The Official Ulster Colleges GAA Website - Sponsored by BT
Sat 17th Jul 2010
St Patrick’s Maghera Captains enjoy BT Banquet
Ulster Colleges sponsors BT Ireland brought the schools’ sporting season to a glittering climax on Thursday evening past when they hosted their Awards Banquet in the Ramada Hotel Belfast. The evening gave an opportunity for all the winning captains from the BT Ulster Colleges GAA season to be formally presented with their trophies and special personal mementoes of their achievement as captains of victorious school teams in Gaelic football and Hurling. Also presented on the night were the BT Ulster Colleges All-Star award winning football and hurling teams. All these presentations were carried out with special guests Christy Cooney, President of the GAA, Martin Clarke, Down county footballer and Neil McManus, Antrim county hurler as guests of honour and speakers on the night. Winning captains and All-Star Award winners were in attendance along with their parents and other invited guests and all present were treated to a beautiful meal and a superb evening of entertainment which highlighted the achievements of many proud pupils and even prouder parents as their sons were presented on stage.
St Patrick’s Maghera had five pupils and their proud parents in attendance at the event with Daniel McKinless as BT Ulster Colleges All-Star goalkeeper, Gerald Bradley and Niall Gorman as joint captains of the St Patrick’s Brock Cup football winning team, Ruairi O’Connell was captain of the successful Nannery Cup football team and Brian Cassidy captained the Thompson Cup hurlers to victory. In what was a splendid, and very entertaining evening, the boys were presented individually with their awards and commemorative jerseys, kit bags and framed posters while All-Star award winners were also presented with a specially commissioned statuette. UUJ also presented sports gear to the All-Stars.
Congratulations to BT on their exceptional presentation as sponsors of the evening – an evening which really does take Colleges sport to the highest level and allows pupils, teachers and parents celebrate achievement together. Congratulations also to all the pupils able to attend and especially to those pupils of St Patrick’s who were honoured at the event. Daniel McKinless will continue his studies at third level next year after two years of excellent commitment to MacRory Cup football in St Patrick’s while the other St Patrick’s pupils who attended will certainly be keen to ensure their return to next year’s spectacular event and will no doubt redouble their efforts when back in the St Patrick’s team jersey during the new school year – those special BT sponsored jerseys for the winning captains may even appear at training on a few evenings!!
Submitted by: Paul Hughes
