Three of the club’s five All Ireland medal winners (L-R), Mary Martin, Kathleen McCaughey and Mary Butler cut the special 75th anniversary cake at the St Mary’s Camogie Club celebrations.
The Acorn Centre at Clooney, Ahoghill was the venue for Saturday’s celebration lunch to launch the St Mary’s Camogie Club 75th year celebrations and to honour the five players from the club who have won All Ireland Senior Camogie titles. Camogie fans from various generations within the club came from far and near to exchange memories of great days, and those not so great, during the club’s ¾ of a century. Photographs, medals, playing kits and equipment from the different eras were on display while those attending were ask to write down any memories that stood out during their playing days. Members of the team of 1969 were there to talk about the club’s greatest ever playing season when the won not only the Antrim championship but also the Ulster title. However the undoubted highlight of the day was the presence of three of the club’s All Ireland winners Mary Butler (McFall), who was a member of the Antrim team who beat Cork in the 1946 final at Corrigan Park and completed the second leg of the 3-in-a-row. Mary Martin (Keenan) who played on the 1947 team who completed the 3-in-a-row by beating Dublin in 1947 was also in attendance as was Kathleen McGaughey (Graham) who was a member of the last Antrim team to secure a senior title by beating Tipperary in the 1979 final in Croke Park. The other two All Ireland winners Moya Forde, who won medals in 1956 and 1967 and Lily Scullion, who was also on the ’67 team, had received their awards in the days leading up to the event because they were unable to attend.
Overall a day to remember for this proud club and the fact that the awards were made by current county players Catriona Graham, Maura Downey and Aine Graham is testament to the good work is still going on.
Letters from Moya Forde and Lily Scullion were read out at the celebration lunch
Olive Scullion (McQuillan) and Kathleen Forde from Glenravel, who along with Katleen Scullion and Anne McQuillan were members of the St Mary’s team who won Antrim and Ulster titles in 1969