Today we take a look back to Kickham’s GAC Creggan’s annual dinner and presentation evening in 2007. County chairman, Jim Murray and Bishop Donal McKeown were the special guests on the evening with a wide array of silver ware on display.
Month / February 2021
Antrim players in opposition in 2007 at Casement
McKenna Cup
Antrim v Jordanstown
Today we take a trip back to 2007 and a meeting of Antrim v Jordanstown at Casement Park in the McKenna Cup. Its 14 years ago but quite a number of these players are still performing at a high level for club or county.
As I look through the Jordanstown team I note that Michael Herron and Paddy Cunningham of Lamh Dhearg and Paul Doherty of Rasharkin were in the Jordanstown side who faced the Saffrons that day. Herron and Cunningham are still going strong with the Hannastown side while the mercurial Paddy Cunningham has recently made a successful return to the county side and is likely to feature for the Saffrons this year again.
Michael Herron of Lamh Dhearg in action for Jordanstown 
Paddy Cunningham in the Jordanstown side
Paul Doherty announced his retirement a number of years ago, in my opinion much too early, and had plenty still to offer both club and county. The Antrim side on the day featured quite a number of players who still feature prominently with their clubs with Sean McVeigh of All Saints, Michael McCann, Kieran Close and Michael Magill still featuring regularly with Cargin and McCann another who has recently returned to the Antrim side. Aodhan Gallagher of St. Galls is another who played for Antrim that day and is still turning in strong performances for the Milltown side.
For the record I think Antrim edged the students that day but I may be wrong and if you would like to put me right on the result or let me know about Antrim players who featured on both sides and are still playing for their clubs send me your answer to ptrckmclwn@yahoo.co.uk and I’ll add those names to this article
The Jordanstown side featuring Michael Herron, Paul Doherty and Paddy Cunningham
The Antrim team who played Jordanstown in the McKenna Cup in 2007
Antrim have seven on the Joe McDonagh team of the year
Antrim have seven players on the Joe McDonagh All Stars team which has just been announced
The Saffrons had a great year in the competition and can be happy with seven positions, but there were a couple more who could definitely have made it.
Kerry, the team Antrim beat in the final, and in the round robin stages, have five on the team, Carlow, who drew with Antrim in Dr Cullen Park, have two while Westmeath have one.
Three of the six defenders are Antrim men Matthew Donnelly, Stephen Rooney and Gerard Walsh Keelan Molloy gets one of the two midfield positions, while Niall McKenna, Ciaran Clarke and Antrim team captain Conor McCann claim three of the six forwards positions.
There is a special honour for McCann as he is named as Player of the Year, a richly deserve honour after an incredible season which saw him score 4-20 from play during the campaign.
The players will be honoured as part of the GAA/GPA 2020 Joe McDonagh Team of the Year awards, which will be featured on RTÉ 2fm’s Game On programme this Wednesday evening from 6pm.
Team of the Year
1: Brian Tracey (Carlow)
2: Tomás O’Connor (Kerry)
3: Matthew Donnelly (Antrim)
4: Stephen Rooney (Antrim)
5: Jason Diggins (Kerry)
6: Aonghus Clarke (Westmeath)
7: Gerard Walsh (Antrim)
8: Shane Nolan (Kerry)
9: Keelan Molloy (Antrim)
10: Niall McKenna (Antrim)
11: Shane Conway (Kerry)
12: Daniel Collins (Kerry)
13: Chris Nolan (Carlow)
14: Conor McCann (Antrim)
15: Ciaran Clarke (Antrim)
Ahoghill claim first Ulster title
Last week we looked at Clooney Gaels Antrim Junior Hurling championship success in 2006 where they defeated St. Mary’s Rasharkin in the final in Ballymena.
We went on to highlight their journey to an Ulster final in the same year with a facile win over Mullahoran of Cavan in the quarter-final and a semi-final win over Lisbellaw before defeating Shamrocks of Strabane in a tight Ulster final.
Today we look at that final:
Ulster Junior hurling club final
Clooney Gaels 0-14 Strabane (Tyrone) 1-8
Antrim champions, Clooney Gaels lifted their first ever Ulster title at Swatragh on Sunday the 12th of November but it was no smooth ride by any matter of means as a spirited Styrabane side made a spirited late challenge to try and snatch a victory of their own.
Clooney’s Gerard Graham was a key player with a masterful display of free taking as he notched up eight points throughout, six of which came from free conversions.
Graham was first to register a score as he coolly converted a ’65’ just one minute in, much to the delight of the large travelling Clooney support. It was tit for tat sacoring in the early stages as Paddy Shields and Barcley converted frees, giving the Styrabane men a slender lead and Strabane looked like extending that lead when Mark Devine sent a pile driver towards the Ahoghill goals but Declan Scullion pulled off a superb save to deny Devine.
This would be the last time that Strabane would hold the lead as Clooney came back strongly with seven unanswered points, the best of them coming from Dominic Neeson who rifled over from seventy yards, a score that would have been the envy of any senior championship side.
The Antrim champions were now in full flow and were dominating mid-field where Gerard Kelly and Dominic Neeson were making their presence felt. The Gaels were well on top at this stage and held a comfortable lead but, credit to Strabane who came back with four unanswered points in the run up to half time.
The second period of play saw both sides lock horns in a bid for p;ossession with Strabane coming back with two frees to come within two points of the Antrim champions but this would be the Tyrone side’s last score for sdome time. The Ahoghill men responded with Gerard Graham firing over three points and Donal Graham added another to extend their lead to six points.
In the dying minutes Strabane went in search of that elusive goal and it came from Paddy Shields who blasted a 20 yard free to the top left hand corner of the Clooney net but his effort came too late as refereeTiernach Walsh brought an end to proceedings shortly after.
So the Clooney Gaels have written another chapter in the history books and this performance will be cherished for years to come. Declan Scullion in goals kept a clean sheet and made an excellent save in the early stages and he weas well aided by full-back Brian Kelly who put in a solid performance.Youngsters Francis Neeson and Pearse Close deserve special mention and Neil O’Connell, Bernard Graham and John Friel turned defence into attack at every given opportunity. The mid-field pairing of John Kelly and Dominic Neeson were instrumental in this Clooney win and their experience was a telling factor on the day. Clooney’s forwards worked well as a unit and Sean O’Connell worked tirelessly throughout taking some strong challenges in the process while Gerard Graham turned in a man of the match performance with a personal tally of (0-8, 6f) showing a deadly eye from free taking.
Clooney Gaels: Declan Scullion, Francis Neeson, B rian Kelly, Pearse Close, Neil O’Connell, Bernard Graham, John Friel, Dominic Neeson (0-1), Joe Downey, John Kelly (0-1), Sean O’Connell, Gerard Graham, Donal Graham, Aidan Graham, Gerard Kelly.
Subs: PJ O’Connell for Joe Downey, Sean McMahon for Gerard Kelly. Subs not used: Ryan Doherty, Declan Graham, Malachy Friel, Jerard Keenan, Barney Graffin, Martin Graham, Kieran Convery, Diarmaid Graham, Dessie McGuigan, Fergal Gavigan
Maeve Kelly nominated for Intermediate All Star award
THE winners of the Junior and Intermediate Camogie Association Players’ Player of the Year Awards 2020, will both come from Ulster following yesterday’s announcement of the short-list of three for each category. Two Down forwards and Antrim’s teenage sensation Maeve Kelly have been short-listed for the Intermediate award and all three were recipients of Irish News All-star awards last month.
Niamh Mallon will be favourite to lift the title after winning the Irish News overall Player of the Year. The Down star was top scorer in the Intermediate championship with 4-11 from four games. Her Down team-mate Sara-Louise Graffin was also a regular goal-scorer in the competition .
Ballycastle club player Maeve Kelly turns 20 in a few weeks, but she has more than delivered on under-age and schools’ success by taking a leadership role in the Saffrons’ attack, scoring regularly as Antrim made the Intermediate final for the first time since 2011.
Voting for the Players’ Player of the Year Awards is now underway amongst inter-county players and the awards will be announced along with the 2020 Liberty Insurance Camogie All-Stars teams. The award will be a virtual event on Saturday March 6th. The Senior All-Stars team will be selected from the top performers in the 2020 Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Championships, while the Soaring Stars team will be chosen from the 2020 Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Intermediate and Premier Junior Championships. However due to the shortened nature of the 2020 Championships there will be no nominees’ lists released for this year’s team Awards, with the winning teams announced on the night of the Awards. Speaking about the announcement Camogie Association President Kathleen Woods said: “I am delighted that we will once more recognise some of the best performers in the 2020 Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Championships at this year’s All-Stars Awards. Although we cannot gather in person this year it will still be a great occasion to honour the winning players and mark another fantastic year of intercounty Camogie action. “In particular, the Players’ Player of the Year Awards are unique and prestigious honours for any player as they recognise the esteem in which players are held amongst their peers. This is the sixth year of these awards and the Camogie Association are delighted once again, in collaboration with both the WGPA and Liberty Insurance, to recognise at a national level, the immense contribution of our leading players.” Speaking on the announcement of this of this year’s shortlist, the WGPA’s Maria Kinsella said: “The 2020 season will always be remembered. Summer Championship days were swapped for winter battles as families, friends, clubs, communities and supporters watched from home. But what didn’t change was the players’ ability to enthral and excite. Congratulations to the nominations for the Players’ Player of the Year Awards. Unfortunately we cannot be with you to celebrate this year, but we are delighted to partner with the Camogie Association and Liberty Insurance to pay tribute to your outstanding individual performances.” Speaking in advance of the awards Liberty Insurance representative Stuart Trotter said: “Throughout this challenging season we’ve seen countless examples of players, teams and coaches excelling in the face of adversity – providing us with exceptional exhibitions of Camogie, during a time when the escapism of sport was very much needed. We’re delighted to once again sponsor these awards which recognise and celebrate the achievements of this year’s outstanding Camogie players at all levels. “In addition to the All-Stars Awards, it is important to recognise these outstanding individual performances throughout this year’s Championship as acknowledged by their peers. We would like to congratulate each of the players nominated.
We look forward to what is always an enjoyable and memorable evening on March 6th.” The Players’ Player of the Year Awards nominees are as follows: Senior Player of the Year Shortlist: Denise Gaule (Kilkenny), Grace Walsh (Kilkenny), Shauna Healy (Galway) Intermediate Player of the Year Shortlist: Maeve Kelly (Antrim), Niamh Mallon (Down), Sara-Louise Graffin (Down) Junior Player of the Year Shortlist: Ciara Donnelly (Armagh), Leanne Donnelly (Armagh), Róisín O’Keeffe (Cavan)