By Denis O’Hara

DAN KINNEY, once a powerhouse hurler in north Antrim, has sadly passed away this week in the Glendun Nursing Home at Knocknacarry. He was 95.

From a hurling mad farming family at Layde, outside Cushendall, he had a remarkable start to senior club hurling combat, when merely 14 years of age with the Cushendall Ruairi Og. He was a pupil at Knocknacarry Public Elementary School when selected in the Cushendall team’s midfield!

Then it was off to board at St Malachy’s College, where he was quickly recognised for the College team in the Antrim minor hurling league.

The College on the Belfast Antrim Road also saw young Kinney excel in Gaelic football, full back for the school side.

His team colleagues included icons of the game, including Jim McKeever, Donough Forde and Peter O’Hara.

The big red-haired Kinney was included in both Antrim Minor football and hurling squads.

He once revealed: “I opted for the hurling, beat a good Donegal team at Corrigan Park, but as 1945 Ulster champions lost to Dublin in the All Ireland semi-final at Croke Park.”

Also in 1945 he joined the Hardinge Street CBS students when they were evacuated from Belfast because of WW2 – and housed in the Cushendun Hotel for one year.

One year later Kinney was still in the Minor team mix, but losing again to Dublin in the national semi-final, staged at Corrigan Park

Before leaving St Malachy’s he helped the College win the Antrim minor league title. The squad included players such as Jim McSparran, Gerry Treacy, Alex ‘Stoots’ Mc Kay, Ernest McCaughan, Donough Forde, Pat McKinley, Mickey McShane, Colm Murphy, Seamus McQuillan, Jackie Darragh and Michael Dallat.

Kinney, forever a man of the soil, intended to become a Veterinary Surgeon but switched to journalism, starting in the Irish News.

After four years he moved to join the Dublin Herald, then over to the Manchester Guardian for a spell in the London office.

Kinney came back to Belfast to sign on for the Belfast Telegraph, before closing out an illustrious career as chief sub-editor for the Belfast News Letter.

Always a man for the great outdoors, he left an abiding legacy with his hugely popular weekly viewpoint in ‘Rod and Gun’

Back in the Glens he resumed old friendships with the hurlers.

The trio of Kinney brothers generally generated some weekly drama in the club contests – with older brother John the outstanding full back. Archie varied from defence to attack, with DC around half forward – while on the sideline was the ever present, ever supportive brother, Patsy.

Dan Kinney, better known then as ‘D.C’, was, like his brothers, a useful man in ring warfare – and did some boxing for St Malachy’s College.

He often recalled other tough as nails Ruairi Og players such as Jamie and Charlie McDonnell, Henry and Jamie O’Rawe, Danny ‘Dan’ McAlister, Willie McKillop, class county winger Chris McMullan, Robert Close, Mannix McAlister and Mick McKeown. They were masters of the old ‘Polo Grounds’ pitch at Cushendall.

Around retirement from media work D C set up a family home in Cushendun, at Clady Road, Dunurgan where his strapping son Danny Jnr, resides.

Also a red head, Danny Jnr was a regular with the Robert Emmet hurling team in Cushendun.

In 1973 Dan Kinney tested the water as a hurling team manager, with the Emmet’s.

He was joint manager with Gerard Scally when the men from the Riggs clinched the 1992 Antrim Intermediate Championship.

He was one of the driving forces behind the Cushendall breakthrough at senior level and one of Dan’s proudest moments was when Chairman of the Ruairi Og hurling club during 1981 when the team won thier first Antrim SHC title.

This was a year after he was the team boss, arranging a team for the future. His successor as team manager was the late Brian Thompson.

By Denis O’Hara

DAN GILLAN, arguably one of the most accomplished and stylish hurlers ever to represent Loughguile Shamrocks died last weekend, following a protracted illness. He was 86.

The midfield maestro often gave a master class in doubling on the ground ball and slick finishing when ever present in many high quality Shamrock sides.

He first made his distinctive mark in hurling through combat in Ulster Colleges’ competition.

Dan and younger brother Tommy (‘Toss’) arrived at St McNissi’s College when the new boarder/day-boy grammar school opened in September 1951. Right away, the Gillan boys, boarders at Garron Tower, were instantly in action for Fr Paddy McKavanagh’s hurling team.

Dan was then already a class act, the doyen of half forward or midfield play – and a supreme specialist with sideline cuts. Following team training stints in the old Cut Rock field at The Tower dapper Dan would remain to practice and practice sideline cuts and free taking from all angles.

Along with team skipper Willie Devlin of Armoy he played a major role in the Tower’s first league title of 1954, beating St Malachy’s College in the provincial final at Corrigan Park.

One year later the title was retained, and in the meantime Dan and power player Devlin were recognised in the 1955 Antrim minor hurling team that clinched Ulster honours. They were also included in the Antrim senior hurling squad.

Following his departure from St MacNissi’s College, Dan studied and qualified as a schoolteacher – and later became Principal of St Patrick’s College, Ballymena.

All the while he was a constant at the ‘coalface’ for Loughguile Shamrocks, winning county league titles, seven Antrim senior championships – and clinching the always precious Feis Cup.

Following his player days he became a sterling Committee member for the Shamrocks – and eventually he was awarded Honorary Membership of the Club.

The husband of Sheila is the father of Brian, Cathy, Loughguile’s Club Registrar Donal and the Club’s Under-12 camogie team coach Niall.

Táin Óg U13 Division 1 hurling final,

Portaferry1-5 Naomh Eanna 4-9

St Patrick’s Park, Portaferry was the venue for the 2023 Táin Óg U13 Division 1 hurling final, with the host club decided by coin toss. Naomh Éanna were their opponents, having come through the group stages with full points. Both sides had a number of players familiar to each other, with Coláiste Feirste having played Red High the previous week in the Ulster GAA Year 8 B Final. Hugh Torney was the man in the middle, getting proceedings underway after a beautiful rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann marked the sense of occasion.

Both sides traded wides in the opening quarter as they settled into the game. Portaferry opened their account with a well taken over the shoulder point after a free dropped short before adding a second from a placed ball by Niall Smyth. Naomh Éanna returned the favour with a free from the Portaferry 45-meter line sent over by Odhrán McAllister. Nathan Burns rattled the crossbar for the Hightown side minutes later with Jay James sending a 65 over at 13 minutes to level the game. The game was keenly contested in the middle of the park, with Nathan Burns collecting an overturned ball to sprint through for his first major of the day. Portaferry added a point to their tally after a clever delivery to the corner from a free in. The visitors added 3 more to the score sheet with a free from Odhrán McAllister and long-range efforts from Seán Cunningham and Zac O’Connell. Heading into injury time, the home side added a point to the scoreboard with a free before Nathan Burns turned a short free in for his second major of the day. When referee Hugh Torney blew for half time, the sides went in at 2-05 to 0-04. 

The second half began with a quick goal from the Glengormley side, Aodhan Walsh turning a cross from Nathan Burns in at the back post. The hosts answered with a goal of their own in return. A rifled free from 15 metres out went through the traffic and hit the back of the Enda’s net. The rest of the second half was end-to-end stuff, with both teams attacking in waves and defending in packs. Numerous goal mouth scrambles had the crowd on edge and Odhrán McAllister had the green flag raised for a cut shot from a loose ball that found the back of the net. As the final whistle went, the scoreboard read 4-9 to 1-5 in favour of the visiting team and Jay James was presented with the Division 1 title on behalf of Táin Óg Committee.

Photo credit Karen Healey 

St Paul’s Sean Og McLaren retained his Ulster Under 16 Poc Fada title when he won Tuesday evening’s competition on Gawkstown Hill, Glenarm, the scene of his Antrim triumph just over a week earlier.

The big La Salle student had two shots to spare over Derry representative Paul McNicholl of Ballinascreen with Oran McAnareney of Ballela Co Down In third place, just metres short of McNicholl. Sean Og, who was beaten by one stroke in last year’s All Ireland final will get his chance to go all the way this time when the All Irelands are held in the Cooley mountains in early August.

In the big battle of the night Conor Woods of Ballycran and Down edged out Antrim veteran Liam Watson on countback, both players competing the course in 25 pocs, but Woods coming out on top in the distance over the finish line but just over 30 metres. When you hear the names Woods and Watson you think of the two American golfing greats and the contest at Hoylake in 2014 when the older Watson outscored the Tiger decisively to come within a putt of winning his 8^th Open title. Tuesday’s evening’s contest was a much closer battle with the younger man coming out on top this time, but the good news for all Watson fans is that he will contest the All Ireland final along with Woods in August.

Another man showing age was no barrier was Gearalt Ó Mianáin of Na Magha in Derry, the 49 year old finishing just one poc behind after a great display. Gearalt wore a special jersey in memory of his former club mate Aodhán O’Donnell and he certainly done him proud.

The Ladies competition was played over a shorter course because of the delayed start due to torrential rain and what a finish it produced with the winner Emma Mulvaney of the Castletara team in Monaghan finishing just four metres ahead of Danielle McCourt of Ballyholland Co Down, in what surely must be the tightest ever finish in the history of the competition.

Just like Sean Og McLaren did in the Under 16 Boys, Tierna Kelly of Ballinascreen and Derry did the same in the Under 16 Girls category. Tierna was in top form as he got the better of Antrim champion Eimhear Ward of St John’s Camogie Club Carnlough Antrim, with Scarlett Lennon of Armagh in 3^rd.

Aftewards everyone were treated to refreshments down at Pairc Forsythe, the home pitch of competition hosts, Shane O’Neill’s of Feystown, Glenarm, who once again were the perfect hosts. A special thank-you must also go to the O’Kane family for the use of their ground at Gawkstown Hill and to James Burleigh who did great work on his Quad setting up the course and ferrying officials around the course.

2023 Poc Fada winners who will be in the Cooley Mountains in August to represent their clubs and counties. Back L-R, Tierna Keely, Sean Og McLaren, Emma Mulvaney. Front left is Liam Watson who goest through as runner up and overall champions Conor Wood