Above – Out with the old and in with the new. New President Seamus Graham and outgoing President Denis O’Hara

JAMES ‘SEAMUS’ GRAHAM, a product of a prestigious hurling family pedigree, is the new President in a changing of the guard by Cushendun Emmet’s GAC. The 79-year-old has replaced 86-year-old Denis O’Hara – another former swinger with the Antrim Coast club.

Belfast-based Graham began his three-year tenure in high office on Sunday February 23.

During the Sixties and 1970’s, after the Emmet’s enjoyed a remarkable rebirth in 1963, Graham was a key operator mainly up front for the Emmet’s.

“I remember Malachy McSparran, then one of the folk behind the 1963 revival of the Club, coming to our house at Calishnagh, Cushendun – and inviting me to join in team training and matches. I was just 16 then, but playing in a lot of top teams at Garron Tower.” recalled Seamus.. In subsequent decades his two sturdy  sons, Paul and Eamonn blossomed with the Emmet’s before later moving to Belfast where they won senior Championsip medals with O’Donovan Rossa.

Seamus, born to Glenariffe native Charlie Graham and Cushendun’s Caroline McCormick on October 16, 1945, in Cushendun, is proud of his hurling heritage. 

His uncles, Bob and Willie Graham, were iconic figures in Antrim senior teams of the early 1940’s – including the 1943 All Ireland final side – and also prominent for hugely successful Glenariffe’s club teams. 

Seamus added: “My father, Charlie, also played for the Emmet’s, when he was at home and not working in the United States – or as a deep sea sailor. 

His brothers Bob and Willie played for Glenariffe and also for Antrim senior hurling teams.“My older brother John had one match for Cushendun, in a team that included Josie and Paddy Magee. I was then around eight years of age. My brother Charlie once played for Ballycastle’s minor hurling side and also the Emmet’s adult team – but slipped away from hurling because of having to work in Ballymena and Belfast.

“I was also involved in St MacNissi’s College hurling teams, winning three different Ulster Colleges’ competitions. In the team we had the outstanding midfield of P J McCamphill of Dunloy and the late Paddy Hamilton of the Emmet’s. I was in halfback, as was Oliver Keenan of Ahoghill.“I was 16 when I first played for the Emmet’s. I was on holiday from Garron Tower at the time. 

Also invited to join was Terry O’Hara. I felt I was too young for senior club hurling. Malachy McSparran didn’t.“That was in 1963, playing alongside Johnny White. I remember playing in Glenariffe at corner forward – once heading for goal when Alex ‘Stoots’ McKay suddenly materialised at my side. kept making a half-whistling noise and took the ball off my stick, his own player. I also remember playing right half back at the old seaside Riggs. “After the 1963 Junior title win 1973 was another big season for the revitalised Club – and leading into senior combat the following season. 

In 1973 we won the Intermediate championship at the same venue, Dunloy, where Ballycastle played St John’s in the senior final. St John’s became the champions.“In the next season we played St John’s at Corrigan Park in the senior championship. We looked like causing an upset in that first-round fixture,  but made a fatal mistake from a line ball – and with the last puck of the game Andy McCallin won the ball – and it led to the Johnnies finishing with a killer goal.

“That was on July 28, 1974 when the Emmet’s, on their exciting venture into Senior Championship hurling, performed superbly against St John’s – but lost by four points in the closing seconds. 

“Star turns were Mick O’Neill, Turlough McKeegan, Dan McKeegan, Martin McKeegan, and Paddy Kinney. Defending senior champions St John’s beat the Emmet’s that day at Corrigan Park in a memorable thriller, by 5-9 to 2-14.”Incoming President Graham, who was outstanding in that match against the Johnnies, also recalled: 

“We won Division Two a few times and went back up to senior level around 1976. Later my sons – Paul and Eamonn – were involved in the team when winning the  1992 Intermediate Championship and the Division Two.“The team manager was Danny Kinney – and we stayed up in senior hurling for some ten years after that.
At that time I got involved in helping Danny Kinney, and was in charge of the juvenile hurling – winning the U-12’s and all the way up to minor grade.
“In that team that won the Antrim minor hurling championship we had some Glenariffe guys such as Shane McDonnell, young Randal McDonnell and Jimmy McMullan. We also had young Dan Kinney and Robert Paul Laverty.

“Once I was Emmet’s joint team manager alongside Randal McDonnell – and got the team into Division One by winning the Division Two league title and the Intermediate Championship.”

The fitness dominated game of Handball also holds a special affection for Seamus, who started competitive action for Garron Tower, mostly in Doubles with Belfast Market’s born Sean McEntee – who became President of All-Ireland Handball. Seamus Graham maintained a strict training routine to be able to compete and win a string of Irish Masters handball titles, including a

ll at Masters age (Over 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70). He also won 30 Co Antrim Singles & 30 Doubles; 25 Ulster Singles & 13 Ulster Doubles; 5 All-Ireland Singles, 3 All-Ireland Doubles and 3 All-Ireland Tournament Singles.