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Hardly get 8 from Glenravel Lol!

Eamon McCann also involved. Very highly rated by players, managed Cargin for a few years. Knows his stuff. Talking to one seasoned panellist, so far likes what he sees and hears about the set up. We get behind the team and management from the start. New slate, new opportunity.

And to top off it all off...yesterday Casements hosted the annual Paul McKeever under 11.5 tournament. Big clubs from all over the province were amongst the 22 clubs taking part. And the winners, defeating Coalisland after extra time in the final, were....

If Carlsberg did weekends!

Thanks DK.

Hopefully a phone call to Peter will he high on Mark Dorans agenda...proper baller!

To top off a memorable weekend Portglenone girls beat Loughgiel.

At least three households will have sisters with camogie and ladies football medals and brothers with football at grade A under 16 and minor!

Definitely a first I'd say!

Thanks GF. Yes, clubs can achieve so much more if they treat their juveniles properly. But the main thing is you need to get proper buy in from a core group of parents/coaches who share the vision for a long term plan and agree a structure to see it through.

Yes, these guys have their own club gymnasium and always a proper S/C coach to take twice weekly sessions for under 14s and up. Last few years it was Padraig Hampsey, captain of Tyrone.

Last night the minors got a proper reception on their homecoming. It wasn't as large as Dunloys last weekend, but it wasn't far off! It was the culmination of at least 8 years work.

Best of all from a personal viewpoint....I see a completely different standard across the county at this age group than for a long time. Nearly every club is starting to produce a better player, with S/C that wasn't as evident in the past, and speed skill and athleticism all where it needs to be.

A lot of clubs have stepped it up, and for all the enormous work Casements have done, they were taken to the wire a good few times on the way, and every match Ive been at there has been a load of standout players on the pitch.

Just as I said many times in the past Portglenone have a better group coming down the track and now we are seeing some results. Likewise I predict a brighter future for Antrim football in four ir five years with a quality panel to choose from.

Its apt that you mention Paul McKeever ITG. His spirit was everywhere tonight around the club. Paul took up refereeing because the club needed a referee. Thats the sort of person he was.

He also had a couple of young children and was at the forefront of setting up a new, select and dedicated group of parents who only wanted to see a better club for their offspring. In other words, lets take this to a new level!

That group was considerable, but Paul was the driving force. He was inspirational. No stone unturned, our under 8s and 10s were going to matches in a coach to Croke Park and were playing blitz competitions every week in County Derry and Tyrone. And were winning their share.

I was outgoing juvenile development officer, but Paul came in and this was different gravy. All of a sudden we had a core of 15 good coaches, mostly ex players that had young sons and shared Paul's vision for a top future. He advocated for a stand alone juvenile section independent of a successful amalgamation with neighbours Ahoghill. Many neutrals thought this was a negative move but Paul insisted that so many juveniles came through the club and never ever wore the club colours. That wax what swing it.

Personally I preferred to keep the amalgamation going, but gradually the swell of opinion grew too large.

"Paul's Team" are the group that won their second under 16 grade A championship in a row a few weeks back, defeating St Brigids in a clinker.

The team that won tonight were playing under 16 B two years ago, and fair play to Gareth Kelly and Kevin Kidd for stepping up to take on what many thought was a forlorn hope.

Tonight they beat a superb St Paul's team by 5 points to claim a Minor A Championship. Most in the club thought it was a year early. The team loses 3 players for next season.

Back at the club, after Docs lorry and the fireworks in the town, Owen Doc took the stage and every player got their moment as they took their place on the winners rostrum.

Amongst them Owens son Odhran who had had scored 13 points and added the two Antrim juvenile wins to his McRory and Hogan Cup victories earlier this year. What a prospect.

Obviously Odhran got a loud ovation, as did other standout players on the night. So too did Pauls boy, Conor McKeever, a marquee forward whose name you can write down..as did his older brother Ryan McKeever who was captain of tonight's team.

But the loudest cheer of the night was when Doc mentioned the only man in the room who was missing. Their Dad.

Rest in Peace Paul...gone,  but never forgotten.

Great win today for Belfast Schools. Beat St Colmans Newry by four points. First win, well done all...a big step in the right direction.

You can imagine the internal turmoil going on within Hamas. There's 67k dead and all the resentment and bitterness that those emotions will evoke. There will be doves and hawks and dozens of variations in between.

Bound to be all sorts of power stuggles within their own ranks for hearts and minds....never mind the support base....the ones on the margins of the support base....and those Palestines who don't support Hamas at all.

And in the eyes of Israel all it will take is one splinter group or even a few individuals to open up on IDF who are only hundreds of years away, to ignite the whole thing and give Nethuayanu an excuse to say Hamas broke the agreement and all bets are off.

It dosent take a genius to see how flawed this is.

Does anyone here even think this will last more than a few months?

Cargin will always be in the mix. Too much tradition on top of great structures that keep churning them out. Will always be thereabouts in Antrim Football.

Still the template.

Casements into a minor grade A final after coming from 6 down with 5 mins left, writing their own script as they go along! All round here thought it was easily a year or two too early...

Antrim football needs new blood to improve the standard. A rising tide lifts all boats...

Well done Dunloy. Enjoy your big night, well deserved. No one has any hard luck stories, you won it being fitter faster, well managed, hungier and no small amount of ballers. Enjoy your night. Lets get behind you now in Ulster.

Rumours Decky Smyth and Sammy were touch and go on Sunday evening. Those are two smashing players and provide a lot of ball winning and energy that has got Dunloy to the final. Dunloy will need them both in top form for this one.

Hard to know when a team is peaking physically and mentally. Neither club pushed themselves too far in the league, so physically both still have plenty of gas. Id say without doubt Dunloy would be in far better shape mentally had they beaten Loughgiel. A team on a proper run could take some stopping. Question is, what will the defeat take out of them mentally. Will there now be a fear of losing both?

Its an intriguing final, both clubs there on merit. Can Cargin continue to do what they do, close out games no matter, or will Dunloy hunger and excellent football set up drive them over the line.

Expect the biggest crowd at a final for quite some time.

Totally. Paddy Kelly put in some shift during his five years. This position will need filled shortly and its vital the right person steps up.

To be honest, its more like I told you four or five years ago that PG1 had a good coaching set up and that in the future their senior teams will be consistently challenging amongst the top teams and that opinion is still firmly on course. Work in progress. I also said the next generation coming through will be better coached and prepared than our current set up, which whilst a good bunch, still seem to find a way to underperform when it matters.

That includes last year's county final which went to extra time, whilst plenty to like about the display, reverted to stupid wastefulness that was ultimately their downfall in a game that was there for the taking.

Though this year never remotely hit those heights at any stage for some reason. It happens!

Same club as last year.

Go On Big Shane!

Adare Manor be some craic in two years!