Formation of the Club

Waringstown Cricket Club was formed in 1851 by Captain Thomas Waring and the Henning brothers, John and George, presumably from the linen factory of John Henning & Co. in the village. There appears to be no record of the earliest matches played by the club, which had no permanent home until the generosity of the Waring family provided it with one in 1858. 'The Lawn' is believed to be the second oldest ground in Ulster. Waringstown is also known to have played some of its early games in Botanic Gardens, Belfast. By 1866 the club had 30 members and the yearly subscription was 10 shillings - but it cost £1 entrance fee for the right to become a club member. The most important game of the year in these early days of the club seems to have been the local derby against the Lurgan Demesne XI, captained by Charles Brownlow. He is perhaps better known as Lord Lurgan, owner of the famous greyhound, Master McGrath. The earliest recorded game between the two sides was in 1858, with Waringstown being easy winners.

One of the most amusing facts that emerges from the history books refers to a game played in the 1890s. It was a Senior Cup game between the very strong North Down team and a much weaker Waringstown side. North Down batted first and when they had reached 423 for 8 the Waringstown players refused to play on!

Waringstown was one of the earliest members of the NCU Senior League that started in 1897. In an amusing paragraph from 'A Parish Miscellany', Rev Haddock informs us:

"The plantation of this parish was by settlers from the North of England. Their national game was "Cricket" . Those who came from Scotland settled in Co. Antrim and brought with them 'Football".

So we can see why Waringstown, which has fostered the game ever since, may be called "The Home of Ulster Cricket".

When the baby begins to cry in the cradle, the mother looks up from her washing and shouts "Mary! Throw the child that cricket ball." Mary throws the ball to the child and the child throws it back, and so the cricket fever takes its place with the chicken pox and the measles. The next stage is with a box and a piece of board on the street, and so on till the enthusiast reaches the "Lawn". After that there is no cure."

The Waring Family

Thomas Waring was a great-great-great grandson of William Waring, who in 1658 bought the western part of the parish of Donaghcloney from Captain John Barrett.

In 1667 William Waring built a semi-fortified house in the townland of Magherana, around which sprang up the village of Waringstown. Waringstown House, as it became known, is on the badge of Waringstown Cricket Club.

It is interesting to note that the Duke of Schomberg left a detachment of his troops at Waringstown in 1689. There is an oak panelled and tapestried room in Waringstown House known as "The Duke's Room", which Schomberg occupied during his stay in the district.

Major Thomas Waring, as he became, rarely missed a game throughout the 1870s, 80s and 90s. He was elected as a Westminster MP in 1885 and played a major part in the Home Rule struggle. He died in 1898, having reached the rank of Colonel, and was succeeded by his elder son, Holt Waring. His younger son, Ruric, was killed in the First World War, in 1915.

Margaret Parr, Holt Waring's young widow, became the well-known Mrs Waring who, over the next fifty years, was to have such a strong and beneficial influence of the life of Waringstown. She became President of the cricket club and remained so until her death in May 1968. Mrs Waring served as one of the club's representatives on the NCU Senior Committee and in 1954 was elected President of the Northern Cricket Union - the only lady to be so honoured. She was also made an Honorary Life Member of the NCU in recognition for her services to local cricket. She received the CBE and also served an MP and as a Justice of the Peace.

Beginnings of Success

The club pavilion was completely renovated in the winter of 1908-1909 and by 1911 the club was achieving the success it craved. The Senior League was won for the first time, team members being Jimmy Hampton, W Scott, T Anderson, R Anderson, Johnny Williamson, C Hamilton, C Ferguson, Ruric Harwood, R McCready, T Hanna, R Scott. In 1914 the club won the Senior Cup for the first time, shortly after war was declared. For the next 4 years all competitive cricket ceased in Ulster. It wasn't until 1921 that the club again won the cup. In 1924 the club again won the Senior League and it is this side that was considered to be the club's greatest team - until that famous team of the 1960s and early 70s, to whom we will refer later.

The 1924 team contained such greats as Willie Irwin, Johnny Williamson, Jimmy Hampton, Holt McKenzie, Tom McKenzie and Ruric Harwood - it's interesting to note the Waring family Christian names appearing in village names.

1930s, 40s and 50s

The 1930s saw a decline in the club's fortunes and they were relegated to the Senior Qualifying League. The 1940s, however, saw a revival with players such as Billy Hampton (son of Jimmy), Tom McMeekin, the Burke brothers, Lloyd Armstrong and Rev. RT Barnes. During the war, the NCU ran a substitute cup competition, but the cup was not officially awarded. Waringstown reached the final on four occasions - 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, winning in 1943 and 1944. They also won the League in 1944. A couple of famous England cricketers made their debut on the Lawn in the early 1940s while stationed in Northern Ireland - Hedley Verity (Yorkshire and England) and Norman Yardley (also Yorkshire and England). The 1950s was not a successful time in the history of the club but one of the bright points was the debut of the eldest of the Harrison brothers, Roy. Over the next few years his younger brothers, Jim and Deryck, also became regular members of the 1st XI as many of the old hands retired from the scene.

1960s, 1970s and 1980s

In 1965, for the first time ever, four brothers appeared together in the same cup final - Roy, Jim, Deryck and Ian. It was also the last Senior Cup Final under the old timeless system. Waringstown defeated Sion Mills by 157 runs.

The period from 1965 to 1974 was probably the most successful and eventful in the history of the club. The Senior Cup was won 6 times and the League 5 times.The team was full of well-known names such as Roy Harrison, Mike Reith, Deryck Harrison, George Burke, Jim Harrison, Eddie McMullen, Ian Harrison, Derek Healey, John Irwin and Wesley Ferris. Barry Harrison also came into the team and, in 1969, Ivan Anderson joined the club.
In 1972 the Senior League consisted of 16 teams for the first time ever. The villagers swept through the season undefeated, setting a new record which had previously stood for 70 years. The cup and league were won many times in the 70s.

Since the 1970s the club has really remained at the forefront of Ulster cricket, producing many fine club and international cricketers. Probably the most famous team of the recent past is that which won the Treble in 1992 and boasted international players such as Ivan Anderson, Garfield Harrison, Alan Nelson, Paul McCrum, Alvin Spence and Noel Nelson.

The end of the century saw the club in a rebuilding phase, with few of that treble side remaining. Many players are young and inexperienced but there is still a pool of home grown talent around. Who knows what the future will bring?