Latest News
.JPG)
St. Mary’s held the club’s annual dinner dance in The Elk Toomebridge on Friday 15th January 2016. This year’s dinner dance was a celebration of the club Junior Hurlers who won the Antrim Junior title for the 3rd time in the club’s history.
Club chairman Michael Hardy reflected on the highs and lows of Rasharkin’s year in 2015. He remarked on the many successes for the club in 2015 and highlighted the Junior victory as the high point of the club’s year and wished the hurlers well for 2016 as they make the step up to intermediate level. On a football front while 2015 may not as been as successful as the club would have expected, he viewed performance in the Intermediate Championship victory over a fancied Ballymena side as cause for optimism for the year ahead. Michael also welcomed the club’s new senior manager Dermot McNicholl to the club. Michael also touched on the club’s camogie team’s year & wished their new management team success in the year ahead. On a juvenile front the U14 footballer’s success in reaching the Shield final and the success of the trip to the Liffre tournament in France was noted. The club’s U14 camogie team reached the U14 Championship final and Michael congratulated them on this achievement.
Off the pitch 2015 was also a successful year for Rasharkin in which work was commenced for the clubs proposed development as improvements were made to entrance at Dreen. The club also ran many events across the year including the Biggest Loser and Pain Down the Lane boxing event amongst others. Michael thanked the club’s events & finance committees for their hard work throughout the year which made all these events possible.
Michael took the opportunity to congratulate Michael Hasson on is inauguration as Ulster Council President which takes place at the end of the month. Special mention was also made to outgoing Antrim Ulster delegate Danny McLernon, Michael thanked Danny for his long service to the GAA not only in Rasharkin, but also within the South West, Antrim & Ulster.
On a sad note Michael took a moment to remember club member Adrian Kelly who unfortunately passed away in November as well as club members who were suffering illness at this time & asked that we keep them all in our thoughts.
Special guests on the night were Antrim Senior Hurling manager PJ O’Mullan and new county chairman Collie Donnelly.
PJ spoke on the importance of hard work and his belief that this was essential for any club to be successful and drew comparisons the similarities of his own club Loughgiel Shamrocks and Rasharkin as he congratulated the hurlers on a successful year. He emphasised his commitment to hurling within the county, not just within the traditional strongholds and his intention that Rasharkin would be given opportunities to host the Antrim senior hurlers as they trained throughout the year, while also giving juvenile members within the club the chance to meet the players. PJ also spoke of his belief that hurlers within the junior clubs were good enough to represent Antrim and that every opportunity would be afforded to Rasharkin players to represent Antrim at the highest level.
County chairman Collie Donnelly thanked the club for inviting them to their annual dinner dance and commented on the continued commitment of Rasharkin members to the county and also wished Ulster Council President-Elect Michael Hasson success in his new role. He looked ahead with optimism for the year ahead as the county commences work on its own major development at Dunsilly.
St. Mary’s would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended the club’s dinner dance, special guests PJ O’Mullan and Collie Donnelly for attending on the night, the Elk & it’s staff for their hospitality and service, and in particular Thomas Doherty and Paul Hasson for their hard work in organising this year’s Dinner Dance.
Awards winners are listed below, see the club gallery for photographs.
Senior Hurler of the Year: Brendan McMullan
Senior Footballer of the Year: Eamonn McNeill
Senior Camogie Player of the Year: Noeleen O’Kane
Reserve Footballer of the Year: Aodhan Hardy
Most Improved Hurler of the Year: Aidan McKeever
Most Improved Footballer of the Year: Tiarnan Doherty
Most Improved Camogie Player: Aoife McFerran
Club Person of the Year: Paul Hasson
Juvenile Team of the Year: U14 Footballers
