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Gaelic Games Gaelic
football and education, counties Tyrone and Armagh, were all major aspects
of the life of the late Cormac McAnallen.
These elements were brought together this week when the school
where he taught. St
Catherine’s College in Armagh, hosted a competition to honour his
memory.
Although he represented
Eglish and Tyrone. Cormac
also had strong links with neighbouring Armagh.
He attended St Patrick’s Grammar School in the Cathedral City and
returned to Armagh to take up a teaching post at St Catherine’s.
Of course, he completed
his haul of All-Ireland medals against Armagh when he helped Tyrone
collect the Sam Maguire Cup in last year’s senior football final.
Cormac, who had captained
the Red Hands to All-Ireland success at Minor (1998) and U21 levels (2000
and 2001), also skippered Tyrone to victory in this year’s McKenna Cup
final, shortly before his tragic death.
The Inaugural Cormac
McAnallen Memorial Tournament for Year Eight and Nine boys in the counties
of Armagh and Tyrone involved four teams: St Joseph’s High School,
Coalisland; Dungannon Integrated School; St Patrick’s High School, Keady;
and St Catherine’s College, Armagh.
Although predominantly a
girl’s school, St Catherine’s College was represented by the boys from
8I and 9I, who are pupils of An Sruth Gaeilge, the Irish Medium Unit.
The Keady team, St
Patrick’s High School, emerged as the overall winners and the
footballers were presented with their medals by Cormac’s mother.
Bridget McAnallen.
St Catherine’s College
Principal, Margaret Martin congratulated Saint Patrick’s High School
Keady on winning the inaugural Cormac McAnallen Memorial Tournament and
commented.
“It is an honour to
have won this tournament dedicated to Cormac, who taught history, politics
and Gaelic games in Saint Catherine’s College,” she said.
“As the academic year
draws to a close, we considered that a memorial tournament was the most
fitting way to remember Cormac, whose sudden and tragic death on March 2
deeply shocked the school community.
“This tournament was
not only a tribute to the gaelic skills Cormac taught so ably and with
such pride, distinction and integrity, but more a celebration of
Cormac’s outstanding contribution to society.”
The College Principal
added that Cormac’s life would continue to act as a fine example for
young people, in all areas: “He is the embodiment of all that represents
a modern, forward-looking Ireland, rooted in a sound value structure.
“If our young people
endeavour to emulate Cormac’s legacy through their education, sports and
other interest. I think that our parents, teachers and youth workers will
have served our young people well,” she concluded.
Margaret Martin also
presented a £2,100 cheque for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) to Mrs
McAnallen. The money was
raised through a charity match organised by St Catherine’s College last
month.
“We considered that a
memorial tournament was the most fitting way to remember Cormac.”
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