DANSKE BANK MacRory Cup

Hogan Cup tops excellent year for St Patrick’s Maghera

August 30, 2013

St Patrick’s Maghera Celebrate All-Ireland Year

St Patrick’s Maghera recently took time to celebrate another All-Ireland sporting triumph for the College with a celebration dinner for the Hogan Cup winning team, their parents and other invited guests. The celebration acknowledged the success of the senior footballers and also paid tribute to the otherUlstertitles collected by the College in Gaelic games during the school year – a total of nine cups were on show for the event.

Fitting with College tradition a number of the teaching staff had dedicated many hours to decorating the College Assembly Hall for the event and a tremendous splash of College colours gave a very special feel to the venue for the event. Players, parents and guests had the opportunity to get pictures with the senior trophies before enjoying a sit down meal excellently delivered by Walsh’s Hotel and their staff. Speeches and DVD clips from the successful All-Ireland campaign were also part of the evening with GAA Director General, special guest on the night, recalling his days of frustration when St Macartan’s Monaghan were often toppled by St Patrick’s at Colleges level before going on to compliment the College and the staff of the College for their tremendous work in the promotion of Gaelic games. Mr Duffy referred to the reputation for excellence in Gaelic sport which St Patrick’s has rightly earned and hoped that other schools might take a lead from such work.

County Chairman John Keenan also spoke of the value of the work done by sports staff in St Patrick’s to the pupils, to the local clubs and areas and ultimately to the county itself, something which the county board he said valued. Mrs Geraldine Carville spoke very eloquently on behalf of parents and paid tribute to the College for the work and time so generously given to the boys to allow them achieve at such a level of competition. Hogan Cup winning coaches Sean Martin Lockhart and Martin McConnell also addressed the Hall before presentations were made to the boys of their MacRory and Hogan Cup medals and specially commissioned mementoes of their successful year.

A number of the boys were also presented with framed pictures to acknowledge their unique place in Ulster Colleges history as being the first group of players to win every championship medal available in their year group from Year 8 to Year 14 – a feat that will certainly be very difficult to repeat for any other Ulster Colleges footballers. Thirteen players made up that special group and the achievement of Gerald Bradley was also highlighted – the first Ulster Colleges player in over forty years to finish his school career with All-Ireland football and hurling winners medals.

The evening closed with presentations from the College to coaches Sean Martin Lockhart and Martin McConnell, their wives and to special guest Mr Paraic Duffy and his wife Vera.

St Patrick’s Maghera Winning Captains 2012-13

Connor  Carville (Watty Graham’s Glen)                   MacRory Cup Football  and Hogan Cup Football

Aoife Ní Chaiside (Robert Emmets Slaughtneil)       Senior  Camogie

Bronagh Ní Chaiside (Robert Emmets Slaughtneil)   U16 Camogie

Patrick Turner (Michael Davitts Swatragh)                Leonard Cup Hurling

Oran McGill  (Watty Graham’s Glen)                        D’Alton Cup Football

Tiarnan Walsh (Michael Davitts Swatragh)                MacNamee Cup Hurling

Therese Mellon (Robert Emmets Slaughtneil)            U14 Camogie

Conleth  McShane (Wolfe Tones Bellaghy)               O’Farrell Cup Football