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Armagh Senior Footballer Aimee Mackin has been named as TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year for 2020 as well as the AIG Cúl na Bliana award for her goal against Dublin. The awards were announced on TG4's Peil na mBan - Foirne na Bliana at the weekend.
Commenting on the win Ladies Gaelic Football Association President, Marie Hickey said “What a night it was for Aimee Mackin – who won the TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year award, found a place in the forward line on the Senior Team of the Championship, and saw her brilliant goal against Dublin named as the ‘AIG Cúl na Bliana.’
“We look forward to more brilliant football in 2021, when I expect so many of the players acknowledged this evening to feature prominently for their respective counties again.”
Shane O'Neills club player Aimee (23) scored 5:17 in the unusual 2020 Championship season.
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Following a one year hiatus the Northern Ireland Motor Club Ltd have announced that the Ulster Rally is set to return later in the year, the weekend of Friday 19 and Saturday 20 November. The event will run out of Newry.
As with most outdoor sporting events last year, the 2020 instalment of the Tarmac classic had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 health pandemic. But organisers are confident the roll-out of the vaccination programme against the respiratory disease, which is set to be largely completed by the end of this summer, will allow the Ulster Rally to be staged safely.
“Due to COVID-19 and the current restrictions, the preparations required for an August date could not be completed,” explained Event Director, Richard Swanston. “We will continue to monitor the situation and tailor our plans to suit as we work towards the November date.”
On the issue of spectators being allowed to attend the closed-roads event, Swanston added: “If restrictions are such that the attendance of spectators would be illegal, and would pose a risk to the community we are operating in, then we’ll review the viability closer to the time.
“In controlled areas such as service parks, again, restrictions at the time will dictate how we operate. It’s very fluid at the moment but we have a date and we’re working towards that.”
The 44th Ulster Rally will be run out of Newry in 2021, with further details concerning the stages, the event HQ and the service park all to be announced in due course by organisers.
The 2021 event can be followed via the Ulster Rally website www.ulsterrally.com as well as the official Facebook account www.facebook.com/ulsterrally
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Newry City AFC have announced that their First Team Manager Darren Mullen has agreed to stay on having signed a new two-year contract.
In a statement a Club Spokesperson said "Unsurprisingly, given what Darren has achieved both for the club since we reformed and personally, progressing to his Pro Coaching licence, there were other opportunities open to him and it’s a massive boost to the club that he has decided to commit himself to Newry. Hopefully restrictions will soon be lifted and we can start to prepare for a full season in 21/22.”
Darren added “It has been a long few weeks with a lot of soul searching but I’m delighted to have agreed a new deal with the club. The past year has been tough for everyone football and otherwise which had led me to consider my own future. I took time to speak to the players, coaching staff and committee and it was evident that they all shared my desire to drive this club forward on and off the pitch. As a proud Newry man I would love nothing more than to take the club back to The Premiership and for the next 2 years will ensure that as a group we do all we can to make that happen.”
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A Belfast Gaelic Athletic Club has decided this year that instead of seeking a sponsor for their 2021 away jerseys that they would instead highlight the work of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust based in Newry. Greencastle Wolfe Tones GAC will proudly sport the KBRT logo on their new jerseys.
The KBRT was founded in 2013 in memory of Newry native, Kevin Bell, who was killed in tragic circumstances in New York. Kevin played football for Newry Mitchells and Abbey CBS as well as being an accomplished Irish dancer and fluent Irish speaker. KBRT repatriate the bodies of loved ones who have died overseas and their services are available to anyone on the island of Ireland. To date they have repatriated the remains of over 1000 individuals to their families.
Announcing the decision the Club's PRO Tiarnán Millar who went to school and the Gaeltacht with Kevin said "Wolfe Tones GAC are delighted to announce that we will not be seeking a shirt sponsor for our new away jerseys for the 2021 season and instead, the Committee has agreed to highlight the excellent work carried out by the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (KBRT), a Newry based charity which aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families repatriating the bodies of loved ones who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances back to Ireland."
Tiarnán adds "Wolfe Tones were refounded in 2019 after being dormant since 1970. We're based in Greencastle which is just off the Shore Road in North Belfast We're managed by former Antrim and Ulster player Enda McAtamney."
The club have a few connections with Newry, Tiarnán from the town while Crossmaglens Gavin Cumiskey and Rostrevor's Tony Carroll are also involved.
Tiarnán added "We're hoping Wolfe Tones is going to be part of the Greencastle community for years to come and it would have been something Kevin would have supported given his love of GAA, Irish dance and the language."
Families in North Belfast and Newtownabbey have been helped by the KBRT and Wolfe Tones GAC will also be running a fundraising event when Covid-19 restrictions allow with a percentage of revenues raised through the sales of replica shirts will be donated to the Trust.
In the meantime, supporters and members of Wolfe Tones GAC can make a donation to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and learn about the work that they do by visiting their website KEVINBELLREPATRIATIONTRUST.COM
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Today 1 February saw the start of the Armagh Ladies' Gaelic Football Association Virtual Fitness Challenge "100km in 28 Days".
Participants are challenged to complete 100km's during the month of February by walking, running or by bicycle.
Families have been encouraged to enter the event with Armagh LGFA receiving entries from across Armagh, Down and the rest of Ireland and indeed worldwide.
Money raised from the event will go towards the Orchard county's #LetsLightKillean campaign with a generous donation also going to the Friends Of The Cancer Centre.
Anyone interested in taking up a challenge for February can check out any of Armagh LGFA social media platforms.
If you want to support their fundraising effort you could visit their Go Fund Me page at www.gofundme.com where nearly £7k has already been raised.
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Craobh Rua Camlocha Hurling Club heldtheir 2020 Underage Presentations recently with special guest Santa on hand to present.
Santa was delighted to present (following strict guidelines as Santa would do) all the Underage hurlers who visited him with their medals,, certificates and a small present from him and his elves.
Ryan McAleavey was the recipient of the Richard Hughes Memorial Shield.
Pat McGinn from Craobh Rua said "Many thanks to all who helped ensure that we had a joyful and safe presentation event. Our young hurlers, their families and our underage team coaches deserved it and we thank them for their continued support and commitment. We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Christmas and we look forward to hearing the ‘clash of the ash’ in the New Year."
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Down Camogie seniors have won the Liberty Insurance All Ireland Intermediate Championship. They defeated Antrim by 12 points in Breffni Park yesterday. Last time they won was 1998 when Cork were the opponents.
The Down squad took to the field in Cavan yesterday. Half time saw Down lead by three points 1:8 to 1:5. Niamh Mallon scored 2:3 in a blistering second half performance for the Portaferry woman. Also on song were Lauren Clarke and Sara Louise Graffin adding 1:2 each to the scoreline while five points from Clonduffs Paula O'Hagan cemented the win.
Final score Down 4:16 Antrim 2:10
Down Scorers
Niamh Mallon 2:3
Lauren Clarke 1:2
Sara Louise Graffin 1:2
Paula O’Hagan 0:5
Aimee McAleenan 0:3
Sorcha McCartan 0:1
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Armagh Senior Camogie team are All Ireland Champions after a thrilling game against Cavan at Breffni Park.
Cavan scored a total of 3 goals but each time Armagh dug in and never gave them the opportunity to surge ahead in the Liberty Insurance All Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Final. Sisters Ciara and Leanne Donnelly notched up an incredible 17 points between them.
Cavan's third goal 23 minutes in was to be their last score though. It put them a point ahead 3:7 to 0:15 but Armagh kept their composure and four crucial points followed from Armagh's Ciara Donnelly, three of them from play.
Armagh emerged victorious with a final score Armagh 0:19 to Cavan's 3:7 (16)
Armagh Scorers
Ciara Donnelly 0:13
Leanne Donnelly 0:4
Rachael Merry 0:2
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Armagh are out of the Ulster Senior Football Championship and with that their chance of getting anywhere near the All Ireland in 2020.
The first half saw a dominant Donegal get to the break with 12 points to spare after adding a goal to the tally in the 35th minute. At the break it was Donegal; 1:12 to Armagh 0:3 with all of the Armagh scores coming from Rian O'Neill frees.
The second half continued in the same vein with Donegal managing to keep out of reach although an additional 9 points including a further four points from Rian O'Neill kept the gap constant.
It took 50 minutes before Jamie Clarke managed to add the first score from play. Donegal now go forward to the Ulster Final.
Final score Armagh 0:13 Donegal 1:22
Scorers: Oisin O'Neill 0:1; Rian O'Neill 0:7; Conor Turbitt 0:2; Niall Grimley 0:1; Jamie Clarke 0:2
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