DANSKE BANK ULSTER COLLEGES GAA

McGillian & Laverty Make it 3-in-a-row

March 20, 2013

Ulster Colleges’ All-stars 2013

Brónagh McGillian and Maedhbh Laverty are the stand out names in the 10th Ulster Colleges’ All-star camogie panel announced yesterday in The Elk in Toomebridge.

Both players are included in the panel for the third successive year.

Maedhbh, a student at St Dominic’s, has already represented Antrim at senior level, while Brónagh from Ballinascreen is a member of her county’s senior squad.

Brónagh won her first award as a student at St Colm’s Draperstown, but has picked up the other two awards as an A Level student in St Mary’s Magherafelt.

Her school team-mate Aine McAllister picks up her second award, while a further 6 players are also doubling-up.

They include 2 players from 4-in-a-row Senior Colleges’ champions St Patrick’s Maghera – Maeve Quinn and captain Aoife Ní Chaiside, both of whom played for Derry in the All-Ireland Intermediate final in Croke Park last September.  Indeed Aoife had an outstanding game at full-back last Saturday for Derry in the thrilling Senior league victory over Tipperary.

Also on second awards are St Louis Ballymena goalie Shari Carey, St Patrick’s Keady forward Michelle Morgan, Cross & Passion Ballycastle forward Orla O’Hara and Loreto Coleraine defender Megan Kerr.  Megan holds 2 All-Ireland club medals with Eoghan Rua in the town.

St Catherine’s Armagh forward Joanne Mullan returns to the panel.  She won her first award in 2011, but was not in last year’s selection.

There is little surprise in the inclusion of Maghera midfielder Shauna Quinn or their free-taker Mairead McNicholl for first awards.  Both have had terrific seasons.

Máiréad’s sister Gráinne won back to back awards in 2009-10.  They are daughters of legendary Swatragh and Derry star Sarah Anne Quinn.

Maghera, the top school in camogie at present, have four players in the 22 strong panel with St Pius X Magherafelt picking up 3 spots through Aimee Devlin, Maggie Hagan and Caoimhe Glass to make up for the disappointment of losing the Fr Davies Cup final.

Not suprisingly players from Derry dominate the squad – 10 in total.  Antrim follow that with 5, while Armagh and Down both have 3 players, Maggie Hagan from Moortown completing the list.

The panel will now participate in collective training in preparation for the Colleges’ inter-provincial competition on Saturday April 20th.

Ulster Colleges’ camogie All-stars 2013

Shauna Quinn, Maeve Quinn, Aoife Ní Chaiside, Mairead McNicholl (St Patrick’s, Maghera)

Aimee Devlin, Maggie Hagan, Caoimhe Glass (St Pius X Magherafelt)

Bronagh McGillian, Aine McAllister (St Mary’s, Magherafelt)

Michelle Morgan, Catherine McCooey (St Patrick’s, Keady)

Aimee McAleenan, Aoife Keown (Assumption, Ballynahinch)

Shari Carey, Lucia McNaughton (St Louis, Ballymena)

Orlagh O’Hara (Cross and Passion, Ballycastle)

Maedhbh Laverty (St Dominic’s, Belfast)

Niamh Sherry Adams (St Louise’s,Belfast)

Joanne Mullen (St Catherine’s,Armagh)

Mary Hegarty (St Colm’s Draperstown)

Niamh McCarthy (Our Lady’s, Newry)

Megan Kerr (Loreto Coleraine)