By Niall Gartland

EQUAL parts joy and relief. Moneyglass footballer Bronagh Devlin reflected on a hugely emotional triumph in Sunday’s Ulster Senior Championship final victory over Errigal Ciaran at Brewster Park.

The five-in-a-row Antrim champions had been kicking on the door for years, and they were going to let nothing stand in their way of a first ever provincial title at this level – particularly after downing the back-to-back champions Clann Éireann at the semi-final juncture.

They produced a stunning performance on the big day against the Tyrone champions to get their hands on the title, and Devlin said it was difficult to explain just how much it means for the club.

“It’s hard to explain – I don’t think there’s any words that really convey how significant it is, and how we feel.

“We’d worked so hard to get out of Antrim and put our name on the map in Ulster. We got to the final in 2022 and then everyone knew who we were, and we’ve had some big wins and some disappointing defeats in the years that followed.

“We just kept on fighting and training so hard. It’s been a long time coming and to finally get over the line is just so special, and there’s relief as well. It was all completely worth it and so well-deserved.”

Devlin captained the Antrim seniors this year, but to achieve such a prestigious title with her club is something that she will savour for the rest of her life.

“You can’t sum up that feeling. I’ve played with Moneyglass since I was 10 years old, and I’m still playing with a lot of those girls now.

“We’re even playing alongside girls who have managed us throughout the years as well. To achieve this with all of them is really, really nice. I know it’s a cliché but it’s like one big family.”

She continued: “We do it for each other. Nobody lets anybody away with anything, we’re strict on ourselves and that’s important. We know how good each other is so we set high standards for herself.”

Devlin also said that there wasn’t a dry eye at the house at homecoming for the newly-crowned Ulster Champions.

“The reception we got from the whole Moneyglass community was amazing. It was so nice to see everybody out supporting us. The work they do behind the scenes can’t be overstated. I don’t think there was a dry eye from any of the players, we just couldn’t believe it.”