(HURLING)
1 Caolán McFerran (St Louis’ Ballymena)
2 Déáglán Mac Con Midhe (Gaelcholáiste Dhoire)
3 Seán óg Blaney (St Louis’ Ballymena)
4 Leigh Morgan (St Patrick’s Downpatrick)
5 Callagh Mooney (St Killian’s Garron Tower)
6 Liam Glackin (Cross & Passion Ballycastle)
7 Ben Teggart (Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock)
8 Paudie Martin (St Louis Ballymena)
9 Roan Fitzgerald (Cross & Passion Ballycastle)
10 Calum McIlwaine (St Killian’s Garron Tower)
11 Cathal Coleman (St Columba’s Portaferry)
12 Conor Donnelly (Cross & Passion Ballycastle)
13 Ryan O’Boyle (St Louis Ballymena)
14 Oran McCambridge (St Killian’s Garron Tower)
15 Roan McGarry (Cross & Passion Ballycastle)
Photos by Brendan Digney Photography
NO fewer than seven of the third McKeever Sports Queen’s University Future Stars hurling team hold Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup medals.
Cross & Passion Ballycastle are the current cup holders and they have nailed down four places on the team announced at a gala dinner in Queen’s on Tuesday evening. The other three medal holders are from St Killian’s Garron Tower who defeated CPC in last year’s decider.
Liam Glackin is busy collecting jerseys this week. He slots in at centre-half back on this team and on Friday evening he will attend the Danske Bank All-stars awards dinner to pick up a midfield jersey for that team.
The other Cross & Passion Future Stars are Loughgiel pair Roan McGarry and Ronan Fitzgerald and McQuillan’s stick man Conor Donnelly whose brother Cathair was in last year’s team.
Calum McIlwaine was Player of the Match in last year’s Foresters’ Cup final for St Killian’s and he links up with Callagh Mooney and Oran McCambridge in this Queen’s selection. Oran is a son of former Antrim and Ulster forward Conor “Monty” McCambridge who incidentally was an All-star alongside Calum’s dad Pádraig some 30 years ago.
There are also four players from St Louis Ballymena in the team, goalie Caolán McFerran, full-back Seán óg Blaney, midfielder Paudie Martin and Ryan O’Boyle in corner-forward.
That means that 11 of the 15 jerseys have been claimed by players from north Antrim.
Three of the other four spots go down the Ards peninsula to players from three different schools.
Portaferry club-mates Leigh Morgan (Red High) and Cathal Coleman (St Columba’s) are joined by Ballygalget’s Ben Teggart was player of the match in this year’s Foresters’ Cup final for Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock.
Odd man out is Déaglán Mac Con Midhe who follows on from Mikey Kennedy in last year’s team with a second award for Gaelcholáiste Dhoire.
Aidan O’Rourke, Performance Sport manager with Queen’s, congratulated all those players who made it through to a Future Stars final team.
“We at Queen’s are delighted to continue to support and celebrate the work carried out within Ulster Schools for the promotion of all codes of gaelic games.
“The level of skill and commitment shown by all those who took part in the trials is a tribute to the work being done right across the province and the final 15 have really earned their jersey.”
“There were outstanding candidates all over the field, especially in the final trials and there was plenty of evidence on show that Ulster Schools’ GAA is in a very strong place in 2023.”
Padraic McKeever managing director of McKeever Sports who sponsored the awards said:
“We are delighted to be involved with the Queen’s Future Stars programme and are always proud to be involved in showcasing the talent, pride, and passion of the students around the country.
“We are committed to continuously finding new ways of improving the performance of our products, and in turn the athletes who wear them. Our goal is to bring freshness, innovation, and excellent service to each of our customers.
“We look forward to the success of all the Queens Future Stars athletes in 2023 and beyond.”
Ladies’ football which has been included in the awards for the first time features three Antrim representatives on the side, Lucy Reynolds of St Dominic’s and Naomh Eoin, Lisa Wilson of Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock and St Gall’s, plus Hannagh Doherty of Rathmore and st Brigid’s.
Ladies football
1-Emma Murtagh – St Paul’s Bessbrook
2-Lucy Reynolds – St Dominic’s Belfast
3-Hanna Donaghy – Rathmore Grammar
4-Emma McDevitt – St Columba’s Glenties
5-Jemma Shivers – St Mary’s Magherafelt
6-Niamh Boner – Loreto Letterkenny
7-Anna Henry – St Mary’s Magherafelt
8-Katie Dowds – St Columba’s Stranorlar
9-Allanah Maguire – St Aidan’s Derrylin
10-Shona Fullerton – St Colm’s Ballinascreen
11-Ava Caulfield – St Columba’s Glenties
12 – Sarah Loughran – St Pius X Magherafelt
13 – Rachel McGrane – St Catherine’s Armagh
14 – Áine McAllister – Loreto Coleraine
15 – Lisa Wilson – Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock
McKeever Sports Queen’s University Future Stars camogie team
The McKeever Sports Queen’s University Future Stars camogie team was announced last night (TUESDAY) at a gala dinner in the Peter Froggatt Centre in Queen’s.
It features seven players from Antrim clubs.
There are three slots for players from St Killian’s Garron Tower. Laura and Rhianna Black and Kady McNeill all featured for the school in last season’s historic All-Ireland title run and McNeill also starred for Antrim at minor and under 16 level last weekend when the minors reached the All-Ireland final with victory over Wexford and the under 16s made it into the Ulster final against Derry.
The Future Stars goalie is Erin O’Hara the only representative from Cross and Passion Ballycastle in the team selected by Queen’s Sports Academy after trials to which all schools sent their top Year 12 players.
St Louis Ballymena has two players in the mix. Both Kate McGilligan and Enya Neeson slot into the half-back line alongside Fiadhna Loughran who was Player of the Match when St Patrick’s Keady won the Liatroim Fontenoys Cup earlier in the year.
Enya’s club-mate in Ahoghill, Katie McCloskey is also in the Future Stars team. She is one of three players from the St Patrick’s Maghera team that lifted Ulster schools’ Corn Eimhear back in January and then went on to contest the Allianz All-Ireland final in March when they lost to Loreto Kilkenny.
The others are captain Cáit Conway from Swatragh at midfield and Caoimhe Chambers from Bellaghy at full-forward.
Elsewhere there are two awards each for St Mary’s Magherafelt and Our Lady’s Newry. Connie Teague and Jemma Shivers will be in the Derry team facing Antrim in the Ulster under 16 final on Saturday.
Shivers, from Castledawson, was also named in the first ever ladies football team announced with the camogie team last night.
This is the second year that camogie has been included in the McKeever Sports Queen’s University Future Stars awards scheme and Ulster schools’ chairperson Catherine McGourty feels that it is a great addition to the schools’ camogie calendar.
“The trials this year were of a very high standard and it is great to see emerging talent get the recognition they deserve. Some come from schools that are strong in camogie while others are playing at a much lower level in our competitions.
“These awards will hopefully give all players the boost they need to push on into senior schools’ teams and at minor level and ultimately have a long and successful career at senior level.”
The 2023 McKeever Sports Queen’s University Future Stars in camogie are:
- Erin O’Hara – Cross and Passion Ballycastle
- Niamh McConville – Our Lady’s Grammar Newry
- Connie Teague – St Mary’s Magherafelt
- Laura Black – St Killian’s College
- Fiadhna Loughran – St Patrick’s College Keady
- Kate McGilligan – St Louis Ballymena
- Enya Neeson – St Louis Ballymena
- Jemma Shivers – St Mary’s Magherafelt
- Cait Conway – St Patrick’s College Maghera
- Katie McCloskey – St Patrick’s College Maghera
- Cara Savage – Our Lady’s Grammar Newry
- Grace Kelly – St Colm’s High School Draperstown
- Kady McNeill – St Killian’s College
- Caoimhe Chambers – St Patrick’s College Maghera
- Rhianna Black – St Killian’s College