The Gaels of Gort na Móna are in mourning following the death of club legend Jimmy Flanagan who has died at just 58. A founder member of the Gorts club Jimmy was a member of the team who won the club’s first hurling trophy, the 1984 Junior Championship. The following year he was on the team who won the All County Football League Division 3 and followed that up by winning the Intermediate Hurling Championship in 1985. In 1989 he was there when the Gorts won the All County Football League Division 2 and he captained the club to success in the South Antrim Martin Cup in 1990’
Jimmy Flanagan (3rd from right, front row) on the Gorts 1989 Inetermediate Championship winning team)
Described by his team mate Gerard ‘Blaster’ Holden as a player with fantastic skill and a real gentleman, who was highly respected among the Gael of Belfast. Jimmy will be sadly missed by the Gort na Móna family.
We at the Saffron Gael would like to pass on our condolences to his fellow Gaels at Gort na Móna, and in particular to his sisters Anne and Kathleen and brother Martin, a man who played with the Antrim hurlers in the early 1990s.
Jimmy’s brother Martin (back centre) on an Antrim senior hurling team in the early 1990s
Jimmy will be laid to rest after 10 am Requiem Mass on Saturday at Holy Trinity Church, Turf Lodge….Covid 19 rules apply.
Caught up with the Antrim Senior Camogs last night at Whitehill, Randalstown as they went through a hard training session in preparation for the start of their league campaign on May 15th against All Ireland Intermediate champions Down in Portglenone. New fitness Coach Curtis Ashcroft put the girls through a tough physical work out before Humpy, Jingo and Dowdsy passed on thier hurling skills to the squad.
This morning CCC will issue the schedule which will outline what competitions will be played on specific days/ dates. The full fixture list will be issued in approx. 7 days
Unfortunately we will not be able to provide an u20 Football or Hurling league due to the time constraints placed upon on us . We have therefore altered the u20 Championships to maximise the number of games at this age group
There will be no relegation in the 2021 Adult leagues
Promotion will be achieved provided at least 60% of the scheduled adult league games are played.
Clubs who have not supplied a suitable /qualified referee will not receive home games
Clubs with 2nd teams in underage competitions must submit a grading list of 15 players by 5pm on Thursday 29th April ( failure to do so may result in 2nd teams being refused entry)
CCC will issued grading lists for Senior Football and Hurling based on 2020 teamsheets but the following clubs are requested to submit thier 1st 15 players by 5pm on Thursday 29th April
FOOTBALL DIV 2
Con Magee’s
All Saints
St Paul’s
Tir na nÓg
Moneyglass
Glenavy
Rasharkin
St Comgall’s
HURLING DIV 1
Portaferry
Ballycran
Ballygalget
HURLING DIV 2
Dungannon
CCC will review all of the above at its next meeting on Friday 30th April and action any changes/ removals that are required.
Tomorrow morning CCC will issue the competitions schedule which will outline what competitions will be played on specific days/ dates. The full fixture list will be issued in approx. 7 days
Unfortunately we will not be able to provide an u20 Football or Hurling league due to the time constraints placed upon on us . We have therefore altered the u20 Championships to maximise the number of games at this age group
There will be no relegation in the 2021 Adult leagues
Promotion will be achieved provided at least 60% of the scheduled adult league games are played.
Clubs who have not supplied a suitable /qualified referee will not receive home games
Clubs with 2nd teams in underage competitions must submit a grading list of 15 players by 5pm on Thursday 29th April ( failure to do so may result in 2nd teams being refused entry)
CCC will issued grading lists for Senior Football and Hurling based on 2020 teamsheets but the following clubs are requested to submit thier 1st 15 players by 5pm on Thursday 29th April
CCC will review all of the above at its next meeting on Friday 30th April and action any changes/ removals that are required.
Was down in Glenariffe tonight to get a few pics for the Senior and Minors (U17) training. It was baltic but Jimmy Haughey, Gooch Gillan and Johnny Tosh (seniors) and the Mariner (minors) kept them warm with a series of great drills
1988-1989 Mageean Cup Final played on Saturday October 29th 1989 in Glenariffe
St Louis Ballymena 7-11 St Mary’s CBGS Belfast 1-0 THERE probably has not a more emphatic first time win for a school than that achieved by St Louis Ballymena over three-in-a-row chasing St Mary’s in Glenariffe as the competition reverted to an autumn schedule. While they were dominant almost from the throw-in St Louis did not take command of the tie until almost 20 minutes in when Loughgiel’s Garry McCollam hit the first of his five goals. The corner-forward had scored two more goals before the break and Brian Gillan, also from Loughgiel, in the other corner added four points to turn the teams around on a 3-5 to 0-0 score-line.
Fr Alex McMullan presents the Mageean Cup to St Louis captain Declan Heggarty after his team’s win over St Mary’s CBGS in the 1988 final in Glenariffe.
St Mary’s were already a player down when Gaeil Uladh referee Tom Donnelly produced the first of three red cards just before the break but their cause was already lost despite stubborn resistance from captain Terry Grego, Hilary McDaniel and Declan Barr. When the sides met in the league section earlier in the competition, the Glen Road side had come from eight points down to snatch victory. Now numerically disadvantaged they never really got going in this game and within 20 seconds of the re-start a goal from Niall Gillan killed off the game. Gillan and McCollam added further goals while Ronan Boyle netted a late consolation score for the Belfast side only for McCollam to bring his personal tally to 5-4 with the last goal in the next attack. As in the semi-final win over St MacNissi’s Garron Tower in which Brian Gillan was the scoring hero with a hat-trick of goals, St Louis’ success was built on a strong defensive unit in which captain Declan Heggarty and Glenravel’s Kevin McCann excelled in the central positions. Others to the fore were Connor Connolly, Dermot Fyfe, Tony McAuley, James McMullan and Kieran Quigley.
The St Louis team who won the Mageean Cup in 1988
Pic by John McIlwaine
Brothers Brian (0-5) and Niall Gillan (2-0) had done much to secure a first ever title for St Louis – just as their father Dan and his brother Tom – had been scoring stars when St MacNissi’s Garron Tower won their first ever title 36 years earlier. Declan Heggarty’s father, John, had also a decisive part to play in Mageean Cup finals during the previous decade. John was one of Antrim’s top referees and Mageean Cup finals featured as regularly as Antrim senior finals on his schedule. Meanwhile defender Adrian Quinn was to return to St Louis as a teacher and coach hurling, football and even camogie teams in later years. On that other hand Declan Barr was not able to add to his family collection of medals. Brother Mark had been a winning captain of a team that featured another brother Ciarán. A couple of weeks after this final Ciarán would be named as Ulster’s first hurling All-star and the following year lead Antrim to the All-Ireland final.
James McMullan and his sister Marie-Louise and fellow Glenariffe followers after St Louis win
Conor Connolly, who was a member of the St Louis Mageean Cup winning team is seen here with his dad Pat and brorther
St Louis : Gerald McGrath, Adrian Quinn, Declan Heggarty (capt), Trevor McKeown, Conor Connolly, Kevin McCann (0-2), Dermot Fyfe, Tony McAuley, Ciarán Kearney, Kieran Quigley, James McMullan, Brian Gillan (0-5), Garry McCollam (5-4), Julian McGale, Niall Gillan (2-0). Sub used : Neil McCann, Gary O’Neill, Paddy Hamill, Ciaran Richmond and Gerard Kelly
St Mary’s CBGS : Michael Kennedy, Ciarán McCartney, Hilary McDaniel, Paul McDowell, Damian Linton, Terry Grego (capt), Denis Kearney, Charlie McLarnon, Colm McGuinness, Kevin McKernan, Jimmy Wilson, Patrick Dobbin, Eugene Farley, Declan Barr, Donal Kennedy.
