Cumann Lúthchleas Gael - Gaelic Athletic Association

       
Winners of 9 SFC titles - 1930, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1980, 2000; 2 Senior Ladies FC - 2006, 2007; 1 Sen Camogie title 2007
 

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Clonduff held their second annual Boley Fair Juvenile Handball Tournament on Saturday 12th July. Competitions were held for U13, U15 and U17 age groups. Competition was keen and of a very high standard, testimony to the hard work the boys have put in during the winter months and during the course of the Newry and Mourne sponsored summer camp held in the Clonduff Alley in the week prior to the the Tournament. Ten boys and three girls (unfortunately not Clonduff girls) took part in the Tournament - Clonduff lassies the Handball is open to you too! Why not give it a go!

To view a slideshow of the Tournament click on the image on the right!

 
TClick to view my photoshe North Ulster League season came to an end on Monday 15th April 2008 with the final of the Divisional Championships at St. Paul’s Belfast.
Clonduff had already won the Division II League and gained promotion to the elite division for the 2008/2009 season. In the Divisional Championship Final Clonduff played St. Paul’s III and were heavily handicapped to the tune of 30 points for the Belfast team.
Paul Shields played number 1 and was up against Aisling O’Reilly, the Irish Senior Women’s finalist (Aisling is probably the best Women's player in World Handball today). The young Belfast lady played well in the first game and Paul only pulled away to win 21-16 late on. However it was a different story in the second game when Paul played some brilliant handball and he won easily 21-3. Colin Shields and Eddie Clancy played the doubles and never really got going on their service games. The Clonduff pair went down by 21-15 and 21-15. This meant that Clonduff had to win the last singles game  by 24 points overall to take the title. Sean McNally was in very determined form and played a great passing and kill game to easily defeat his opponent 21-3, 21-3 and give the title to the Clonduff men. This rounds off a very successful year in the Ulster League for Clonduff. A big thanks to all the players above and to Des McNeill and John McAleavey who also played in the League this year. (Click on image above to view slideshow in following order - 1 Paul Shields on court, 2 Sean McNally after his title winning match, 3 Doubles pair Eddie Clancy and Colin Shields with their opponents, 4 Aisling O'Reilly and Paul Shields.
 
Clonduff Handball Club staged its first ever Tournament in conjunction with The Boley Fair on Saturday 30th June 2007. The tournament was administered by Colin Shields and Des McNeill.
Results in the finals were as follows: U12: Rory McQuaid beat John Brown; U14: Conor Brown beat Eamon Grant; U16: Patrick Matthews beat Rory McGreevy
Click here to view a slideshow of this historic occasion!
 
Clonduff will play in Div. 1 of the North Ulster League in 2005 after winning Division 2 in 2004. They eventually finished five points ahead of Belfast outfit Gort Na Mona. The Clonduff team (pictured above) was Colin Shields, Sean McNally, Paul Shields and Eddie Clancy (inset)
It is no mean achievement to gain promotion in their first season playing in this league!
   
Des McNeill and Dan McCartan, who won the 2004 All Ireland Diamond Masters 40 X 20 Doubles Final accepting new tracksuits from Eilish McParland, Canal Court Hotel, Newry prior to setting off for the Finals in Mullingar. They are pictured with Down County Chairman, Eamon O'Toole. They beat the Galway pair (Seamus O'Fatharta and Peter Mulryan - they won the first game at 18 and then demolished their opponents 21-1 in the second game.
Both men transferred to the Clonduff Club when their own club in Carryduff folded.
Des has been living in the Parish for a number of years and (with Paul Shields) has been involved in reviving the juvenile game in Clonduff - upwards on 30 youngsters, up to U16 level train at least one evening per week.
 
Winning Handballers 2001! Jerry Quinn, (County Vice Chairman and Clonduff PRO) presenting the county trophies to the County Winners. L-R Kit Finnegan (Ulster Handball Council), Paul Girvan, Jim Harland, Jerry Quinn, Gerry McEntee, Tony Wilson
 
1999 County title winners! Peter Carter (centre front) All Ireland Handball President was at the County handball presentations in Saval. Clonduff players had won their share of silverware. Front (l-r) Tony Wilson (Novic), Peter Carter, Gerry McEntee (Doubles). Back (l-r) Des McNeill (Diamond Masters), Gary Morgan (Div 2 Champion), Jim Harland (Doubles)
 
1999 - Clonduff Handball pair in All Ireland Final! Tony Wilson and Paul Girvan, the Down Champions won the Ulster title with victories over Monaghan, Derry and Antrim.  Then they beat Mayo to set up Final against the winners of Clare v Wexford.  This is groundbreaking stuff for Clonduff.  Unfortunately they lost out in Final!  They are pictured lright at a special presentation celebration in Clonduff Clubrooms - Left to Right: John McPolin (Vice Chairman) Tony, Paul and Peter McSherry (Down Handball)
 
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These young Clonduff lads lifted the Feile na nGael Handball Title in 1992.  They are (left to right) Damian Smith, Tom Grant, Paul Shields and Paudie Matthews.  Included in the picture are Tony Wilson (Coach), Martin Murphy (Down Handball) and Bernard McGrattan (Chairman Down Feile Committee)

 
 
 
Senior Handballers later 80s - Paul McGreevy, Gerard brown, Adrian Travers and Tony Wilson
   
Mark Matthews receiving a trophy from Dan McCartan (mid 80s) - Dan later won an All Ireland Diamond Masters Doubles title for Clonduff in 2004 with Des McNeill Clonduff Handballers about 1986. Front (l-r) Tony Wilson, Andrew Carr, Adrian Travers. Back (l-r) Mark Matthews, Paul McGreevy
 

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