Grounds:  Moylena, Technology Park. Antrim

Formed:  1874

1st Team League:  Division One; Section One

2009 President: Sinclair Hamilton

2009 Chairman: Harry McFadden

2009 Club Captain: Richard Keates

2009 Secretary: Norman Craig

History....

John Joseph Robinson was a member of the staff of the York Street Flax Spinning Company, who played for Massereene in the late 1860�s. When he came to live at the Muckamore School House with the Entwhistle family in 1874 he formed Muckamore Cricket Club, presumably with members from the local works.

The original ground was at Boghead but, presumably for agricultural requirements, had to move to the field opposite the School House, then later to the racecourse at Oldstone, and later to Moylena, where Muckamore have been playing continuously for about 125 years.

In 1894 a local minister strongly disapproved of a barrel of beer being delivered to the ground each Saturday and finished on the Sunday, so he formed Greenmount C.C. for junior members and boys from his Bible Class.  This club played on the opposite side of the six mile water from Moylena.
The two clubs agreed to merge in 1897, electing John G. Entwhistle to captain Muckamore, a position he continuously held for 27 years. This amalgamation brought new life to the club and with the increased number of players it also became possible to form a second XI. Around this time the first pavilion was built and the new square was laid with turf from Carnearney Mountain at the cost of �18. These improvements helped socially as well as improving batting standards.

Tennis touches at Muckamore.

That selfsame sun which circles the globe was beating down one summer day at Muckamore, a prosperous linen village enjoying the unrivalled peace and wealth of the Edwardian era. And the hum of activity on part of the beautiful ground � the creak of the roller, the whirr of the mower � fitted in well with the atmosphere of gentle relaxation and the promise of white flannelled gentlemen displaying the batting and bowling prowess before the ladies coolly clad in fine linen. Yet something of a revolution was on the way.

�The Master� John G. Entwhistle, had a new fangled contraption call a motorcycle and sidecar and he was at that moment dismantling the lawn tennis posts and nets at a court in his garden for the purpose of bringing it in his side car to the cricket grounds so that club tennis could be played for the first time in the district- and by both sexes!

Obviously with tennis only being 2/3 of the age of its older partner most people don�t associate the partnership, however tennis players can look with justifiable pride at the 100 year partnership, a partnership with two unique achievements in local sport. The first cricket to reach it centenary accompanied by a tennis section and it is the oldest surviving joint cricket and tennis club.
Participation in competitive cricket from 1898 improved the general standard, entering the Junior Challenge Cup, but it took eleven years before we succeeded in reaching our first ever cup final in 1909, losing to Woodvale.

Muckamore again reached the final in 1914, but Enfield proved too good, however Muckamore had the consolation of winning their first trophy, the newly formed Intermediate League in that same year.
Matches during the First World War were mostly against Army and Air Force teams. Members made many friends � particularly with the soldiers of the North Irish Horse stationed in Antrim.

In 1941 Muckamore reached the final of the one innings war substitute for the Senior Cup, losing to Woodvale at Ormeau. That same year saw the Sherwood Foresters stationed at Ballycraigy, and when the Club made them honorary members they made good use of the ground for company matches.

In recognition of the hospitality they arranged an Exhibition Match between the Army and a strengthened Muckamore XI. This match was played on Saturday, September 13th and proved to be a memorable occasion. The Army has several English County Players, not least the famous test players, H Verity, N.W.D. Yardley and N.D Read. The match finished a creditable draw.  

Current Club

The 2008 Season was most probably the most successful season in recent history for Muckamore.  The 1st XI winning the Metal Technology T20 Shield and the Ulster Shield, the 2nd XI sharing the Intermediate Cup with Laurelvale. But the most satisfying for the Club would be the Graham Cup returning to Moylena after victory over Instonians at Middle Road. Just reward for the hard work Andy Gleghorne has put into Junior Coaching.

Club Coaching

� Monday 6:30pm � Junior Practice
� Tuesday 6:30pm � Senior Practice
� Thursday 6:30pm � Senior Practice