St Columba’s Kilrea cause an upset as they win the Tony McGrath Memorial Tournament

Tony McGrath Memorial Tournament

Tony McGrath’s brother Ciaran presents the bourke Sports Player of the Tournament award to Daniel Barry of St Columba’s, Kilrea.

St Columba’s Kilrea caused something of a shock when they became the first winners of the Tony McGrath Memorial Hurling Tournament at Dunloy Academy on Friday. Most observers expected some of the north Antrim teams to take the honours in the inaugural tournament, which was organised by St Jospeph’s Dunloy, the school where the former Dunloy and Antrim star was caretaker up until his untimely death last year, and the one that his children attended. When one of the St Jospeph’s teams made their way through to the final it all appeared to be falling into place, but standing in their way was St Columba’s Kilrea, the school Tony attended for the last two years of his primary education, when the family moved ‘over the border’ to the Derry town.

***Piper Eamon Downey leads the teams in the pre-match parade***

Of course we were all expected the Dunloy team to take the honours, but the Derry side had different ideas and what a display they turned in to win the game convincingly by 4-4 to 1-06 They had shown just what they were capable of when they beat Antrim Cumann na Bunscol champions St Anne’s Corkey in the in a thrilling semi-final, just a point separating the sides at the end. The other semi-final between St Jospeh’s and St Patrick’s & St Brigid’s Ballycastle was also a close affair with the Dunloy’s school’s quick start getting them over the line. Overall a very well-run and enjoyable tournament and a fitting tribute to the great man it commemorated.