2016-17 Football All-stars Named

2016-7 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Football All Stars

1.     Brendan Gallen (Omagh CBS)
2.     James McAlinden (St Ronan’s College, Lurgan)
3.     Barry McCambridge (St Ronan’s College, Lurgan)
4.     Conor McCloskey (St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt)
5.     Daniel Guinness (OLASP Knock)
6.     Padraig McGrogan (St Pius X College, Magherafelt)
7.     Frank Connolly (Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblaney)
8.     Josh Connery (OLASP Knock)
9.     Callum Brown (St Mary’s College, Limavady)
10.     Peadar Mogan (Abbey Vocational School, Donegal)
11.     Tomás Carney (Holy Trinity College, Cookstown)
12.     Niall O’Donnell (St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny)
13.     James Wilson (Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblaney)
14.     Patrick Quigg (St Patrick’s College, Maghera)
15.     Caolan Devlin (St Pius X College, Magherafelt)

Jimmy Smyth, Chairman of the Ulster Schools’ 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 twelve different schools, right across the different grades of football at senior level. The lads have gone through a tough selection process and can be proud of their selection in such an elite team.”

Aisling Press, District Manager at 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.

·     These All-stars are known as the 2016/17 Danske Bank Football All-stars and this is the 30th year of the Ulster Schools’ All-star scheme.

·     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 –St Ronan’s Lurgan, St Pius X Magherafelt and Our Lady’s Castleblayney  – picking up two awards each.

·     Six of the nine counties are represented in the team, Antrim, Fermanagh and Cavan being the exceptions. Derry have five players included the largest representation from a single county.

·     Patrick Quigg (St Patrick’s Maghera 2016) is already a MacRory Cup medallist, while Frank Connolly and James Wilson (Our Lady’s Castlebalyney 2015) and Niall O’Donnell (St Eunan’s Letterkenny 2014) are holders of MacLarnon Cup medals.

·     Barry McCambridge from St Ronan’s Lurgan is the only player from last year’s team included this season. He was left-corner back in 2016 and is now full-back. Barry equals the achievements of his uncle Conor (1992 and 1993) and cousin (2013 and 2014) Ryan, both of whom were two-times All-stars in hurling.

·     Barry and corner-back James McAlinden recently helped St Ronan’s to their first ever Senior Schools’ title – the Danske Bank MacCormack Cup – with a final win over Omagh CBS whose goalie Brendan Gallen is included in the selection.

·     Padraig McGrogan (St Pius X) had a brother Conor in last year’s team. Both brothers were selected in defence. Conor however was representing the other Magherafelt school (St Mary’s).

·     Two schools gain All-stars for the first time ever. Callum Brown is the first player from St Mary’s Limavady to be included, while Peadar Morgan is Donegal town’s Abbey Vocational school’s first winner

·     The two players from St Pius X Magherafelt (Padraig McGrogan and Caolan Devlin) bring the school’s total to five players, while two for Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock (Daniel Guinness and Josh Connery) bring them up to six players

·     Tomás Carney’s inclusion means that Holy Trinity Cookstown now have four All-star footballers

·     Just FIVE of the All-stars (goalie Brendan Gallen, the full-back line and full-forward Patrick Quigg) have still an involvement in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup, the lowest ever representation on an All-star select.

·     In overall terms, there is no change in the top places of the leader-board for awards won over the past 30 years. St. Patrick’s Maghera stay ahead of Abbey CBS with 52 football awards over that period.

2016/7 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Football All Stars

Goalkeeper : Brendan Gallen
School : Omagh CBS
Club: St Davog’s, Aghyaran
Brendan has claimed Danske Bank Corn na nÓg and Brock Cup medals with Omagh CBS. He is in his third season on the MacRory panel and recently lost the MacCormack Cup final.
He has been two seasons with the Tyrone minors and has just been selected on the Tyrone under 21 panel. He has several under-age league and championship medals with St Davog’s.

Right Corner Back : James McAlinden
School : St Ronan’s Lurgan
Club: Sarsfield’s
James has represented both St Michael’s and the new St Ronan’s Lurgan in the MacRory Cup and recently collected a Danske Bank MacCormack Cup medal.
He has represented Armagh minors for two seasons now at corner-back and has played for Sarsfield’s in Under 14, 16 and Minor finals and this year won a Senior Divisional Cup with them.

Full-back: Barry McCambridge
School : St Ronan’s Lurgan
Club: Clann Éireann
This is Barry’s second All-star, having picked up one at corner-back in last year’s team. With St Ronan’s College he has won Danske Bank McDevitt, Rafferty and MacCormack Cups and is in his fourth season with the MacRory Cup side. Barry was full-back on the Armagh minor team for the past two years and holds two under 12, Féile, under 16 championship and Intermediate championship medals with Clann Éireann. Barry plays both rugby and hurling and today he equals the achievements of both his uncle Conor and cousin Ryan who each hold two Ulster Schools’ All-stars – both in hurling.

Left Corner Back: Conor McCloskey
School : St Mary’s, Magherafelt
Club: O’Donovan Rossa, Magherafelt
Conor has represented St Mary’s at all levels winning a Danske Bank Brock Shield and a runners-up medal for the Rannafast Cup. He has also represented Derry at under-age level winning a Buncrana Cup, while with the Rossa club he collected a Derry Under 16 championship.
Conor is also talented soccer player and has played twice in the Milk Cup and is currently on the books of Cliftonville.

Right-half back : Daniel Guinness
School : Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock
Club: Carryduff
Daniel has represented Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s at all levels, and has played on Down under-age teams through the ranks, captaining them at under 14 and under 17. Recently he has joined the Down under 21 panel for the new season.
He has also captained Carryduff under-age teams and won an East Down under 14 championship and Under 16 league.
Daniel has also helped Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s to soccer success while in the Junior school.

Centre-half back : Padraig McGrogan
School : St Pius X, Magherafelt
Club: Sean O’Leary’s Newbridge
Padraig’s brother Conor was corner-back on last year’s All-star team. Padraig won a Danske Bank Brock Shield with St Pius X and is in his third season in the MacLarnon Cup team. He was on the Derry minor team that contested the 2016 Ulster Minor final  and he has collected Under 14 and under 16 B league and championship doubles with his club. Padraig also plays soccer and has collected four Coleraine Cup medals with St Pius X.

Left-half back : Frank Connolly
School : Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblaney
Club: Toome
Frank has won Danske Bank Treanor, O’Doherty and MacLarnon Cup medals on his journey through Our Lady’s Secondary School and he is this season’s MacLarnon Cup captain.
He has represented Monaghan through the under-age ranks, captaining them to the 2014 Buncrana Cup. He has collected an array of under-age medals with his club Toome, including a Junior league title and Dr Ward Cup this year.
Frank’s other interests are Basketball and Volleyball and he has enjoyed regional and provincial success with his school in both.

Midfield : Josh Connery
School : Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock
Club: Carryduff
Josh has represented St Patrick’s Downpatrick in under-age competitions before moving to knock. He has played on Down under-age teams through the ranks, including two seasons with the minors.
With Carryduff he has won an East Down under 14 championship and Under 16 league.
He has a range of soccer medals and represented NI at several levels.

Midfield : Callum Brown
School : St Mary’s, Limavady
Club: Limavady Wolfhounds
Callum is the first player from St Mary’s, Limavady to achieve an Ulster Schools’ All-star. He has helped his school to two Ward Cup titles and has represented Derry at Development squad and minor level. With the Wolfhounds, he has won a Derry under 14 championship.

Right-half forward : Peadar Mogan
School : Abbey Vocational School, Donegal
Club: St Naul’s
Peadar is the first player from Abbey Vocational School to achieve an Ulster Schools’ All-star. He has helped Abbey win a Markey Cup title and captained them at several levels. He has also captained Donegal at under-age level, and won Ulster minor league and championship medals with his county in 2016.
Peadar has under-age titles with his club including the under county title and several soccer medals for school and county.

Centre-half forward : Tomás Carney
School : Holy Trinity, Cookstown
Club: Derrylaughan Kevin Barry’s
Tomás has played at all levels for Holy Trinity winning Tyrone Vocational schools’ medals and was in the team that school lost the 2016 Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup final to Carrickmacross.
Tomás has represented Tyrone at under-age level and is currently in the county under 21 panel. He has helped Derrylaughan to Under 14 league and championship titles and played for the club senior side in their narrow defeat to Pomeroy in the Intermediate final of 2016

Left-half forward : Niall O’Donnell
School : St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny
Club: St. Eunan’s GAC.
Niall was a young Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup winner with his school in 2014 and he quickly progressed to successful Donegal under-age team winning a Jim McGuigan Cup in 2015, Ulster minor league 2015 and Ulster minor league and championship in 2016.
He has also had a successful club career to date winning Donegal championships through the age-groups and helping St Eunan’s reach the Ulster minor club final last season.
A dual-player, Niall has helped club and county to several titles including the All-Ireland under 21 title last year.

Right-corner forward : James Wilson
School : Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblaney
Club : Toome.
James has won a Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup with Our Lady’s Secondary School in 2015 and he has represented Monaghan through the under-age ranks winning a Buncrana Cup. He has been selected on the under 21 and senior panels for the new season.
He has collected an array of under-age medals with his club Toome, including a Junior league title and Dr Ward Cup this year.
Along with Frank Connolly he plays Basketball and Volleyball for Our Lady’s and has enjoyed regional and provincial success in both.

Full forward : Patrick Quigg
School: St Patrick’s Maghera
Club: Padraig Pearse’s, Kilrea
Patrick holds almost a full set of Ulster Schools’ medals including a Danske Bank MacRory title last season. He has represented Derry under-age teams through the Development squads and been a county minor for the past two seasons.
Patrick has been part of a very successful Kilrea club under-age team that has collected Derry championship titles right the way through and up to being currently Derry minor champions.

Left-corner forward :  Caolan Devlin
School : St Pius X, Magherafelt
Club: St Patrick’s, An Lúb
Caolan won a Danske Bank Brock Shield with St Pius X and is in his third season in the MacLarnon Cup team. He has represented Derry at minor level for the past two seasons, reaching the Ulster final.
He has played at all levels for his club An Lúb including in the recent Derry senior final against Slaughtneil. Caolan also plays soccer and has collected four Coleraine Cup medals with St Pius X.

Schools’ Football All-stars 1988 – 2017