Ulster Schools Camogie All Star Awards night

Seamus McAleenan welcomed the guest to the EOS IT Solutions Ulster Schools’ Camogie All-stars night in the Elk, Toomebridge on Thursday evening in what was another great occasion for the young camogs throughout the province.

I want to especially welcome here tonight our guests.

Karen McCormick, cathaoirleach Uladh, and her husband Carl, no strangers of course to our awards night as her daughter Róisín picked up back to back All stars a few years ago.

Katie Glackin and Eimear Rafferty, on behalf of Gaelic Games at Queen’s who sponsored our Player of the Match trophies and who run the schools’ Future Stars programme that is culminating in the final trial tomorrow Friday. Some of you All-stars were fortunate enough to be acknowledged in the Future stars’ team in 2024 and last year.

Finally I would like to welcome our guest speaker tonight Dearbhla Magee. Dearbhla, while a student in St Malachy’s Castlewellan, was selected one of our All-stars in 2015. She quickly progressed to the Down senior team and has been a key player with them since, helping win Ulster and All-Ireland titles, as well as picking up many individual awards along the way. She is currently a teacher in Lecale Trinity in Downpatrick and last year guided Aquinas to the Rosina McManus Shield. We look forward to hearing from Dearbhla later on.

***Kerry-Rose Drain presents a bouquet of flowers to guest of honour Dearbhla Magee***

But we are gathered here principally to honour the players chosen as the best in Ulster schools’ camogie – our 2025-26 All-stars and I welcome you all here tonight along with your main support groups who are your families and teachers.

2004 was the centenary year of the foundation of the game of camogie. To celebrate reaching that milestone, All-Ireland schools’ decided to hold an inter-provincial tournament and asked each of the provincial councils to assemble a team. Those trials were to become our first All-star trials because we in Ulster decided to award All-stars to anyone selected on the team.

We select a panel of players for that competition – instead of just 15 as happens in football and hurling. Down through the 23 years of our All-star scheme, most of the top inter-county players of the immediate past and present have picked up awards here. Most of the Down, Antrim and Derry teams that won the All-Ireland Intermediate championship since 2020 and many from Armagh, Tyrone and Cavan teams who have also enjoyed success in recent years have been in the teams. International athlete Ciara Mageean was an Ulster schools’ camogie All-star in 2010.

Over the years we have seen excellent schools’ players become top inter-county stars and that is continuing today. Take a look at last year’s team.

No fewer than six of those on last year’s poster have already represented their county at senior level. Eimear McGeary and Fiadhna Loughran played for Armagh and both came in as substitutes in the All-Ireland final in Croke Park. Laura Black and Aimee Ferris have played for Antrim in Division 1A of the National League over the past few weeks with Aimee scoring the famous goal that helped them beat Cork.

Catherine Moohan has settled into the Tyrone senior team this year and Paige Bell has been Derry’s regular full-back through the league.

Catherine and Eimear are of course receiving their second awards here tonight along with two others who are already senior intercountry players. Éobha McAllister has become a regular with Antrim and Caileigh McConnell has featured strongly with Down during the league. Many of you still have to finish minor and this time next year, I am sure we will be name-checking you here.

In future years we will hope to invite some of you back as our guest speakers here because, like Dearbhla here tonight, your name will be recognized widely and you will have helped your club or county to All-Ireland successes.

We want to welcome to our celebration night here the winning captains of our five senior championships and three senior Shields plus the Players of Match in the championship finals.

Amy McAlister (St Killian’s, Garron Tower) receives her award from guest of honour Dearbhla Magee

***Lucy McKaigue presents a bouquet of flowers to Ulster Camogie president Karen McCormick***

A special presentation was made to Seamus McAleenan by All Star and Antrim county star Eobha McAllister on behalf of the All Stars committee in appreciation of more than 40 years service to camogie in the schools thoughout Ulster. Seamus had held a variety of positings in the committee of the years but his work in spearind the gospel of Camogie through the various media agencies has been his stand out contribution