Clare scoops three Munster GAA Awards

THERE were celebrations for Clare when Munster GAA Council hosted its annual Bord Gais Energy Awards night at the Malton Hotel in Killarney on Saturday and three of the 20 awards presented went to the Banner County.

 

The manager of the year award was presented to the very successful joint management team of Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor, who steered Clare to provincial and All-Ireland U-21 hurling titles in 2012.

Over the past three years, they have managed Clare to successive Munster minor titles (2010 and 2011) before moving up to U-21 level in 2012.
Donal hails from Scariff, while Gerry is from nearby Killanena. Gerry won U-16, minor and U-21 titles with Killanena, while his first coaching job was with the Urban Board in Ennis, where he now resides.

Donal learned his hurling skills with Scariff, winning the U-21A championship in 1987. He was a member of the county minor panel in ’85, which lost narrowly to Tipperary in the provincial semi-final.
He played at full-back for the Clare U-21s in ’88 and made his senior debut in 1990. He was part of the Clare team that won Munster and All-Ireland junior championships in 1983.

In 2007, Donal and Gerry teamed up to take charge of the county U-16 team and in 2009 took charge of the Clare minors.

Ballyea’s Tony Kelly was honoured with the provincial U-21 player of the year award. Tony has already played all levels for his club and county. Earlier this year, he played a key role in helping Ballyea win the Clare U-21A Championship. He won Munster minor medals in 2010 and 2011.

Fiona Lafferty from Kilnamona received the camogie award on the night. She is considered to be one of the leading lights in Clare camogie. She has played at all levels, helping her club win honours at U-14, U-16, minor, junior, intermediate and senior levels.

She was a young member of the Kilnamona team that won the Féile na nGael Division 2 title in 2001. Since then, she has worked to improve her game and has been awarded player of the game in numerous matches.

Fiona has featured strongly on the Munster Gael Linn team over the years and such is her diversity as a player that she can assume a strategic role in any area of play. She is equally at home in the backs as she is in the forwards.
She is also a prominent player in ladies’ football and was a key player with Donaghmoyne from Monaghan, when they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies’ Club Football title last Sunday.

The Munster GAA award winners for 2012 are:
Minor footballer of the year: Colman Kennedy (Tipperary).
U-21 hurler of the year: Tony Kelly (Clare).
Intermediate hurler of the year: David Butler (Tipperary).
Junior footballer of the year: David Callaghan (Kerry).
Minor hurler of the year: John McGrath (Tipperary).
U-21 footballer of the year: Donal Óg Hodnett (Cork).
Camogie player of the year: Fiona Lafferty (Clare).
Ladies footballer of the year: Bríd Stack (Cork).
Handballer of the year: John Ferncombe (Tipperary).
Services to refereeing award: John Motherway (Cork).
Services in education award: Tim O’Byrne (Waterford).
Media award: Weeshie Fogarty (Kerry).
Distinguished service award: Harry Greensmyth (Limerick).
Special merit award: Michael McDonnell (Limerick).
Hall of fame football award: Denis Coughlan (Cork).
Hall of fame hurling award: Pat Hartigan (Limerick).
Club of the year: Dr Crokes (Kerry).
Senior hurler of year: Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher (Tipperary).
Senior footballer of year: Donnacha O’Connor (Cork).
Managers of the year: Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor (Clare).