Ronnie hits the four score!

ANTRIM stalwart Ronnie McNeilly was in the mood to celebrate on Sunday as he marked his 80th birthday surrounded by family and friends.

In the sumptuous surroundings of Dunadry Hotel, Ronnie and family enjoyed fine hospitality in the recently refurbished venue.

One of nine children, Ronnie recounts plenty of mischief as they grew up out at Corbally on the Loughshore, including more than one occasion where they would gather as many lough flies en route to school and then cause havoc with their release in the classroom!

Many Antrim readers will be more familiar with the large family from when they moved into Firfields, and it was from here that Ronnie and his brothers got involved in St Comgalls GAC, providing the backbone of many teams including the 1972 Junior Championship team.

Ronnie also enjoyed soccer, having lined out for ‘The Admiralty’ amongst many other local sides.

Ronnie’s face will be familiar to those who attended Antrim Tech, and latterly Northern Regional College, as his love of engineering saw him take up a teaching role for the majority of his career.

The tech fostered his sense of adventure and the outdoors, with him often joining the pupils on outdoors excursions for hiking, bouldering, and other pursuits.

These days Ronnie enjoys a more leisurely pace, keeping a close eye on the progress of his beloved Manchester City, as well as other sports.

He wrestles daily with the Irish News, and Belfast Telegraph’s puzzle pages and is still kept active by his 10 grandchildren.

The Antrim Guardian has often heard of Ronnie’s reputation on the football field, and when we caught up with him at his celebration we thought, with him in a reflective mood, we might ask him if he ever regretted any of his actions?…… his response was definitive, defiant and definite….

“Always get your retaliation in first!”