Celtic legend McIlroy dies
ONE of the last survivors of the great Belfast Celtic side which eventually won five consecutive titles from 1936 to 1940 has passed away.
Syd McIlroy, who had been ill for some time, died of a heart attack in hospital on Thursday.
Signed from his hometown club Larne by legendary manager Elisha Scott, McIlroy played for Celtic from 1936 to 1939, missing out only on the last of those five consecutive championships in season 1939-40.
To add to his collections of four championship medals, McIlroy also won Gold & City Cup medals during his playing days.
It was as an inside left that McIlroy was the subject of an amusing tale related in John Kennedy’s excellent Belfast Celtic history.
Scott drummed it into his players that if they found themselves free of opponents and in a good position on the pitch they should call for the ball to alert their colleague in possession.
Once in an exhibition match in Dublin McIlroy was moving goalwards when his team-mates began to clamour for a pass.
“Over here, Syd”; “Behind you, Syd”; “Give it to me, Syd”, came the demands from his fellow forwards.
McIlroy promptly came to a halt, placed his boot on the ball, and in his familiar Antrim tones retorted: “I canna’ give it to all of yiz!”
McIlroy came to Celtic Park two years after Scott had returned to the club as player-manager, the player joining a side that was coming to its peak, part of a forwardline that usually included Jimmy McAlinden and Norman Kernaghan and was captained by Bertie Fulton.
A lifelong Larne resident, McIlroy attended both Belfast Celtic reunion dinners in 1988 and 1990.
Antrim SFC
St John’s (holders) 1-7 St Paul’s 1-11
Holders lose title with tame display
St John’s gave up their Antrim Senior Football championship crown without displaying any of the distinctive passion that has distinguished them over the years. In truth they were lucky to lose by just four points as rampant St Paul’s shot 16 wides during the hour.
Both goals came at death. St John’s found their opponents net after 60 minutes play, substitute Brian McFaul the scorer, to pull the game back to one point, 1-7 to 0-11.
St Paul’s however held their nerve and within three minutes, their full-forward Paedar McCaffrey beat Brian McNulty all ends up.
Corner-forward John McManus was St Paul’s star scoring eight points. Five came in the first half with midfielder Joe Quinn picking up the other for a 0-6 to 0-3 interval lead.
Corner-back Anto Finnegan, who was not far behind McManus in class, pointed twice in the early stages of the second half and after just 34 minutes the lead was five points.
The Johnnies displayed some of their old fire from the 36th of 44th minutes when two points from Enda McKenna and one each from David Reynolds and Enda McAtamney pulled them to within a point.
But McManus then toyed with their defence and add three before the goal showdown in injury time.
St Paul’s won the game easier than the scoreline suggests and it is unlikely that their prospective semifinal opponents Moneyglass or All Saints, who are in action at Rasharkin tonight, will hold any fears for them.
Tyrone SFC
Carrickmore 0-7 Clonoe 0-7
Hughes hits late score to force replay
MARTIN Hughes hit a late equaliser to earn a draw for Clonoe in last night’s Tyrone senior championship tie at Dungannon.
Clonoe made a promising start with scores from Ryan O’Neill and Martin Hughes, but after a slow start, Carrickmore began to get a grip on the game.
They had points from Ciaran Loughran, Gabriel McCallan and Brian Gormley to take a 0-5 to 0-3 advantage into the interval.
Clonoe took the lead through Ryan O’Neill and Niall O’Neill, but the introduction of Seamus McCallan had a stabilising influence on Carrickmore, and points from Ciaran Loughran and Peter Loughran helped them regain the initiative.
But Martin Hughes drove over a line equaliser two minutes from the end and the sides must meet again. The replay takes place next Saturday at 7.30pm at O’Neill Park, Dungannon.
