Danske Bank Ulster Colleges Football All Stars

These All-stars are known as the 2015/6 Danske Bank Football All-stars and this is the 28th year of the Ulster Colleges All-star scheme.

Mattie McGleenan, Chairman of the Ulster Colleges Council, congratulated the recipients in announcing the team at a reception hosted by the sponsors Danske Bank at Malone House.

“This team has players from eight of the nine counties and are taken from twelve different schools. The lads have gone through a tough selection process and can be proud of their selection in such an elite team.”

Brenda Kerr, Strategy and Planning with Danske Bank added her congratulations.

“The Ulster Colleges All-Stars is an outstanding initiative and something that we at Danske Bank are extremely proud to be part of. The commitment and dedication required to even be nominated for an All-Star award is immense and I would like to congratulate all of the players who were selected to participate in the trials, as well as the 15 outstanding players we are honouring here today.

The football and hurling teams will be honoured at a reception later in the spring.

1. Dylan Doherty (St Columb’s Derry)
2. Conor McGrogan (St Mary’s Magherafelt)
3. Patrick Murdock (Abbey CBS Newry)
4. Barry McCambridge (St Ronan’s Lurgan)
5. Declan Loye (St Paul’s Bessbrook)
6. Eoighain Murray (Omagh CBS)
7. Ryan Owens (St Ronan’s Lurgan)
8. Jack Doherty (St Patrick’s Maghera)
9. John Harkin (Omagh CBS)
10. Tiarnán Bogue (St Michael’s Enniskillen)
11. Rian O’Neill (St Colman’s Newry)
12. Tom O’Kane (St Patrick’s Armagh)
13. David Garland (Patrician High Carrickmacross)
14. Thomas Edward Donohue (St Patrick’s Cavan)
15. Liam Kerr (St Paul’s Bessbrook)

Players are selected over the course of two trial games, after being initially nominated by their own school to attend the trials.

The scheme rewards excellence in skill and in sportsmanship and a player who has been sent off in any game between September 1st and the dates of the trials is ineligible for selection.

There are 12 different schools represented in the selection, with 3 schools – Omagh CBS, St Paul’s Bessbrook and St Ronan’s Lurgan  – picking up two awards each.

8 of the 9 counties are represented in the team, Antrim being the exception. Armagh have four players included the largest representation from a single county.

Jack Doherty (St Patrick’s Maghera 2014) and Thomas Edward Donohue (St Patrick’s Cavan 2015) have already collected MacRory Cup medals

Barry McCambridge and Ryan Owens become the first players from the new Lurgan College St Ronan’s to gain awards. One of the schools St Ronan’s replaced (St Michael’s) had gained six awards over the years. Barry McCambridge’s uncle Conor (1992 and 1993) and cousin Ryan (2013 and 2014) are dual Ulster Colleges’ All-star winners in hurling.

Rian O’Neill’s father Gareth has managed their club Crossmaglen Rangers to two All-Ireland club titles in 2011 and 2012.

13 of the All-stars have still an involvement in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup, the exceptions being Dylan Doherty and David Garland, whose schools St Columb’s Derry and Patrician High Carrickmacross are through to the quarter-finals of the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup.

In overall terms, there is no change in the top four places of the leader-board for awards won over the past 28 years. St. Patrick’s Maghera stay ahead of Abbey CBS with 51 football awards over that period.

Pictured at the Ulster Colleges GAA launch are: (Back row L-R) Conor Carson, St Mary’s CBS; Ryan Elliott, St Louis Ballymena; James McNaughton, St Louis Ballymena; Matthew McGleenan, Chairman of Ulster Colleges GAA; Brenda Kerr, Danske Bank; Dylan McLaughlin, St Killian’s Garrontower; Tiarnan Butler, Cross & Passion Ballycastle; Ronan Beatty, St Mary’s CBS and Donal McKernan, Rathmore.  (Front row L-R) Fergus McCambridge, St Killian’s Garrontower; Alex O’Boyle, Cross & Passion Ballycastle; Cathal McMullan; St Louis Ballymena; Eoin O’Neill, St Louis Ballymena; Conal Doherty-Cunning, St Louis Ballymena; Ciaran Elliott, St Louis Ballymena; Keelan Feeney, St Patrick’s Maghera and Dubhaltach MacAoidh-Baiceir; Colaiste Feirste.

Further Images on our Facebook page

Colleges’ Football All-stars 1988 – 2016

St. Patrick’s, Maghera     51

Abbey CBS, Newry          47

St Patrick’s, Armagh        42

St. Michael’s, Enniskillen                40

St. Colman’s, Newry        38

Omagh CBS         37

St Patrick’s, Dungannon                25

St. MacCartan’s, Monaghan         20

St Mary’s, Magherafelt 22

St Patrick’s, Downpatrick              12

St Louis, Kilkeel 9

St Patrick’s, Keady           8

St Michael’s, Lurgan / St Ronan’s Lurgan                8

St Mary’s CBS, Belfast    7

St Eunan’s, Letterkenny                7

Our Lady’s, Castleblaney              7

Patrician High, Carrickmacross    6

St Columb’s, Derry          6

St Patrick’s, Cavan           6

St Paul’s Bessbrook         6

Our Lady & St Patrick’s, Knock    4

De La Salle Ballyshannon               3

St Pius X, Magherafelt   3

Holy Trinity Cookstown 3

La Salle, Belfast 2

Loreto, Coleraine             2

Rathmore Grammar, Belfast       2

St Louis, Ballymena         2

St Ciaran’s Ballygawley  2

Aquinas Grammar Belfast            1

Holy Cross Strabane        1

Pobalscoil, Falcarragh     1

St Joseph’s Donaghmore              1

St MacNissi’s, Garron Tower       1

St Malachy’s, Belfast      1

St Columban’s, Kilkeel   1

36 SCHOOLS