Glasdrumman CAC held its annual
awards and dinner dance in the Burrendale
Hotel in Newcastle on Saturday night
with a large number of guests in
attendance.
The guest speaker on the night was
Danny Murphy.
Club Chairman, John Brennan, started
by thanking the 2007 senior management
and coaching team of Mark Dumigan,
Paddy Cunningham, William James
Smith and Terry Joyce along with
the senior football squad who gave
their utmost commitment in training
and competition and were unlucky
in losing Division 2 status. John
wished the new Senior management
team, with Hugh Treanor at the helm,
good luck for the coming season
and expressed how good it was to
see the large turnouts for training
to date this year. John also thanked
senior team sponsors, Quinn's Bar,
Newcastle for their continued support
of the club.
Danny Murphy, Aileen Smith and Club
Chairman John Brennan
John went on to express the clubs's
thanks to those who managed and
mentored the Juvenile teams for
their invaluable assistance and
commitment, ensuring the succesful
participation of the younger players
in Gaelic games with the U14 team,
amalgamated with Atticall, winning
both their league and championship,
the U16s, also amalgamated with
Atticall, winning their league and
the Minors, including the U16 players,
finishing runners up in Division
3 in South Down. Mentors for the
U10 and U12 (GO Games) - Michael
Grant, Paul Cunningham and Jeremy
Murray, U14 - Declan Grant and Liam
Harrison, U16 - Dan McCartan and
John Doran and U18 - Kevin Burns
and Gary McGreevy. A special thanks
was reserved for Atticall GAC for
their joint effort and continued
support for underage Gaelic games
in the area.
Patrick & Margo Trimble
John thanked the club's outgoing
Senior referee, Patrick Trimble,
for his contribution for more than
30 years and welcomed new club referee,
Alan Grant, to the club. John also
asked that anyone else interested
in contributing as a referee to
come forward. He then went on to
thank everyone who had represented
and supported the club in Scor throughout
theyear, again asking anyone interested
in representing the club to come
forward.
John McAteer, South Down Chairman
WJ Smith and Daniel McCartan
John then thanked those who worked
quietly in the background, cutting
and preparing the football pitch,
driving the minibus, linesmen, umpires,
TOTE and gate money collectors,
tea makers, score board operators,
bingo organisers and fundraisers,
with a special word of thanks to
Aileen Smith for the preparation
of the Senior team kit.
John thanked the local Primary
School, St. Mary's, Glasdrumman
and Principal Michael Madine, and
the Friends Of The School Asociation
for their support of the club and
their continued interest and support
of Gaelic Games. John also commended
local schools St. Louis and St.
Columbans, Kilkeel and St. Malachys,
Castlewellan for their continuing
progress in Gaelic Games at all
levels, and thanked Glasdrumman's
players for their involvement. Special
congratulations were reserved for
the club's players who were members
of the St. Columban's U16 All Ireland
winning team, Shane Harrison, Ryan
Doran, Jamie Carroll and Martin
McGrath.
Raymond Magorrian and Ryan Doran
John expressed congratulations
to William James Smith on the last
year as Chairman of the South Down
Board and Liam Murphy on his re-appointment
to the County U21 management and
coaching team and thanked both for
their sound advice. He also congratulated
Bonnie and Liam McGreevy on their
appointment to the senior management
of the Down Senior Camogie squad
and wished them well for 2008. John
congratulated the club players who
were involved with underage County
Development squads for the coming
year.
John then thanked the club Committee
for their help throughout the year
with thanks to new Committe members
Colette Burden and Liam Cunningham.
John had a special word of thanks
for Dan McCartan for his help and
continued support as Vice Chairman
throughout the year.
John offered condolences to those
connected with the club who were
bereaved through the year and also
congratulated those who celebrated
marriages or births.
John finished off by thanking the
club's supporters of all ages, "Being
a true Gael is about local people,
playing their native game, representing
their local parish community and
being there for each other, both
on and off the field of play".
Danny Murphy thanked the club for
inviting him to the evening's event
and spoke of his long term connections
with the club, reminiscing how he
had been honoured to have opened
the club's existing pitch at the
Quarter Road. He spoke of the developments
within the GAA in both Down and
thoughout Ireland and how clubs
such as Glasdrumman were important
to this development. Danny expressed
his hope that the club would bounce
back out of Division Three quickly,
but also made the point that sometimes
a drop in Division allows for the
development of the younger players
within a club and lead to even greater
success in the long run. He emphasised
that although Glasdrumman was a
small club it was a club with a
large community spirit at heart
and one that was very well respected
throughout Down for its commitment
to Gaelic games and culture. He
ended by wishing the club well for
the year ahead.
WJ Smith, Janine McCartan, John
Brennan and Art McCartan
The presentations were then made;
Senior Player of the Year (The
Jackie O'Hare Trophy), presented
by Terry Joyce to Raymond Magorrian
Sportsman of the Year (The Mick
Mooney Cup), presented by WJ Smith
to Daniel McCartan
Trainer of the Year (The Arthur
Doran Trophy), presented WJ Smith
to John McAteer
U16 Player of theYear (From Atticall),
presented by Dan McCartan to Ryan
Doran
Club Person of the Year (The Ann
McGreevy Cup), presented by Liam
Cunningham to Aileen Smith
Supporter of the Year (The Paddy
Grant Trophy), presented by Patricia
Grant to Margo Trimble
Cultural Award, presented by Eddie
Feeney to Art Mc Cartan Junior who
accepted the award on behalf of
his father, Art McCartan
A special award was presented to
Patrick Trimble as thanks for his
thirty plus years as club referee
by Danny Murphy.
Danny Murphy also made special presentations
to Shane Harrison, Ryan Doran, Jamie
Carroll and Martin McGrath for their
historic achievement as part of
the St. Columban's U16 All Ireland
winning team.
Entertainment for the evening,
Francie C, then took centre stage
to round the evening off in fine
style.
