Donaghmoyne's ladies are back on the provincial stage, and they made sure the rest of Ulster noticed. The Monaghan senior champions beat Down title-holders Bredagh 2-16 to 0-7 on Sunday in Group 1 of the Ulster Ladies Senior Club Championship, their first game in the competition since 2023.

With scoring difference likely to matter in a three-team group that also includes Tyrone club Errigal Ciarán, the size of the win could prove just as valuable as the two points.

How the game went

According to the Irish News match report, Donaghmoyne were on top from start to finish in good conditions. Bredagh worked hard in the first half and stayed in touch through Eilish Ward and Laoise Duffy, but an Eimear Traynor goal opened the gap, and the Farney side led 1-7 to 0-5 at the break.

The second half was one-way traffic. Catriona Murnaghan finished with six points, Lauren and Amy Garland added scores, and veteran Rosemary Courtney struck 1-2. Fiona McNally was also singled out for her display. Bredagh, who have won nine Down titles in a row, managed only two points after half-time.

Two lean years

For a club that dominated Monaghan ladies football for over two decades, the last couple of seasons were unfamiliar ground. Speaking to Gaelic Life ahead of the game, manager Anne Marie Burns said a 2024 county semi-final defeat to Magheracloone came in a season hit by injuries and players away travelling, and that losing last year's county final to Emmet Óg hurt.

"I suppose that feeling of disappointment has given us the kick we needed – we have a bit of bite back," she told the paper. Donaghmoyne answered emphatically this autumn, winning the county final against Magheracloone by 5-17 to 1-2 at the end of September, with Lauren Garland scoring 2-6.

Burns pointed to a blend of experienced names, including the Courtneys, the Garlands, Linda Martin and Murnaghan, with minors now coming through. The club has 14 Ulster senior titles, more than anyone, and won four in a row between 2019 and 2022, with no competition in 2020. Clann Éireann and Moneyglass have shared the title since.

Next up: Errigal Ciarán

Donaghmoyne's second group game is away to Errigal Ciarán on Saturday, 17 October. A ticket listing for the game gives a 2pm throw-in at the Tyrone club's Cardinal MacRory Park, with tickets priced at £8 to £10. A win would put the Monaghan side in a strong position to reach the knockout stages.

It makes for a busy weekend in Monaghan football, with the men's senior county final between Scotstown and Truagh in Clones the following afternoon.

Killanny bow out in Ulster junior

There was disappointment for another Monaghan club, though. Killanny lost 1-14 to 0-8 to Derry's Desertmartin in the Ulster Junior Club Championship, with Aisling McElhennon scoring 1-9 for the winners. Desertmartin go on to a quarter-final meeting with Sarsfield's this weekend.