2016-17 Camogie All-stars Named
Ulster Schools’ Camogie All-stars
Nine players from the Antrim minor team that swept the boards with three titles in 2016 have been included in the Ulster Schools’ Camogie All-star team announced yesterday by Honorary President Sr Máiréad Fearan.
Included in those nine are Cliodhna and Áine Donnelly from Cross and Passion Ballycastle who become the first set of twins selected since Orla and Bronagh McDonnell (also from Cross & Passion) back in the very first team in the Camogie Centenary Year of 2004.
Cliodhna recently picked up Ulster Minor Player of 2016, while Áine is collecting her second successive award, as is a third Cross and Passion player Caoimhe Wright.
Cross and Passion are unbeaten after the league section of the Ulster Senior championship and are top seeds for the semi-finals in mid-January.
All three girls were also in the Antrim team that won the All-Ireland Minor B Shield as well as the Ulster Minor and Intermediate titles during the past season.
The captain of those teams was Laoise McKenna (St Killian’s Garron Tower), who also picks up her second award in succession, while goalie Caitriona Graham joins an elite group of 18 other players who have made three All-star selections.
Others picking up a second successive award are Caitriona’s St Louis Ballymena team-mate Victoria Edgar and the St Patrick’s Keady pair Hannah Hughes and Leah McGoldrick.
The other Antrim minors finishing off a very successful 2016 with an All-star are Siobhan McKillop, Emily Falloon and Niamh McKee, while St Killian’s Ellen Hynds was a key player with Antrim under 16s who also won the Ulster title in August this year.
Portglenone club player Niamh McKee attends school in St Mary’s Magherafelt and is set to face Cross and Passion Ballycastle in next month’s semi-final.
St Mary’s team-mate Clare Mulholland joins her in the All-star team, while there will be some disappointment in St Patrick’s Maghera with the selection of just one player from the reigning Schools’ senior champions – Therese Mallon.
Maghera will face St Louis Ballymena in their semi-final next month and the mid-Antrim school has, as well as Caitriona Graham in goals and Victoria Edgar at full-forward, a third All-star in Dunloy’s Caoimhe Conlon.
Last year, Cavan got their first ever camogie All-star in Phillipa Waters from Breifne College. This year another Breifne College player, Niamh Reilly gained favour with the selectors as did Ciara Finnegan from St Claire’s Ballyjamesduff.
Breifne and Ballyjamesduff are set to meet in next month’s Senior Medallion Shield semi-final.
Meanwhile 1994 Down All-Ireland senior football medallist Gregory McCartan will be proud of daughter Sorcha (St Louis Kilkeel) making the cut, while Leeanne Donnelly is following in the footsteps of older sister, and Armagh senior player, Ciara who won an All-star back in 2009.
On the subject of football, St Louise’s Emily Falloon is doubling up as she also made the Ulster Schools’ football team announced a couple of weeks ago.
Unlike the boys’ hurling and football teams announced earlier this week, there are 22 players selected for camogie All-stars as the girls will represent Ulster in an inter-provincial series in the spring-time.
They will formally receive their awards at a banquet in the Elk Restaurant in Toome around Easter.
Ulster Colleges’ Camogie All-stars 2017
Laoise McKenna, Siobhán McKillop, Ellen Hynds (St Killian’s, Garron Tower)
Caitriona Graham, Victoria Edgar, Caoimhe Conlon (St Louis, Ballymena)
Caoimhe Wright, Aine Donnelly, Cliodhna Donnelly (Cross and Passion, Ballycastle)
Leah McGoldrick, Hannah Hughes, Eimear Smyth (St Patrick’s, Keady)
Niamh McKee, Clare Mulholland (St Mary’s, Magherafelt)
Therese Mallon (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
Niamh Reilly (Breifne College, Cavan)
Emily Falloon (St Louise’s, Belfast)
Ciara Finnegan (St Claire’s Ballyjamesduff)
Sorcha McCartan (St Louis Kilkeel)
Lauren Clarke (St Malachy’s, Castlewellan)
Leeanne Donnelly (St Catherine’s Armagh)
Bronagh Dempster (Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock)
