Hugh Gilmore

Half-back Hugh Gilmore joined the Braidmen midway through their debut season and featured in the 1930 Irish Cup Final defeat to Linfield.

Hugh’s relatively short football career can be traced back as far as to August 1927, signing for the newly formed Coleraine team for their bow into senior football in the Irish League. However, as the Bannsiders flourished in their new surroundings, Gilmore moved to Ballymoney during that season and became a prominent figure for the junior outfit – alongside future Ballymena team-mate

His performances for the Blues of Ballymoney once again attracted interest from the Irish League and in August 1927, the half-back was on the move to Shamrock Park to join Portadown. The County Armagh team started the season strongly, but in early November 1928 – he moved back closer to home to sign for another Irish League debut side in the new look Ballymena outfit.

Debuting alongside fellow new recruit Walter Clarke in the impressive 7-3 win over Queen’s Island and was a regular in the side throughout the Autumn and Winter as the Light Blues defied the critics to hold their own in the Irish League and progress to the final of the Irish Cup at the first attempt, which included Hugh scoring his first goal for the club in the quarter-final at Broadway United. Gilmore lost his place for the showpiece decider against Belfast Celtic to Sydney Howard but remained a key part of the club’s starting eleven, making 13 appearances, scoring twice as the club finished sixth in the Irish League and were also runners-up in the City Cup competition.

During the 1929/1930 season, Gilmore battled it out with Howard for the half-back berth at the Showgrounds, and was restricted mainly to a reserve – but having missed out on the Cup Final a year before, he started the 1930 Final at Celtic Park, as Ballymena failed to retain their trophy against Linfield, losing 4-3 with legendary forward Joe Bambrick scoring all four goals for the Blues.

Hugh retained his place in the team for the remainder of the season, but was released in the summer of 1930, having made 26 appearances, scoring 7 goals. The midfielder made the move to Larne for the 1930/1931 but left the club at the end of that season following a dispute in wages, before eventually reappearing back in the Ballymena area with Intermediate club Summerfield in 1932.

Hugh Gilmore passed away Belfast in July 1977, aged 77 years.

Career
(1927) Coleraine; (1927) Ballymoney; (Aug 1928) Portadown; (Nov 1928) Ballymena; (1930) Larne; (1932) Summerfield.

Honours
(with Ballymena)
Irish Cup: (finalist) 1929/1930
City Cup: (runner-up) 1928/1929