Pat McCambridge

Joining Club/Family

“I started playing for Lámh Dhearg when I was about 10 or 11 with my older brothers Jim and Kevin already playing for the club having been nabbed by Buke. My first memories are of Shanty & Buke pulling me and the Mizen Gardens gang of Jim & Micky Brady, Davy & Stevy Vincent, Pearse Rice and Micky Gorman into Shanty’s bus and heading up to Budore for matches. A journey up to Budore in 1981 was like a day trip to me as my family had no car. I remember only being able to see the tops of the posts in Budore from one end of the pitch to the other such was the slope! We won the U-12B league and by the time we moved up to u14 the new pitch at Hannahstown opened and remembered being very proud to be playing for the club at such a state of the art complex. Jim, my oldest brother, moved away but Kevin played a massive role in juvenile hurling in 80s and early 90s before moving to Dublin. He is still a great supporter of the club and travels up for big championship matches. My younger brothers Conor and Barry both played at U12 with me and there is a photo of the three of us when we won the U12 league. Conor’s son Conor plays hurling and football and is a super player and of course my Kids Eimear, Niamh and Patrick play for the club now”.

Juvenile Career

“We had a good team at U12 up to u18 and it just kept getting stronger year by year with players joining us year on year. In the 80s we really were a progressive club with Summer Schemes, Juvenile disco’s, trips etc and my sense of it looking back is that we were doing all that quality work long before most other Belfast clubs. A big thanks must go to Buke, Shanty & the Senior Committee of that time. By U16 we were no longer a good B side but a strong A side and won the Mick Mooney 7s at Casement Park against the Davitts in the final. The next 2 years we contested the Minor Football finals in Casement which were 2 great days out for the club. Buke and Shanty took us up to U16 and were really good at building a team”.

“Paul Lynch then took over at Minor and what an impression he made on us all! Paul made us all train harder than we had ever trained but also made it enjoyable. Walking up Hannahstown Hill to training was our warm up! Paul was a great organiser and communicator and I remember him trying to persuade one of our players ‘not to over-impose his athleticism on the ball’. He was really telling him not to be so greedy with nicer words! Having lost the minor final in 87, Big Fitzy teamed up with Paul and we were doubly determined to win in 88 and with the help of Jim Brady’s wonder goal in the quarter final at the Bear Pit we were primed and ready to go in Casement once again. We actually won the final quite comfortably 1-11 to 1-2 and I remember Paul Stinton (RIP) scoring two 50’s and Ciaran Magee scoring 3 points from midfield. We had a superb half forward line in Micky Boyle, Frankie Wilson and Ciaran O’Neill but they weren’t need to much on the day. Jim Brady in his LD journey has covered the craic we had that year and of his course his wonder goal in the quarter final! That minor triumph was the first in the club’s history and it really bonded many of us together for life and provided players to the Senior team for the next decade”.

1991 & 1992 U21 Championship finals

“The story of these finals really hit home to me that no matter what quality you have in your side you can always be beaten by a team who approaches the match with a better frame of mind. I captained the 1991 side and we very strong favourites having recorded big wins and on the road to the final and with many quality senior players like Frankie Wilson, Micky Boyle and Colm McCabe in our side. Our view of St Johns was that were quite young and had a lot of good Minors but we misjudged them and they beat us by 2 points with us having man sent off in the 2nd half. We were genuinely shocked to lose. The next year Buke asked me to help with coaching the U21s, as I was then out of U21, with him, Shanty and Jim Brady. I was determined to play a part in winning our first u21 championship with the disappointment of the previous year providing extra motivation. We had a brilliant run to the final and this time we were young team with lots of minors and St Johns were the team with lots of seniors and strong favourites. In a high quality Casement final we turned the tables and won! Good examples of how being favourite guarantees nothing in sport”.

Senior career

“I remember Shanty was Senior manager in 1986 and asked me to play in the Autumn Cup group stages against Mitchells when I was 16 and that was my debut. By the knockout stages Seamy Fitzsimons, Sean Kavanagh and Kieran Megraw were taking the team and we got to the final against at St Pauls against Davitts. Jim Herron, what a classy footballer, was captain and he had us in a circle in the changing room and told us to turn to the man beside you and hit him a dig in the stomach as a way of  building up our morale and physically preparing us for the game. You can imagine my face as a 16 year old among men twice my age! Anyway it had to be done and I think that was the club’s first piece of silverware at senior football for a while”.

“In 1992 we put a huge effort into winning the Senior Championship. I remember with competition fierce for places Brendan Toland took a real liking to my jersey in a game of backs and forwards and we went at it hammer and tongs. When the dust settled I said to myself I’m glad the opposition will be getting that level attention! Eamonn McGarry was a class full back around this time with excellent reading of the game and really good long kick pass into the half forward line. In 1992 we won the Senior Championship in controversial circumstances and much debated to this day. To put into context in the first round we beat St Galls who had won the championship 3 years before and were favourites. In the semi final we beat Rossa who were reigning champions and had won the championship the last 2 years. I understand where people are coming from when they say we didn’t win it on the pitch in a final (St Johns & Cargin thrown out for a row in their sem-final) but we beat the previous 3 years champions and were denied our final by the County board’s decision. Yes we didn’t win the championship in subsequent years but our team was at its peak in 1992 and broke up after it with Russ, Eddie & Damien Brown going to America and Micky Seenan & Brendan Toland retiring. We rebuilt in the mid-90s with Paddy Tumelty, Beansy, Gavin Brown etc and won the Div 1 league in 1993 & 1995”. 

Tournaments

“One of the things I enjoyed most about my early senior career were the tournaments we used to get invited to outside the county. From Ballymaguigan to Mooretown and everywhere in between. The football was always hard and open and I think all teams enjoyed playing against players they weren’t seeing year after year. We always enjoyed our visits to the Letterkenny 7’s which took place on Easter Sunday and in the first few years we went the 1990s we used it as a weekend away team-building with too much partying on Friday night leading to poor performances in the tournament so one year, realising we had a good 7s team, we travelled up the morning of the tournament and battled through the group phases and knockout stage to win the final. The tournament had 32 entries and was by invitation only so it was a great achievement. I remember we all got a piece of Donegal China instead of a medal and I was lucky enough to get a second piece of Donegal China as player of tournament for my sweeper keeper role which my mum proudly hung in our family living room for years. I think the boys would have preferred trophies!”. 

Hurling

“I love the game of hurling and it is no doubt one the best field sports in the world however it was unavailable to me when I was playing for the club at juvenile level and I’m delighted that all the kids now get the opportunity to play hurling/camogie and football. I do remember Marty Collins taking a few hurling sessions that I attended when I was u18 but there were to few for a team”.

Other GAA teams

Playing for Lamh Dhearg provided me with lots of other opportunities:

“Looking back at my county career it was a bit underwhelming! Although I did play u18, u21 and senior for the county I never really got a sustained run in the senior team although I wasn’t too lucky with injuries either. My first spell in the county team ended with a groin operation and when called back in a few years later I broke my collarbone on my first match back! I had more success at colleges football and with club mate, Barry Armstrong, won the All-Ireland Freshers championship at Corrigan Park beating UUJ in the final. I scored a point from an acute angle in the low scoring final and remember a man coming over to me on the pitch after the match and telling me I had done my club proud – I later found out it was Down legend Sean O’Neill who was also club solicitor at the time.

I was very fortunate to get the opportunity in my students days to spend the summer of 1991 in Philadelphia playing for the Donegal club with club mates Russ & Eddie Fitzsimons. I remember everyone telling me before how hard hitting the football would be on the small pitches with 13 a side. I remember thinking, after having a decent first game, that it wasn’t as tough as I expected and I later found out that Eddie had put the word out that I was a club mate of his and if anyone roughed me up they would have him to answer to Eddie….enough said! I lived with big Russ that summer and that craic was mighty. We won the Philadelphia championship that year but Russ and Eddie decided they were coming home in 1992 to win the Antrim championship so there was no return visit for me. With the student days over I started working for Bank of Ireland and immediately started playing for Area North with club mate Terry McCrudden. We were both selected for the bank’s All Ireland team for the North American tour in 2000. We played in Toronto, Gaelic Stadium New York and San Francisco. Among many county players and some All Stars Terry was regularly one of the best players on view in these games”.

Coaching roles

“Between 2010 and 2019, with Tony, Brendan McCloskey, Gerry McAleer & Joe McNeill we took a group of players up from U12 to U18 and now it is great to see some of them joining the senior ranks. We won an U14B All county championship at Pairc Lamh Dhearg in a very memorable day when the teams got to parade and sing the National Anthem. The squad won the South Antrim Og Sport u15 7s and we got to the final of the u16 A Championship. Now that the boys have moved on to senior it was great to see Declan Dunne play midfield in our great championship campaign in 2019 and I’ve no doubt Eoin Matassa, Jack Summersgill, JJ Hawkins and Ross Murray will be joining him very soon”.

“Now I’m helping coach my own daughters with the clubs U8 and U10 girls football teams and working with a great squad of coaches and parents in Aisling McConville, Grainne Herron, Marty Black and James Finnegan. The girls football is really flourishing in the club and I would be confident we can achieve senior status in the not too distant future if everyone currently leading the teams keep at it”.

Club Managers & Coaches & Players

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the coaches and managers who helped me on my Lámh Dhearg journey with special mention to Buke & Shanty in the early days, Paul Lynch and Big Fitzy in minor and senior days and Sean Kavanagh, Seamy Fitzsimons, Kieran Megraw, Bandy Lenaghan and Jim Herron in senior days too. I played a few very enjoyable years at Senior Reserve at the end of my career and thanks for Eamonn McGarry, Brendan Toland, Barney Herron, Stevy Bunting Snr and John Quinn for their time and colourful team talks!”.

“I have had the privilege playing on good teams and with some very talented footballers over three decades . Selecting the best is a very difficult task but here goes my opinions. . In the late 80s Jim Herron was a top class player. In the 90’s Damian Brown was a great keeper capable of outstanding saves and smart kick outs. Eamonn McGarry was a smashing full back who ensured no one got a easy path to our square. Eddie & Russ Fitzsimons were brilliant fielders of the ball as was John P O’Kane in the twilight of this career. Micky Boyle was a menace with his pace to all oppositions and Frankie Wilson and Colm McCabe were very gifted too. In the last stages of my senior career the emerging Paddy Cunningham, Micko and Brendan Herron were outstanding talents. Top of the heap was Terry McCrudden Senior who had the lot with pace, skill, aggression and will to win that were second to none. As captain of the senior team for many a year he also gave an almighty Braveheart type team talk when required!”.

Pitch Development role

“My involvement started when one night two years ago when I got a phone call from Brendan Toland telling me that Big Fitzy and Joe Finnegan were coming to see me and that he had given them my address as he had ‘given’ a donation to the new pitch fund! So the two lads landed and left with a small donation and a promise of more. Then I started thinking here are 3 men, including Shanty, in their 70’s collecting for a pitch they will never play on and I decided it was time people of my generation put the shoulder to the wheel and I’ve been working with a great group of people ever since to make the new pitch happen. As well as the Joe, Shanty and Fitzy they are Jim Ferguson, Maura Larkin, Jim Herron, Peter Kane, Colm McKenna, Sean McElhatton & Brendy McCloskey. With no government grants available for pitches it has been a hard road but there is a never say die attitude amongst us and working will commence soon on Phase 2 . My vision for our 18 acre complex is that there will be facilities in every part and kids playing in every corner. We know that voluntary contributions are difficult for many members at this time so we are having to spread the net further and further to get the necessary funds to complete the new pitch by October 2021”.

Craic

“Winning the minor championship in 1988 really created a bond amongst a lot of us that meant we socialised together as well as trained and played matches. We used to make an annual journey to the All-Ireland Football final which was always great and one year Davy Vincent decided to drive his new ford escort there and back with Jim Brady, Henry Clifford and myself on board . On the way back the engine packed in as Davy was pushing it in a rush to make the club on a Sunday night. Now in 1989 to abandon a car just before a border checkpoint wasn’t advisable. So we locked up the car and walked up to the border check with our hands in the air and singing a song so the border guards wouldn’t think we were sneaking up ( the name of the song is too cringe worthy to mention). We got through the border and walked the 5 miles to Newry and got a private taxi to the club for last orders! Stevy Vincent, Micky Brady, Ciaran O’Neill, Pearce Rice and Ciaran Magee were lucky to miss that trip”.

“When I got my driving licence and first car I decided to drive a few players to our match at Glenravel and with none of us knowing the way Big Fitzy agreed to be co-pilot. Well I did my driving lessons in Belfast so wasn’t that familiar with cross roads so went straight through one! Big Fitzy said he had been in many scrapes over the years and said he didn’t want to go in a car crash so he travelled back with someone else”.

“Sunday nights with Ray & Marty in the club were great craic and regular feature was the Time Warp – Our dancing skills and rhythm were Nil out of 10 and I haven’t improved any. As regards the yellow dust Fire Extinguisher incident in accommodation Letterkenny when some players wanted to be wanabee Fireman Sams. Shanty and Fitzy were not enthused to put it politely and were for putting us all out of the hotel, it was the those guys from Mizen Gardens and funny enough never became firemen”.

Giving Back

“Lamh Dhearg is a unique club in Antrim as it is both urban and rural. Perched on top of the mountain and with no sizeable population base we are punching above our weight as a GAA Club. I believe our ‘giving back’ culture is one of the main reasons behind this. In the New Pitch committee we have 9 ex-players giving back. With the squad of coaches I helped to take a team through from u12 to senior level Tony Stanley, Joe McNeill and Brendy McCloskey are all ex-players and when I look around our 28 teams there are lots of ex-players giving back and bringing their friends and families with them. When you think of Paul Buchanan and the many hours he puts in a week it is just phenomenal that we have that quality of a volunteer in our club giving back after his playing days”.

Current Lockdown / Community Club

“The club has been brilliant in keeping us entertained, connected and raising our spirits during lockdown with the Bingo, The Hills of Hannahstown song, the team challenges etc, The daily texts from Buke with  the classic photos from the Archives generated some memories and banter. Buke and Kevin are definitely working overtime, and even though they interrupt the Home Schooling sometimes, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the trips down memory lane. Our club with its Highway to Health and its annual involvement in Darkness into Light to name but two positives really does make it a force for good in the community that transcends the games we play and make me proud to be a Lámh Dhearg member”.