centre-forward Tess Mullan.

Team captain Lucy McQuillan and key forwards Kerry Drain and Amy Carlin come from Dunloy, while Na Magha, Rasharkin, Kilrea and Ballerin are other clubs represented.

Overall this is a fairly young squad with many of them featuring in the team that won the under 14A Shield back in May with wins over St Patrick’s Keady and St Louis Ballymena.

They also featured strongly in the FMC Appliances Ulster Sevens at the start of October, losing the final to St Killian’s Garron Tower.

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Derry schools have done pretty well at this level with St Paul’s Kilrea (2009, 2016), St Colm’s Draperstown (2010, 2019), St. Patrick’s Maghera (2006) and St Mary’s Clady (2018) all winners as well as Loreto who took the very first title away back in 2004 when future inter-county stars Sinéad and Aileen Martin, Sinéad Cassidy, Méabh McGoldrick and Dervla O’Kane all featured in a 1-6 to 1-4 win over St Catherine’s Armagh.

Down schools have also featured strongly in the list of winners and although Assumption Ballynahinch have reached this final for the first time, they are an older squad than the challengers from the north coast and will be difficult to beat.

However Loreto have a freshness about them and they have performed very well through the competition. If they are within striking distance midway through the second half, they have the quality in their team to push on to victory.

Loreto: Erin McKay, Kyra Stockman, Isabella O’Kane, Emma O’Connell, Briana Ferguson, Lucy McQuillan capt, Clodagh O’Connell, Connie McBride, Kate Healy, Émer Munro, Tess Mullan, Treasa Passmore, Katie Davidson, Kerry Drain, Amy Carlin

Subs: Mya McKinley, Cara Mooney, Sinead Close, Elena-Maria Stockman, Aoife Dempsey, Cliodhna Boylan, Dubhla Mullan, Jenny McNeill, Orlaith Doherty, Áine McAlister, Ríona Cassidy, Molly Mullan, Megan Brolly, Brenda Mullan, Aoife Wade.