The two Monaghan senior teams in action on Sunday experienced contrasting fortunes. The senior men fell to a heavy defeat against Mayo in their Allianz National Football League Division One match, where their chances were hit by two red cards, but the ladies had a much more straightforward time in their NFL clash with Laois, as Cathriona McConnell hit 1-7 in a one-sided win to send Monaghan top of the table.

Ronan McDonald in action for Patrician High School Carrickmacross v St. Malachy’s Belfast, MacLarnon Cup Semi Final.

There was good news for the Monaghan teams in Saturday’s Danske Bank Ulster Colleges MacLarnon Cup semi-finals, with Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblayney and Patrician High School, Carrickmacross setting up a local derby in the St. Patrick’s Day Final. Our Lady’s had a 0-11 to 0-4 win over St. Louis, Ballymena, with Barry McGinn top-scoring with 0-4, while Patrician hit an unanswered 2-9 – the goals coming from Seán Burke and Dáire Rowe – to recover from a slow start and eventually cruise past St. Malachy’s, Belfast on a scoreline of 2-12 to 2-4.

Just one of Sunday’s Platinum Tanks Reserve Football League games went ahead: a draw between Monaghan Harps and Killeevan in Division Three. Truagh conceded to Killanny in Division 2B.