As the All Saints club continue celebrating their 50th anniversary the latest in a series of events to mark the significant year took place on Sat 21st June.
As many Antrim clubs will no doubt be aware from their own experience establishing a GAA club usually begins with the sourcing of a place to play. In an age before council facilities, grant allocations and 3g pitches the inaugural All Saints club executive approached the local parish priest for permission to use the old parish field located at Hugomont. Once granted, the industrious early committee set about transforming the patch of land to enable training and the playing of games to take place. The site, now home to St. Brigid’s Primary School, was the headquarters of the Ballymena club from its foundation in 1975 through to the development of and opening of their Woodside Road facilities in 1985. A remarkable feat in itself – accomplished in just 10 years.
Featured Image: Founder member and former secretary, Seamus Crummey and present chairman, Jim Brady unveil the plaque to commemorate the former All Saints pitch at Hugomunt and, above the plaque depicting some of the history of the club through those formative years
To say the facilities at Hugomont were primitive would maybe constitute an understatement however the stories and tales associated with the club’s time there tell a different story. Waterlogged land, potholed lanes, electricity cables overhead and a pitch that had a dip that could obscure your view of your fellow players depending on what position you were playing are quickly forgotten when the rose tinted glasses are worn. Tales of great pitch battles, of short cuts through Deramore’s back gardens, of astonished opposition teams and of sports days to rival the Olympics flow from all who experienced the old pitch at Hugomont.
Club members and children who took part in the games that preceded the unveiling of the plaque at St. Brigid’s on Saturday
To commemorate their first decade of existence a day of Gaelic games took place at the original site. Billed as the Return to Hugomont and using the St. Brigid’s PS pitch the club’s players from FUNdamentals to U12 across displayed their skills across all 4 codes for parents and friends.
The on-field activity was a forerunner to the main event of the day which saw the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the historical link. Seamus Crummey, one of several founding members in attendance, performed the unveiling honours and shared his memories of the Hugomont Years with the assembled members and guests.
TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM THE HUGOMONT PLAQUE UNVEILING CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW