Larne St Mary’s GAC’s 1922 team remembered forever, thanks to Gary Bergin

After Friday evening’s presentation about the St Mary’s GAC Larne team who won the 1922 Antrim Junior Football Championship Latharna Og treasurer Paul McCaughan had great words of praise for the man behind the venture, Gary Bergin.

In summing up McCaughan spoke truthfully about his feelings when Bergin suggested the idea at the club’s AGM earlier this year, saying he and a few other club members were not too keen on the idea, as Gaelic football was never a great passion with them. However McCaughan added “having seen the work Gary has put into this venture, and the way it has turned out, I have to admit I was wrong”

Gary Bergin with the team photos and the replica jersey in the display cabinet in Larne Museum and Arts Centre

Club member Gary Bergin has put a lot of work into the project over the past few months. It all stems from him finding a photo of the famous team which led him to delve a little deeper into it. During his presentation at Larne Museum & Arts Centre on Friday night he showed slides from newspaper cuttings he had found during his research from the Ballymena Observer from July 10^th 1923. The most amusing one was a case at a Ballymena Licencing court in Ballymena where pub owner Mrs Margaret McCrory of William St, Ballymena was charged with a breach of licensing laws on May 10^th when police arrived at the premises to find a party going on outside in the street and singing from inside the premises. The police told Mrs McCrory that the place was rather noisy and ask who was inside, to which she replied the Larne Gaelic Football team were there having tea.

Maybe the celebration from the previous year was still going on.

**Latharna Og club treasurer Paul McCaughan praised the great work Gary Bergin has done with his research of the 1922 St Mary’s team**

As part of the project Gary Bergin worked with O’Neill’s to design a replica of the jerseys the team wore in the photograph. Since the original photo was in black and white it was hard to determine what the colours were but with some expert advice they decided on black and green and the special jersey was unveiled, the crest on it based on the writing on the blackboard in the photo.

Overall a great night, and emotional one for some of those who attended who were relations of some of those in the 1922 team.