Congratulations to our Club Chairperson, Deirdre McGrath on receiving the distinguished President's Award for her services to Camogie and the GAA.
These prestigious annual awards, organised with the support of Club
Championship sponsors AIB and broadcast by TG4, affords Uachtarán CLG
with an opportunity to acknowledge outstanding commitment and long
service across the club and county network.
CAMOGIE AWARD: DEIRDRE MCGRATH
Aghaderg GAC & Ballyvarley HC,
Down
Deirdre is a member of Aghaderg GAC & Ballyvarley HC and was
brought up in a traditional Gaelic Family in Bryansford, County Down. Her late
father, Arthur Brannigan, was heavily involved in the local GAA community. At the
age of 11, he took Deirdre to the All-Ireland Hurling Final in Croke Park and
this is where her love and passion for the GAA began.
Deirdre founded camogie in her home club
Bryansford, in 1970. She held the post of club secretary and attended coaching
courses in Gormanston to learn the skills. In 1973, Deirdre was awarded the
first ever Sports Personality Award in Down and in 1977, Bryansford Camogie Club
was awarded Club of the Year.
In 1974, Deirdre took on the role of County
Secretary at Down Camogie and remained in the post until 1977. During this time,
she saw Down Minors win their first ever All-Ireland Final in 1974 and in 1976
the All-Ireland Junior Premier Championship.
Married in 1975 into a family with very
strong Gaelic tradition and moved to Ballyvarley, a townland in the parish of
Aghaderg where hurling was very prominent. Her husband Francie played hurling
and so they both shared their time volunteering in the GAA. Francie also
managed the Bryansford camogie team to success, a team which Deirdre played on,
winning leagues in 1975, 1977 and 1980.
After having two children, Mark and
Sheelagh, Deirdre decided it was time to think about starting camogie in
Aghaderg, where she now lived. Through the decades, there was a history of
camogie in the Banbridge/Ballyvarley area and in 1984 Deirdre formed a camogie
team in Aghaderg, giving it the parish name. She took up the camogie secretary
role in Aghaderg Club and her husband Francie managed the team.
The first competitive match was played in
1985 and in 1988, Aghaderg won the Novice Championship. In 1989, they won the
Junior League and Championship unbeaten and then the Intermediate Championship
in 1991. During this period, Deirdre remained on the Aghaderg GAA club
committee and was also an executive committee member of the Banbridge Sports
Council for many years.