MacUílín CLG Baile an Chaisleáin | |||||||||||||||||
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Founded: | 1907 | ||||||||||||||||
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County: | Antrim | ||||||||||||||||
Nickname: | The Town | ||||||||||||||||
Colours: | Black and amber | ||||||||||||||||
Grounds: | Páirc MacUílín (4,900 capacity) | ||||||||||||||||
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Senior Club Championships | |||||||||||||||||
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McQuillan GAC Ballycastle (Irish: MacUílín CLG Baile an Chaisleáin) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The club is affiliated with the Antrim county board. The club participates in both hurling and Gaelic football but is known primarily for its hurling successes. They play their home matches at Páirc MacUílín which has also hosted the Antrim Senior Hurlers in recent years due to the ongoing redevelopment of Casement Park. The club is sponsored by Parker Transport, a local business in the town.
The club was founded in 1907. The name McQuillan originated from the ancient local clan McQuillan of whom Rory McQuillan who built Bonamargy Friary for the Franciscans and Julia McQuillan the Black Nun were members, their motto was death before dishonour.
Since its inception over 100 years ago McQuillan GAC has made a huge contribution to the tradition of hurling encouraging and nurturing the ancient art and providing a steady stream of hurlers to represent club, county and nation. The club won its first title the North Antrim Senior Hurling Championship in 1909 and its first County Senior Hurling Championship in 1913.
McQuillan GAC is the only Antrim club to have received two All Star Awards and club players were elected all star replacements on a further six occasions. Club players represented Ireland in various other capacities on six additional occasions. Fifteen club players have represented Antrim in All Ireland Finals; seven at senior grade and three were selected on the 1984 Team of the Century.
Locally known as "The Town", they were the first Antrim team to complete two "hat tricks" of wins in 1952–54, and 1978–80. Eddie Donnelly's eight championship medals is a club record and ranks highly in the county. In 1980 McQuillan GAC were the first Antrim team to contest an All Ireland Club Final. In 1986 McQuillan GAC made a clean sweep of County Senior and Senior Reserve Championships and League titles along with the Ulster Club Hurling Championship.
The club continues to place a high priority on the development of its young players and history testifies to the benefits of previous similar policies. In the 1940s shortly after Seamus Clarke introduced Minor Hurling to North Antrim, McQuillan GAC claimed 6 Minor Titles and these players graduated to win 6 Senior Titles during the 1940s and '50s. A similar policy was with the Feile Na Gael Teams in the 1970s, one of which in 1975 contested the All Ireland Div 2 final, produced 3 Minor Titles and 8 Senior Titles during the 1970s and 80s.
The club currently compete in the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship and Division 1 in the Antrim County Hurling League. The Senior Reserve team take part in the Division 1 Reserve League.
McQuillan GAC compete in the Antrim Junior Football Championship, and in Division 3 of the All-County Football League, finishing in third place in 2014. "The Town" have won the Antrim Junior Football Championship on one occasion, in 1934.
The club also won the Antrim County Football League Division 6 title in 2008 and have won North Antrim Junior Football Feis titles in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.