Member's statement: Royal Belfast Academical Institution: McCullough Cup Victory
Member's statement by Ms Paula Bradshaw on .
- MLA
- Ms Paula Bradshaw
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 9 December 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Royal Belfast Academical Institution: McCullough Cup Victory
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5295514
Read the official Assembly record
Text
As an MLA for South Belfast, I say a massive "Congratulations" to Royal Belfast Academical Institution (Inst) on winning the 2025 McCullough Cup schools hockey competition. Last Thursday, Inst secured a superb 3-1 victory over Banbridge Academy in the final at Havelock Park, retaining the trophy that it won last year. Two goals from Josh Gill and a penalty from captain, Matthew McAreavey, sealed the win, with defender Riley Marney delivering a man-of-the-match performance at the back. That latest success means that Inst has now lifted the McCullough Cup for a record eighteenth time, extending its position as the most successful school in the history of that Ulster competition. It is also the first side to retain the title for a second year since Cookstown High School managed the feat in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. That is a remarkable achievement that speaks to the depth of talent and strength of the coaching set-up at the school. I pay tribute to all the players whose commitment over many months and even years of training has culminated in this moment of well-deserved success. School sport is not just about trophies. It is about teamwork, resilience, learning to handle pressure and supporting one another in victory and defeat. The young people representing Inst have shown that all those qualities are present in abundance, and they showed that throughout the campaign. I also extend my congratulations to the coaching and support staff, the teachers who juggle academic responsibilities with time on the pitch and, of course, the parents and families who stand on the sidelines in all weathers. Their encouragement, lifts to training and constant support are crucial to making success such as this possible.
As a South Belfast MLA, I am particularly proud that the school, which has such strong links across our constituency, is setting the standard in schools hockey and providing positive role models for younger pupils, who will be inspired by that success. Through its long tradition of excellence in sport across hockey, rugby and many other disciplines, Inst continues to make an important contribution to life in the city and the health and well-being of our young people. I also acknowledge Ulster Hockey and all those who are involved in organising the McCullough Cup and wider schools competitions. Their work ensures that our young people have access to high-quality competitive sport in a safe and supportive environment and helps to promote participation, inclusion and respect across schools and communities. I wish the team every success as it continues its season.
422 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.02 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.81 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.18 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:07 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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