Karen McCormick – Ulster Camogie President

Alan Rodgers: How important is it for Armagh, Tyrone and other counties to produce winners?

Karen McCormack: It’s great to see and it’s great for the promotion of the sport. The volunteers on the ground at the clubs are putting so much work in. A lot of the clubs have gone to the one-club model and are introducing all four codes and that’s giving the girls the opportunity to play both codes. It’s down to the workers and the volunteers, watching matches, going to matches and analysing matches and getting the best for their players.

AR: The Gaelic Life All-Star’s provides an opportunity to reflect on the players and the efforts they put in

KMcK: The players put in a lot of effort, and they give up a lot of time. Tthey give up a lot in their lives to play their sport. The miss many nights out, many functions, and to get recognised by the Gaelic Life in such a formal occasion is tremendous. The promotion of our games by Gaelic Life has been phenomenal for many years and players need something like that. It’s a night to celebrate their performances and their achievements on the pitch because at the end of the day, they are amateur sports people. They don’t get the achievements like the Premiership footballers, and so this is a wonderful night for them and it’s all down to the promotion of Gaelic Life.

Gerry Doherty – Ulster LGFA President

Alan Rodgers: Clann Éireann came through Armagh and won another Ulster Championship.

Gerry Doherty: They certainly served their apprenticeship because for the last number of years. When they got out of Armagh, they usually met Donaghmoyne or St Macartan’s, some of the more successful teams. Last year Clann Éireann won it, and they pushed on to the All-Ireland semi-finals and this year they gave an even better account of themselves on that particular day, so the future is very good for them.

AR: Mullahoran and Downings picked up titles at Intermediate and Junior level respectively.

GD: The Junior winners are pride of place now. Downings from Donegal are in the All-Ireland final in Parnell Park having got through the semi-final. The semi-final at intermediate level just didn’t bounce kindly for Mullahoran and unfortunately, they were knocked out, but I have to say the Ulster Championships ars special. You have the players that play for their county and the club which they represent, but they also represent the community and their own families. You have the situation where the granny is wheeled out once or twice a year to see the granddaughter playing and it’s an extended family thing. We are the only province in Ireland that run a minor championship, and it is possibly the best of all four of the championships. The standard of football is rising all the time so we’re in a very, very good place at the moment.

Ciaran McLaughlin – Ulster GAA President

Alan Rodgers: The Ulster Football and Hurling Championships create a lot of special moments for the teams involved but also for neutrals.

CMcL:Our sports are family orientated and when a player is going out, they’re representing their family, their club and their whole parish and community. When you see the way Sleacht Néill have played and came through two games, which thankfully were on TV, that showed the standard of games that we have in Ulster. People knock hurling and camogie in Ulster because it’s not apparently at a high standard, but it is, it really is. Overall, there’s been wonderful moments and in our Intermediate final, Carey Faughs won it, and a puck of the ball was the difference. On the football side, we’ve seen how tight and how competitive the games were and I believe that we are very fortunate – we won every title that we could win in Ulster last season. It shows the strength and depth across all of our codes and long may it continue.

AR: It was a very special year for Carey Faughs given the pain they’ve suffered off the field this year.

CMcL: Naomh Pádraig in Donegal as well, they lost a player this year and all these things happen across the GAA community. Those are two that we know about, but everybody in our communities have been affected and what the GAA can do is bring some light in the middle of it all.