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Antrim Ladies Gaelic Football Association

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Antrim LGFA
Irish:Aontroim
Nickname(s):The Saffs
Founded:1996
Province:Ulster
Ground(s):Various
County colours:  Saffron   White
Website:County board website
Executive
Chairman:Ursula Lynch
Secretary:Debbie Murray
Treasurer:Anthony Carleton

The Antrim County Board of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (Irish: Cumann Pheil na mBan Aontroim) or Antrim LGFA is one of the 32 county boards of the LGFA in Ireland, and is responsible for Ladies' Gaelic Football in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim county teams.

As of 2024, there were 35 clubs affiliated to Antrim LGFA.[1]

History

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The Ladies Gaelic Football Association was established in July 1974 in Hayes Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary – the same venue in which the GAA had been established 80 years previously. Antrim was one of the last counties in Ireland to organise formally, not doing so until 1995.

A group of students in Belfast came together and organised teams in their own parishes, playing first a number of challenge games and then organising league and championships.[2]

The first Antrim LGFA Junior Championship and League was won in 1996 by Conn Magee's Glenravel.[3]

Inter-County Team

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Antrim won their first All-Ireland Junior Title in 2009 with a 3–10 to 2–08 victory over Limerick in the final in Croke Park.[4]

They followed this up with another Junior Title in 2012, this time beating Louth by 3–09 to 0-07.[5]

A decade passed[6] before their third title at the junior grade in 2022, this time won at Armagh's Athletic Grounds in a replay against Fermanagh by a scoreline of 3–15 to 0–11, following a drawn game at Croke Park two weeks previously which finished 1–13 to 1–13.[7]

In 2023, Antrim won Division Four of the National League for the first time[8] beating Limerick in the League Final at Parnell Park.

The county also won the Ulster Intermediate Championship for the first time [9] beating holders Tyrone by 2–18 to 1–13 at Owenbeg, before being eliminated by Clare at the All-Ireland Semi-Final stage.[10]

In 2024 they were relegated from both the intermediate championship[11] and Division Three of the National League and will play in 2025 in the Junior Championship and Division Four.

Clubs

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Antrim LGFA has 35 affiliated clubs.[12] The most successful club is St Paul's GAC, Belfast who won the Antrim Senior Football Championship nine years in a row between 2012 and 2020.

St Ergnat's, Moneyglass have been the dominant club in recent years have won the senior championship each year since 2021,[13] most recently defeating St Brigid's, Belfast in the final in October 2024.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Antrim LGFA Website Clubs - https://antrimlgfa.ie/clubs
  2. ^ Antrim LGFA Website History https://antrimlgfa.ie/about/a-brief-history
  3. ^ Ballymena Weekly Telegraph Glenravel girls do the ‘double’ GLENRAVEL 2-5 RASHARKIN 2-2 Glenravel ladies completed the league and cup double on Sunday when they beat Rasharkin in the final game of the new Antrim Ladies Gaelic Football League at Glenravel. - Wednesday 20 November 1996 Page 59
  4. ^ Ulster GAA Antrim claim Junior Crown - September 28, 2009 https://ulster.gaa.ie/2009/09/antrim-claim-junior-crown/
  5. ^ RTÉ Sport Antrim were crowned TG4 All-Ireland Ladies junior football champions for the second time in four seasons at Croke Park. https://www.rte.ie/sport/womens-football/2012/1007/340639-antrim-crowned-junior-champions-at-croker/
  6. ^ Belfast Live Antrim clinch their first All-Ireland title since 2012 with a 13-point win in the Athletic Grounds
  7. ^ GAA.ie All-Ireland Ladies JFC Final: Antrim draw with Fermanagh 31 July 2022 https://www.gaa.ie/football/news/all-ireland-ladies-jfc-final-antrim-draw-with-fermanagh
  8. ^ Irish Independent Antrim secure maiden Division 4 title with win over Leitrim 16 April 2023 https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41117884.html
  9. ^ Irish News Sport Antrim ladies beat Tyrone to claim their first ever Intermediate football title 28 May 2023 https://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2023/05/29/news/antrim_beat_tyrone_to_claim_first-ever_intermediate_ladies_football_title-3308789/
  10. ^ Munster GAA Clare advanced to the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate final for the first time since 2016 when they overcame the stiff challenge of Antrim at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford. 23 July 2023 https://munster.gaa.ie/2023/07/2023-tg4-all-ireland-ladies-ifc-semi-final-clare-2-14-antrim-1-13/
  11. ^ Irish News Sport Antrim drop back into junior championship after defeat to Wicklow 7 July 2024 https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-football/antrim-drop-back-into-junior-championship-after-defeat-to-wicklow-LTC4HOFOMVFODEZ5YAWP2XFH2I/
  12. ^ Antrim LGFA Website Clubs - https://antrimlgfa.ie/clubs
  13. ^ Antrim LGFA Website St Ergnats Moneyglass Senior Championship winners 2021 https://antrimlgfa.ie/news/st-ergnats-moneyglass-senior-championship-winners-2021
  14. ^ The Saffron Gael Moneyglass retain their title 7 October 2024 https://thesaffrongael.com/2024/10/07/moneyglass-retain-their-title/
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