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‘Portaferry’s win was for Ciara’ – Turpin
Portaferry beat Dunloy 1-25 to 2-14 to reach the Ulster Club SHC final, with players and supporters dedicating the victory to Ciara Mageean. The two-time Olympian, who played camogie for the club and later advised its hurlers, died of cancer aged 34 two weeks earlier.
Finn Turpin scored six points from play and said the win might bring some joy to Mageean’s family. Manager Connor O’Prey said the team would draw inspiration from how she approached sport and illness. Portaferry will face Slaughtneil on 28 November, seeking its first provincial title since 2014.
In short
- Portaferry dedicated its Ulster semi-final victory to Ciara Mageean.
- The team beat Dunloy 1-25 to 2-14.
- Portaferry faces Slaughtneil in the final on 28 November.
Explained simply
Portaferry is a hurling and camogie club in County Down. Hurling is a team sport played with a wooden stick called a hurley and a small ball; camogie is its women’s equivalent. The club’s hurlers compete in the Ulster Club Senior Hurling Championship, a knock-out competition for leading club teams in the province.
Ciara Mageean was a Portaferry camogie player before becoming an internationally known middle-distance runner, representing Ireland at two Olympic Games. She also advised the club’s hurlers. Her death, aged 34, has given particular meaning to the team’s season and its connection with her family and the wider club community.
Portaferry’s next opponents are Slaughtneil, and the teams will meet for a place in the provincial competition’s final. Portaferry is seeking its first Ulster club title since 2014.