Cricket clubs drawn from the five Provincial Unions – Connacht, Munster, Leinster, Northern, and North West – have been shortlisted for the prestigious Arachas Club of the Year award at tonight’s 12th Business Plus Irish Cricket Awards.
The award honours both on-field and off-field achievements, with clubs being nominated for consideration by each Provincial Union. Previous winners of the award include Cork Harlequins (2023), Bready CC (2022), Limerick CC (2021), Pembroke CC (2020), Waringstown CC (2018), Waringstown CC (2017), and Cork County CC (2016).
Speaking ahead of the awards, Participation Director for Cricket Ireland, Elaine Nolan said:
“Club cricket is the beating heart of Irish cricket and every year we have an incredible number of Clubs worthy of recognition. The Awards gives Clubs an opportunity to be celebrated and recognised through the many and meaningful contributions of members, volunteers, coaches, players, officials, and supporters across Ireland.
“This year, we are proud to present five exceptional nominations for Arachas Club of the Year, each representing the diverse fabric that continues to enrich grassroots cricket. We wish each of the nominees the very best of luck!”
Waringstown Cricket Club (Northern Cricket Union)
- Waringstown Cricket Club enjoyed a momentous year both on and off the pitch in 2023. On the pitch, the club’s first team continued to add to its many honours winning the NCU Gallagher Challenge Cup for a record 27th time and also capturing the LVS T20 Cup. The club also reached another Irish Senior Cup Final which was staged at their home ground.
- The club plays a vital role at the centre of the community in the small county Armagh village. More than a cricket club, it plays an extremely important role as a focal point for much of the local community for people to gather. Throughout the year, the club hosted several community engagement events celebrating all that is good about village life. 2023 saw the club commence plans to add to its facilities with the building of a hall to be used for indoor nets and community events. They have a clear plan for the club’s future and its growth across every aspect of the sport and its involvement at the heart of the local community.
- Women’s cricket grew in 2023 attracting a new wave of members to further strengthen the continuing work in this area over the last five seasons
- The U15 boys team won the NCU Premier League, the U13 boys team won the NCU Division 1 title and the U13 Development Cup, and the U11 boys shared the NCU Division 1 league trophy.
- 2023 also saw the club start a girl’s programme which it is hoped will grow to rival the boy’s equivalent over the next few years
- Perhaps the most outstanding aspect of the club in 2023 was how its vast volunteer base came together to ensure that they played every one of their home matches despite the horrendous weather during most of the 2023 summer. The club was then given the honour of hosting the National Finals weekend, with the Irish Senior and National Cups taking place at their ground on the weekend of 10 and 11 August 2023. Despite two days of extremely unsettled weather and significant additional challenges, the club volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that both matches were played and that large crowds enjoyed the most fantastic two days of cricket and hospitality.
The Butlers Club of the Year award will be presented to the winning club at tonight’s 12th Business Plus Irish Cricket Awards in Dublin.
Keep an eye on Cricket Ireland’s social media channels on the night to see who wins these prestigious awards.