Dinner Dance:

County Board Awards:

Congrats to Dessie Ward on winning Senior Player of the Year.  With Ballybay’s Senior Championship win in 2022, Desmond joins his father Tom (1987) and his late grandfather Dessie (1953, 54, 57, 59 & 62) as a Senior Championship medal winner.

It is unlikely that in their previous 8 Championship wins, any Ballybay player were as influential as Desmond was in the 2022 Final. It was truly a Man of the Match performance. He scored 3 long distance points from 3 shots in the first half to give Ballybay a lead they never surrendered and his goal in the 2nd half ended up being the score that separated the teams at the final whistle. This goal took his tally from play in Monaghan Championship to 2-14. He was also a vital role in the club’s historic win over Crossmaglen.  However, this year was no surprise to anyone who has been watching Monaghan football over the last number of years. He has 4 Monaghan All Star awards in 4 different positions, which shows his versatility and he is now a main stay of the County team having previously been influential in the 2013 Ulster Minor winning side and the 2016 Ulster winning Under 21 team. He also won a Sigerson Cup with DCU in 2015 and Monaghan Young Player of the Year just 2 years ago in 2020.  Desmond is a committed and determined player but it’s his natural flair that sets him out from the crowd. His leadership in this year’s Championship was a defining factor in Ballybay’s success. As Desmond is about to reach his prime as a footballer, we hope to see many more performances in both the colours of Ballybay and Monaghan in the coming years.

Also congrats to Paul McCarthy won was inducted into the Monaghan Hall of Fame. Paul McCarthy comes from great footballing stock. His father Charlie, won played for Monaghan in the 1930 All Ireland campaign.

Paul played for Monaghan in Minor and Junior ranks but he shot to national attention with a heroic display for Monaghan in 1969 when he single-handedly kept All Ireland Down at bay in the Ulster Championship. Just a quote from the newspapers after the game; “He guarded the net magnificently and well deserved the tribute he received from the Down star, Sean O’Neill at the end of the game”.

1969 was a good year for Paul as Ballybay won the Senior Championship, defeating Castleblayney in the Final, this added to the medal he had won in 1962. Paul’s versatility was shown up in the 69 final as although touted to play in the half forward line, he lined out in goals. A man 50 years ahead of his time!

Although Ballybay won by 9 points it seems Paul’s save in the first half was crucial. The Anglo Celt reported “All were in agreement that the game had one big turning point. It came in the 15th minute of the first half when Eamon Tavey swept through the Ballybay rearguard and fired in a sizzling shot from close range which would have beaten most goalkeepers, but that ice cool custodian, Paul McCarthy- having his first game the sticks in the championship series- somehow managed to deflect the ball for an abortive 50, Castleblayney were only 2 points behind at this stage”.

He also won a Senior Hurling Championship with Ballybay in 1976 and was a superb handballer while in school.

In 1971, when Ulster beat Connacht in the final Paul became only the 2nd Monaghan man (Joe Carroll in 1965, being the other) to win a Railway Cup with Ulster since John Rice in 1956 . When you look at Railway Cup selections, the goalkeeper always comes from either the reigning Ulster Champions or the defeated finalists. It is a reflection of Paul’s ability that he got selected when Monaghan weren’t performing well in Ulster at that time.

In 1982, Paul came out of retirement to help Ballybay out in an injury crisis and despite losing, kept a clean sheet in the County Final v Castleblayney.

Since his retirement, Paul’s most significant contribution is his entertaining speeches at the club’s Dinner Dance’s when he is asked to detail the achievements of the Club’s Hall of Fame winners. These speeches that are as detailed as they are hilarious, show the breadth of knowledge and love that Paul has for Gaelic Football!!!!

Paul is one of the great characters of Monaghan football and is a worthy winner of the Hall of Fame award.

Best of luck:

Best of luck to Ryan, Dessie and Colm for the first NFL game of the season v Armagh on Saturday.

Sympathy:

The club would like to express our condolence to the families of Eamon McAleer and Shelia McCabe, both who passed away in the last few days.

May they rest in peace.