DANSKE Bank special merit awards to 3 young GAA players

DANSKE Bank have teamed up with Ulster Schools Council to make special merit awards to three young GAA players who have created a huge impact for the teams in Ulster Schools’ competitions during the summer term. All three certainly knew how to hit the target on a regular basis.

In hurling two players stood out for their scoring returns, Tomás Galvin and Ronan McCollum.
Galvin hit a goal in the second minute of injury time to snatch the Danske Bank MacFarland Cup from St Colm’s Draperstown and bring it to St Patrick’s Keady. That score and its implications were spectacular enough to secure a 7-10 to 6-11 victory for Keady, but Tomás had already marked himself down as the Player of the Match.

The Keady Lámh Dhearg forward finished with an incredible six goals and eight points. And that merely continued a trend as Tomás hit 1-13 in the quarter-final against St Colman’s Newry and then 5-7 in the semi-final win over St Columba’s Portaferry, while his returns at club level have been similarly spectacular.

Meanwhile Ronan McCollum managed a spectacular six goals and seven points against Cross and Passion Ballycastle as St Louis Ballymena reached the Danske Bank Gallagher Cup final, following on from returns of 1-7 and 1-9 in league matches.

In last week’s final Ronan scored all St Louis total of 1-8, but it was not enough to deny a Maghera victory. At the same time he was helping his club Loughgiel to the Antrim Féile na nGael crown and over the weekend of June 7th-9th Loughgiel reached the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Féile in Cork with, you’ve guessed it, Ronan McCollum a main contributor to the score-board.
Meanwhile in football, Rathmore Grammar school student Michael Morgan hit the net an incredible 46 goals over the course of the Danske Bank Irish News Cup.

In the semi-final against St Conor’s from Kilrea/Clady he managed nine goals and matched that feat with another nine in the decider against Loreto Coleraine.

That final in Bellaghy went to extra time after Michael converted three second half penalties for a 10-4 to 6-16 score-line. Before half-time in extra time the Glenavy sharp-shooter scored his ninth goal of the day, but amazingly Loreto held him scoreless after that and edged home by 10-19 to 13-8.

Not many will be able to recall an occasion when a player managed 9-1 in a final of a competition – and still could not secure a winner’s medal.

These Danske Bank Ulster schools’ merit awards mark a fantastic personal mile-stone for all three players. The personal scoring feats during the summer term mark Tomás, Ronan and Michael out as special talents and it is certain we will hear a lot more about them as they progress in their sporting careers.

A picture of Ronan McCollam taken by John Curly McIlwaine at last week’s Danske Bank Gallagher Cup final.