By Michael McMullan

EIGHTEEN months after helping camogie in St John’s off its feet, club legend Andy McCallin is happy to see them climb the ladder.

Along with dual star Domhnall Nugent, Jude McGurdy and Sonia McKenna, they steered the Whiterock Road club to victory over Magherafelt in Sunday’s Bridie McMenamin Shield Final.

“I never saw a score,” stated McCallin about the foggy afternoon in Ahoghill. “I was on the sideline. I couldn’t see the ball going over the bar. I was that bad. I am glad it was played, but it probably shouldn’t have been.”

First-half goals from Maédhbh Laverty and Eimhear Costello put them on track for a 2-2 to 1-4 victory.

“At the end of the day, we were probably better than them but it didn’t show,” said McCallin, who also felt the conditions didn’t do either team justice.

It capped off a long year of ‘ups and downs’ as they put the club back on the camogie map going into the intermediate ranks in 2022.

St John’s lost to Creggan in last season’s Antrim final and have had to plan with Helen Meade and Kerry Anna Williamson from the centre of their defence. They also had to find a new formula in attack after Cora Weir took up an opportunity to teach in Dubai.

“Maire Mulholland’s father was very ill during the year and passed away during the season,” McCallin said.

Unable to fully commit to training, Maire opted out.

“She is the sort that if I’m not training I won’t be playing,” Andy added.

After he sadly passed away, Maire gave her full commitment to the camogs and was an ever present in their Ulster campaign.

”She came straight in and she was in the middle of the field on Sunday and made a big difference. We have had our ups and downs during the year, but we got there.”

“We had a tough season,” McCallin continues. “We only joined about 18 months ago and organised the team to get a few retired people back.”

After a four-point win over Armoy, St Johns saw off Cushendall reserves in the semi-final (3-12 to 1-4) to set up a final meeting with Loughgiel Thirds. It took a late goal from Hannah McGuigan to clinch a 4-8 to 4-7 win.

“They have great character and fighting spirit,” said Andy of the St John’s resolve.

“We knew we had a good enough team, we had to keep at it after Creggan beat us the previous year.”

Now with the Ulster title tucked away, the club can look forward to a new season with some fresh impetus. While some of the panel are ‘threatening’ to hang up their hurl, McCallin his hopeful.

“They haven’t all made up their mind,” he adds.

Teenage starlet Carla Hamill will be another year more experienced and Hamill hopes her older sister Niamh will return from Portglenone after her transfer during the Johnnies’ barren years.

“That’s a bonus and there are a couple of girls that are playing football and didn’t come back into us,” McCallin continues.

“We’ve a good enough panel and there are four or five coming up from minor that can now play at senior. Hopefully the older ones will stay on and help with the building of camogie in the club and being the younger ones through.”