Antrim Cumann na mBunscol GAA Handball

Antrim Cumann na mBunscol GAA Handball

For Eight weeks Ulster GAA coach Fiona Shannon, Gaelfast and Antrim Handball coaches Mark Rainey, Tony Caddell, Deirbhile O Neill, Oisín Mc Vicker and our adopted coach from Armagh Megan McCann have been going in to Belfast Primary Schools to coach GAAHandball. There are many Handball tournament dates on the horizon but a significant milestone for juvenile Handball pathways is CnamB.

Last year the new Antrim Handball Committee agreed to assist Antrim CnamB in coaching, preparation and programming. In order to gel things together, we coordinated a working team to create a structure that would assist schools, clubs, pupils and parents/guardians.

The agreement was to work 1 month back from the agreed Ulster CnamB date (Feb 1st 2023) to have an Antrim trials day and the prior 8 weeks to that we would send coaches into as many primary schools as possible via our hugely beneficial partnership with Gaelfast.

This has been done to great effect over the last two seasons utilising their partnership with #SCBIBelfast .

Saturday 17th December :-

Antrim CnamB Trial Day.

Seven Schools:

• GoodShepherd
• Holy Child
• St John the Baptist
• Bunscoil Phobal Feirste
• Gaelscoil Na Mona
• St Anne's
• St Joseph's

Seventeen Boys - Five 2011’s & Twelve 2012’s

Thirteen Girls - Four 2011’s & Nine 2012’s

Feedback from the schools coaches, the Antrim Handball Juvenile League results and handball club coaches was used to seed the round robin groups. Games commenced 10.30 am and things wrapped up at 1.35pm in Gortnamona GAC .

Court 1 held 6 groups for the boys.

Court 2 held 4 groups for the girls.

Boys Call Backs

Group 1 Winner

Ben Gamble St Annes PS u-13

Group 2 Winner

Bradley McDonnell Holy Child u-11

Group 3 Winner

Lorcan O Rawe BPF u-11

Group 4 Winner

Con Culbert Holy Child u-11

Group 5 Winner

Oran McCann SJB u-13

Group 6 Winner

Keevan Murray SJB U-11

In addition:-

Jude Sweeney Holy Child u-11

Aidan Holbrook BPF U-13

Tiernan Adams Good Shepherd u-11

Kyle Upton Good Shepherd u-11

Will also be invited to coaching sessions for Antrim CnamB Selection.

Antrim club championships will also be run off in January and these will contribute to the Antrim CnamB team makeup.

Girls Call Backs:-

Group 1 Winner

Nina McBride Good Shepherd u-11

Group 2 Winner

Aoibhin O Neill Gaelscoil naMona u-11

Group 3 Winner

Faith Burrows Good Shepherd u-13

Group 4

Renni Sanni Holy Child u-11

Additional invitations to coaching:-

Cara Campbell SJB U-11

Kacie kelly Good Shepherd u-11

Cara mcAuley Holy Child u-11

Antrim club championships will also be run off in January and these will contribute to the Antrim CnamB team makeup.

Coaching will be organised through the school contacts and coaches for January.

Thanks to all the schools and parents for their cooperation and interest.

We are delighted to see the talented and enthusiastic handballers at the start of their handball journey.

Onwards and upwards….

#SCBIBelfast