
Clonduff Camogs are known the length and
breadth of Ireland for their activities both on and off the pitch. It all began back in
1951 when the club was initially formed but unfortunately it only existed for a short
period of time. The club reformed again in 1967 and has been going from strength to
strength ever since.
The club made good progress in the early years when they
contested five consecutive Junior Championship finals. At this time several players were
on the county teams and in 1974 when Down won the first ever All Ireland Minor title, the
club was proud to have club player, Susie Lively as captain and the first person to
receive the the Tailteann Cup. Susie was also a member of the Down Team that won the All
Ireland Junior Championship in 1976. Kathleen Crilly and Eileen Hamill joined Susie, on
that occasion on the team.
Success finally came to the club in 1977 when they won
the Intermediate Championship. The club continued to expand with entry into the Minor and
the new U14 and U12 Leagues and Championships. The first juvenile success came in 1980
when the u12 team won the League and Championship. Further success came in the 1980s when
the U14 and Minor Leagues and Championship titles were added. After promotion to the
Senior League in 1982, success on the field in the late 1980s came with a Junior and
Intermediate Championship. In the 1990s, under the guidance of Club Chairperson, Eileen Hamill, the club
introduced a juvenile coaching policy. This has resulted in an U12 League title in 1995,
an U12 Championship title in 1996 and an U12 League and championship double in 1997. The
club also contested the final of the U14 League and Championship in 1997. Throughout these
successful years for the juveniles, the senior team contested the 1994 Intermediate
Championship Final and won the league in the same year.
The juvenile policy also resulted in the Club winning
the County Feile na nGael titles in 1995 and 1997. The National Feile Finals were held in
Limerick in 1995 and Waterford in 1997. Winning the Feile Competition in Down and earning
the right to represent their county in the National Finals was indeed an honour for the
Club and all the players.
Juvenile success continued with the winning of the Down
and Ulster Community Games titles in 1996 and 1997. In 1996 the Club became the first club
in Down to win bronze medals in the National community Games Camogie Competition.
Off the field, the Clonduff Camogs are well-known in CCD
circles. In addition to County and Ulster competitions, members have been participating at
All Ireland Level at various stages since its inauguration. In CCDs short history
the Club has won All Ireland titles in Recitation, Ceili and Set Dancing, Solo Singing and
Quiz. The club created its own little bit of history in 1997 when it won three All Ireland
titles on the same day in Quiz, Solo Singing and Set Dancing.
Maura Quinn and Marie Walls have held positions on The
County Board and Eileen Hamill was manager of the County Minor Team. The Club has won
various County awards over the years including Club of the Year in 1976, 1981,
1986 and 1996. Other awards include Referee of the Year and Sports Personality of the
Year. Ciara McGreevy and Moya Maginn won U14 Player of the Year in 1990 and 1996
respectively.
Until 2007 the Club had
won every honour in Down except the Senior County
Championship. When Clonduff defeated the Mairín
McAleenan inspired Liatroim, who had won the last 16
titles, hope lived eternal! And then they did it in
style!
Clonduff Camogs became County Senior Champions
for
the first time on Sunday 22nd July 2007! This was undoubtedly the greatest day in
their 40 year history, though they only rejoined the
senior ranks in 2001 having had two unsuccessful short
sojourns in the top flight in previous years. They have been
knocking on the door since the gained Senior status in
2001 and it
eventually opened, in great style on Sunday 22 July
2007! (Below, Fionnuala Carr and Maura Quinn accept the
Senior Championship Cup
Played before a huge crowd in sunny Castlewellan on
Sunday afternoon, Portaferry started the game at a
whirlwind pace and had 2 points on the scoreboard before
Clonduff settled following a long-range converted free
from Fionnuala Carr. Very soon they were 0-4 to 0-2 up
and then what could have been a disaster - Portaferry
fired home a great goal to take the lead again - it
didn't really faze the Clonduffians, they stuck to their
task. Both sides then swapped points to keep Portaferry
in the lead but it was the last time they were to do so.
Clonduff instantly levelled and went ahead and then shot
a great goal of their own. At half time Clonduff held a
nervous 4 point lead - 1-7 to 1-4. On the restart, both
sides again swapped points with Sara Louise Carr getting
the first. After that Clonduff stepped up several gears and the ball seldom got out of the Portaferry half.
Clonduff gave a
demonstration of wonderful tackling,
blocking, long-range point taking and how to finish off goals.
Clonduff were 2-13 up when Portaferry got their next
score (1-5). They had amassed 3-19 when a rare mistake
in the Clonduff goalmouth saw the sliothár slip through
a defender's hands into the net (2-5). Clonduff weren't
finished yet, however. Portaferry failed to score again
while Clonduff ran in 2-1 - 1-1 coming from the subs
that had been introduced during the second half. Final
Score Clonduff 5-20 Portaferry 2-5. Next step Ulster!
It was a wonderful scene of jubilation (and some tears)
before team captain, Fionnuala Carr accepted the cup
insisting that Maura Quinn join her. She made a very
heartfelt tribute to those who and had put so much time
and effort into this title, particularly John Crossey
their manager; and to those who had gone before,
particularly Alistair McGilligan.
Team and scorers: Guinevra McGilligan, Cailín Hynes,
Moya Maginn, Nicola O'Hagan (making her debut at this
level), Debra Murray, Fionnuala
Carr (0-3), Leann McParlan, Paula Gribben (0-1), Lisa
McPolin, Karen Gribben (1-9), Orla Maginn (1-1), Kitty
Fegan (1-1), Sara Louise Carr (1-4), Ursula Quinn. Subs
used: Andrea McCloskey (0-1), Mary McPolin (1-0),
Fionnuala Walls. Other panellists: Claire Haughian,
Laurine Harper, Shauna McParlan, Sheenagh McConville,
Sarah Farnon, Onagh Gribben, Aisling Hynes, Sarah Murphy
and Debra Kearney.
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Honours Won: 1967-2007
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Date |
Honour |
| 1974 |
CCD County Quiz |
| 1995 |
CCD All Ireland Recitation, Ulster
Novelty Act |
| 1977 |
Intermediate Championship |
| 1978 |
CCD Ulster Novelty Act, County
Solo Singing |
| 1980 |
U12 League and Championship
CCD County Quiz and Recitation |
| 1981 |
Minor Championship, U12 League and
Championship |
| 1982 |
Intermediate League, Minor League
and Championship |
| 1983 |
Minor League, U14 Championship |
| 1984 |
Minor League, Minor Feis Sevens
CCD County Novelty Act |
| 1985 |
Junior championship |
| 1986 |
Intermediate Championship
CCD County Set Dance |
| 1987 |
CCD Ulster Set Dance |
| 1988 |
Junior League
CCD Ulster Set Dance, County Recitation |
| 1989 |
CCD All Ireland Recitation, Ulster
Set Dance |
| 1990 |
CCD Ulster Quiz, Ulster Set Dance,
Ulster Recitation, County Ceili Dance
County U14
Player of the Year (Ciara McGreevy) |
| 1991 |
CCD Ulster Quiz, Ulster Set Dance |
| 1992 |
CCD Ulster Quiz, Ulster Recitation |
| 1993 |
CCD All Ireland Quiz, County
Instrumental Music, County Recitation
Down
Referee of the Year (Marie Walls) |
| 1994 |
Intermediate League
CCD All Ireland Set Dance, Ulster Recitation, County Quiz and Ceili
Dance |
| 1995 |
U12 League, Down Feile na nGael
Winners
CCD All Ireland Ceili Dance, Ulster
Recitation and Quiz
Down Sports Personality (Maura Quinn) |
| 1996 |
U12 Championship, Community Games
All Ireland Bronze
CCD All Ireland Quiz, Solo
Singing (Niamh OHare), Set Dance
County U14 Player of the Year (Moya Maginn)
Club of the Year |
| 1997 |
U12 League and Championship,
County Feile na nGael
CCD All Ireland Ceili
Dance and Set Dance |
| 1998 |
Minor Championship, Division 2
Championship
CCD county Set Dance, Ceili Dance
and Quiz (This competition only operated in Down this year There was no Ulster or
All Ireland Competition) |
| 1999 |
What a Year!
Rachael O'Reilly and Jenna Lynch - Club's first ever representatives
in Croke Park in INTO Sevens on All Ireland Semi Final Day
U12s win County Championship
U14s Win League Championship!
Minors win County League
U18s Reach League Final
St Patrick's Primary School win first ever Cumann na
Bunscoil/INTO Camogie Competition. |
| 2000 |
Eileen Hamill wins Down Referee of
the Year and participates in All Ireland Series
Leann McParlan picks up U18 player of
the year at Down Annual Awards
St Pat's Primary School wins INTO Sevens County Final!
Sarah-Louise Carr wins County Skills Feile Na nGael
title and plays in INTO Mini Sevens on All Ireland Hurling Final Day!
St Mark's Warrenpoint wins County Down Year 8 Camogie title
with five Clonduff girls on the team - Carol Rooney, Colleen Walls, Jenna Lynch, Rachel
O'Reilly and Laura Killen.
Win Intermediate, Minor and U12 Championship
and League titles, are Runners up in U18 League and U14 Championship and
League
Win Minor Feis Sevens
Participate in and win Camogie/Shinty
tournament in Dunoon, Scotland. Kitty Fegan picks up Player of the
Tournament award |
| 2001 |
U12s collect
3-in-a-row Championship titles and lift League Title
U-14s, Seniors, and Juniors reach respective County Finals
Minors - collect Minor Championship and reach League Final
Susie Hynes (nee Lively) the first successful All Ireland Minor captain in
1974 lines out with her daughters in Clonduff Senior and Junior Finals.
Susie and her five girls all donned the Clonduff colours at some level
during the year- God help you, Eamon! |
| 2002 |
Juniors do the double, picking
up the Championship and League title
Minors collect third-in-a-row championship and collect the League
title
Colleen Walls awarded the Down Minor Camogie Player of the year - the
first such award picked up by a Clonduff player |
| 2003 |
Minor Championship, Minor Feis
7s, 2 x Minor 7s Tournaments
U14 League and Championship Double
Co Féile Title
Down U14 Player of the Year
Down Referee of the Year |
| 2005 |
Clonduff second string Camogs win
Intermediate League |
| 2006 |
Minor Camogs win League and Championship
Double as well as Feis 7s
Senior Camogs win Feis 7s for first time
ever
Down Minor Camogs, under the leadership
of Clonduff's Kitty Fegan (and
Ballyholland's Lilian Tinnelly) lift All
Ireland Minor B title with five Clonduff
girls on board - Sara Louise Carr, Paula
Gribben, Sarah Farnon, Lisa McPolin and
Ursula Walls
Fionnuala Carr won Poc Fada (Camogie) at
Kilmacud Sevens competition in September
Fionnuala was on the Ulster
Interprovincial Camogie team that lost
to Connaught
Karen Gribben captained QUB Camogs to
Purcell Shield victory - Mary McPolin
also on panel
Fionnuala Carr and Moya Maginn on UUJ
Purcell Cup winning team - Fionnuala won
an 'All Star'
Jackie Gilmore wins a Camogie All Star
playing for her University in England |
| 2007 |
Our Lady’s Grammar School, Newry
defeated St MacNissi’s, Garrantower
in Ulster Camogie Final
with a
strong
Clonduff representation – Sarah
Farnon, Sara Louise Carr, Lisa McPolin,
Ciara Murphy, Megan O’Reilly, and Hanna
O’Reilly all playing an active part.
Grace Brown was on the panel. Sara
Louise scored 2-2 - Got to All Ireland
final.
Karen Gribben wins University Camogie
All Star in Purcell Shield week-end.
Fionnuala Carr wins
University Camogie Long Puck and an All Star in Ashbourne
week-end - her second University All
Star Award in a row!
Jackie Gilmore wins her second Camogie
All Star playing for her University in
England
Senior Camogs win Patricia Bateson
Memorial Tournament in Ballinderry
Camogs win first ever County Senior
title beating Portaferry 5-20 to 2-5
Fionnuala Carr gains 3rd Place in her
first ever All Ireland Poc Fada on
Cooley Mountains |
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