By Paddy McIlwaine
In last week’s preview of the Ulster Intermediate club hurling championship opener I wrongly stated that Sunday’s quarter-final meeting with Eire Og, Carrickmore was Carey’s debut in the competition – but that was not the case.
In fact the Ballyvoy side were the winners of the first Ulster Intermediate title in 2004 in the first Year of the competition. Cathoir an Ri were actually beaten in the semi-final of the Antrim Intermediate Championship that year by Cushendall second string who then beat Loughgiel in the final, but the competition rules stated that only Intermediate club sides could play in the competition.
The Carey side were nominated and went straight into the final where they met and defeated Eoghan Ruadh of Coleraine in Loughgiel, before travelling to London for the All Ireland semi-final where they lost to Robert Emmet’s.
The present manager of Carey Faughs, John McVeigh played at centre forward on the team while Michael Heggarty, who was part of John’s backroom team was the man who lifted the trophy seventeen years ago. My research also revealed another interesting fact. Lee O’Reilly, a nephew of Curly and myself, played at corner-forward on that Carey side.
The brother and I recently discussed which of his uncles he inherited his hurling skills from but after a lengthy debate we came to the conclusion that they came from neither of us and that our less than illustrious hurling careers had little influence on Lee’s success.
