At tonight’s Ulster CCC meeting, held via tele-conference, the following decisions were taken in relation to Ulster GAA fixtures. These difficult decisions were taken in an effort to create more space in a tightening calendar, to allow our counties to make contingency plans for their respective club competitions.
2020 Ulster GAA Club Football Leagues – have been cancelled with immediate effect.
2020 Buncrana Cup (U16 Football League) – has been cancelled with immediate effect.
2020 Dale Farm Protein Milk Ulster Minor Football League has been cancelled with immediate effect.
2020 Electric Ireland Ulster GAA Minor Football Championship – The competition was due to start with the Preliminary Round game between Derry and Cavan this weekend and this has been cancelled. It was also decided that this competition will revert to a straight knockout format and that the draw will mirror the Ulster Senior Football Championship draw, below, to form curtain raisers if, or when, it is deemed suitable:
First Round
(a) Muineachán V An Cabhán at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones
Quarter Finals
(b) Doire V Ard Mhacha at Celtic Park, Derry
(c) Dún na nGall V Tír Eoghain at Pairc MacCumhaill, Ballybofey
(d) Aontroim V (a) Muineachán / An Cabhán
(e) Fear Manach V An Dún at Brewster Park, Enniskillen
Semi Finals
Dún na nGall / Tír Eoghain V Doire / Ard Mhacha
Fear Manach / An Dún V Aontroim / Muineachán / An Cabhán
Final: Semi Final Winners
2020 Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship –As per the GAA Press Release earlier today, the Senior inter-county championships, will be postponed until further clarity on the current situation is available. However, it is the Association’s view that it is highly unlikely that these will be rescheduled any time before the beginning of July, at the earliest.
Finally, Ulster GAA would again like to thank our members and units for their support at this difficult time and for continuing to adhere to the government guidelines.
The 1997 Under 21 Hurling final was played in Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel, the teams having tossed the previous year when they also met in the final. Dunloy won the toss for that one, but lost the game, and so it was the Shamrocks turn to host the decider. On a damp and dull day, wiht the pitch cutting up more and more as the game went on, a wasteful Dunloy side only led by two at half time after having played with a strong breeze. It was a tough hard game, which ended in a bit of a brawl, but Loughgiel were deserving winners. (thanks to Kieran O’Connell for the match report)
Kevin ‘Swevy’ McGarry breaks through to score a spectacular late goal during the 1997 U21 final in Loughgiel
This is how the Ballymena Guardian reported the game.
1997 U21 Hurling Championship final
LOUGHGIEL RETAIN THEIR CROWN
Loughgiel Shamrocks 2-8 Dunloy Cuchullains 0-7
Loughgiel Shamrocks retained their Under 21 Hurling title in fine fashion, beating great rival Dunloy in a game that didn’t really see them get into full flight until the closing stages.
This always looked like being a close run thing and so it turned out. Dunloy headed the champions at the half way stage but once Aidan McCloskey levelled matters in the early stages of the second half it was clear that the trophy would remain in Loughgiel hands. Slippery underfoot conditions made it difficult for both sides, but Dunloy have no excuses for failing to convert the chances which came their way in the first half. With the strong wind at their back they missed the target nine times, scores which would have given them a comfortable half-time lead.
Thomas McGilligan breaks through the Loughgiel defence
As it turned out they were only two to the good, leading by 0-5 to 0-3. Seamus McClements had given them the start they had hoped for when he pointed in the opening minute, but Aidan McCloskey had Loughgiel level when he pointed a free at the other end six minutes later. Liam Richmond added points in the ninth and sixteenth minutes to put Dunloy back on top, but Aidan McCloskey was always going to be a threat. He pointed again from a free in the 25th minute to cut the Dunloy lead to just one, after a period of time when neither team looked capable of finding the target. Three minutes later Emmet McFadden brought Loughgiel level with a good point from play, but after not scoring for almost twenty minutes Dunloy struck twice before the break through Liam Richmond and Thomas McGilligan to lead by 0-5 to 0-3 at the break.
Benny McGarry played well in the Dunloy goals
Dunloy must have known even at this stage they had blown it, with a stiff wind to face and a Loughgiel midfield pair who were always on top and soon they were to see just how fragile their slender lead was. Mark Traynor pointed for Loughgiel in the fifth minute and when Aidan McNaughton added a point from a 65 the Shamrock were back on terms with just four second half minutes gone. A goal two minutes later, which appeared to be the work of Steven McGarry, put the champions in front and they were never to look back.
Despite Seamus McClements getting a Dunloy point in the seventh minute Emmet McFadden and Aidan McCloskey got points for Loughgiel to make it 1-7 to 0-6 by the 41st minute. Liam Richmond, by far Dunloy’s most effective forward, had his side’s final point at the end of the third quarter, at which stage the champions took off.
McCloskey added his fifth point of the game in the 47th minute for a 1-8 to 0-7 lead, and while the y did labour somewhat for a spell, they ended on a high note when Brendan McGarry soloed through for a brilliant individual goal.
Aidan McNaughton’s faultless free taking was a major factor in Loughgiel’s win
Loughgiel were the much better balanced side and were strong in all departments. In defence Joey Quinn, Karl Casey and Paul Gillan shone, while Kevin McGarry and his partner Emmet McFadden had much the better of things in midfield. Of the forwards Mark Traynor and Steven McGarry were most effective while Aidan McCloskey’s free taking was top drawer.
Dunloy’s strength lay at the back. Benny McGarry in goals contained the dangerous Shamrocks attack, while Damian McMullan, Martin Currie, Conor Cunning and Mark Brogan worked tirelessly to contain the Loughgiel attack. Justin Magee and Michael McClements never threw in the towel at midfield but were always up against it, while Liam Richmond was the only forward to test the Loughgiel defence.
Liam Richmond was the pick of the Dunloy forwards
Loughgiel scorers – Aidan McCloskey 0-5; Steven McGarry 1-0; Kevin McGarry 1-0; Emmet McFadden 0-2; Mark Traynor 0-1.
Dunloy scorers – Liam Richmond 0-4; Thomas McGilligan 0-1, Michael McClements 0-1, Seamus McClements 0-1
LOUGHGIEL – DD Quinn, Jerome McKendry, Joey Quinn, Karl Casey, Shane O’Connell, Paul Gillan, Seamus McMillan, Kevin McGarry, Emmet McFadden, Mark Traynor, Steven McGarry, Ciaran Connolly, Kieran O’Connell, Aidan McCloskey, Liam McMullan.
DUNLOY – Benny McCarry, Damien McMullan, Cormac Cunning, Paul McLean, Martin Curry, Conor Cunning, Ryan Brogan, Justin Magee, Michael McClements, John Paul McQuillan, Liam Richmond, Seamus McClements, Thomas McGilligan, Ciaran McGrath, Paddy Richmond.
Baby Nicholas McNaughton had his photo taken in the Sam Maguire Cup when Derry great Anthony Tohill visited Loughgiel in 1993
I was scanning old photos at the weekend of Anthony Tohill’s visit to Magherahoney Hall with the Sam Magurie Cup back in 1993 when I came across this pic of a baby sitting in the famous trophy, standard practice on a night like that. At the time I took the photo I would have taken the names for the paper, but they are long gone, but I thought the young lad in the cup looked familiar, and when I then saw his grandmother Mary McNaughton in one of the other pics it strengthened my suspicion that it was Nicholas McNaughton. I messaged the photo to the McNaughton family and my suspicions were confirmed.
Dr ‘Nick’ at the frontline in Antrim Area Hospital
Of course Nicholas McNaughton is now Dr Nicholas McNaughton who is one of the many great people who are leading the fight against the dreaded Covid 19 virus which has brought the whole world to a virtual standstill. Nicholas, who plays his hurling with Loughgiel Shamrocks, studied Medicine at Queens University, Belfast and qualified just two years ago. Since that time he has worked in the Royal Victoria, the Mater, and the Causeway Hospitals before moving to Antrim Area Hospital where is one of a dedicated team of doctors and nurses in the ICU Unit, in the very front line of the fight against this deadly virus.
Mary McNaughton with Anthony Tohill in Magherahoney Hall in 1993. Mary was a member of the Antrim team who won the All Ireland Senior Camogie title in 1947
Nicholas McNaughton comes for a great hurling family. His grandmother Mary McNaughton (nee McGarry) who took him along that cold winter night to Magherahoney Hall, won an All Ireland Senior Camogie medal with Antrim in 1947 as an eighteen year old. His grandfather John was on the Loughgiel team who on the 1956 Antrim Senior Championship.
Nicholas’ father Seamus ‘Crow’ McNaughton (7th from left in the back row) on the Loughgiel team who won the club’s first All Ireland Senior Club Hurling title in 1983
His father Seamus ‘Crow’ McNaughton played on the Loughgiel team who beat St Rynagh’s of Offaly in the 1983 All Ireland Club final replay at Casement Park to become the first Antrim team to take the Tommy Moore Cup, and his brother James is a member of the current Antrim team who had qualified for the Division 2 National League final when Covid 19 stepped in and brought the campaign to a premature halt.
His older sister Una played camogie with both club and county and was the captain of the last Loughgiel team to win an Ulster Club title when they beat Slaughtneil in the 2015 final in Armagh. Una is currently in lock-down in Melbourne, Australia after immigrating to Oz a couple of years ago. His other sister Rioghnach has also won championship medals with the Shamrocks.
Nicholas and James with the Antrim Senior Championship cup after the Shamrocks win over Cushendall in the 2016 final in Ballycastle. Included are his sisters Lucia (left), Una (front cnetre) and Rioghnach, mum Mary Rose, dad Seamus, grandfather John and uncle Jack (2nd left)
Sister Lucia is a member of the current Antrim senior camogie team who also were in with a good chance of promotion under the new management team of Paul McKillen and Jingo McKernan when the National Camogie League were halted. Lucia is also is also in the frontline in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic as she is Repertory Physiotherapist at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.
It took two games to seperate Carey Faughs and Cushendun Emmet’s in the final of the 1990 Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship. Cushendun had looked marginally the better team the first day in Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel but couldn’t get over the line and they were made to pay a week laer when the sides met again, just up the road at Fr Barrett Park as the Faughs got home with a bit to spare.
Danny McKinley in action during Carey’s relay win over Cushendun
Carey captain Michael Dennis receives the Intermediate Championshio Cup from Hurling Board Secretary Tony Mulvenna
Antrim won the All Ireland Junior camogie title in 1997 when they trounced Cork in the final in Croke Park, the game played as a curtain raiser for the Senior final between Cork and Galway. The stars of the show for Antrim were Grace McMullan, Anne McKee and Catriona Higgins. Team manager was Jim Nelson while Eliane Dowds was forced to sit on the sideline because of a bad arm injury which required surgery. But probably the most extraordinary story of the game was that Mary McMullan, who had played on the Antrim team who beat Tipperary in the Senior All Ireland final in 1979, lined out again for her county 18 years later.
Grace McMullan who scored 2-3 for Antrim in the win over Cork
Thanks to Coílin Duffy for the report
Catriona Higgins who was the game’s top scorer with 3-2
Dowdsey had to sit this one out because of a bad arm injury
