Chris Curran was inducted to the John McCredy McAlery Hall of Fame in May 2024.
The Cavan native, who celebrated a clean sweep of domestic honours with Cliftonville, brought the curtain down on his playing career after captaining the Reds to an historic Irish Cup Final victory over Linfield just seven days before joining the Club’s illustrious list of Hall of Fame icons.
A member of the Ballinamallard United side which impressed during their debut Premiership season in 2012/13, the ex-Manchester United youngster – whose Irish League breakthrough had initially come at Portadown – was snapped up by Manager Tommy Breslin in the summer of 2013, making his debut in a Champions League clash with Celtic at Solitude that summer.
Having been part of the Mallards outfit that applauded Cliftonville’s Gibson Cup presentation, Curran was fully involved in similar celebrations 12 months later after playing an integral part in the team’s back-to-back Premiership successes; scoring the vital opening goal when the title was secured at Portadown before stroking in a North Belfast Derby Day hat-trick against Crusaders on the day the trophy was again paraded at Solitude.
Though he arrived as an out-and-out winger, Curran – who was appointed Club captain in 2017 – excelled in a central midfield role in his latter years and, as well as enjoying two County Antrim Shield triumphs, skippered Cliftonville to League Cup glory in March 2022 before signing off in that unforgettable Irish Cup Final defeat of Linfield.
With 38 goals and 61 assists clocked up in 440 appearances straddling a decade that saw him serve under five Managers at Cliftonville, Curran departed the Club with his legendary status long since assured and was a fitting and popular inductee to our Hall of Fame when the final whistle sounded on both his career and the 2023/24 season.