Ex athletics legend Molloy joins Hall of Fame winners
SIXTEEN of the county’s top sporting personalities will be honoured for their achievements over the past 12 months at the 35th Co. Galway Sports Stars awards banquet in the Ardilaun House Hotel on Friday night, January 21.
They will be joined by Hall of Fame winner, Mick Molloy, one of the greatest ever athletes produced by Galway and a former Olympian, and Special Dedication award recipient, Tom Cloonan whose trojan work with juveniles over a long period of time has laid the foundation for Athenry hurlers’ ongoing success at senior level.
It will be a night to remember for the Cloonan family from Athenry as Tom’s son Eugene has been chosen as the Galway hurler of the year while, not surprisingly, star forward Padraig Joyce takes the footballing accolade after steering Killererin to glory in the club championship.
Another highlight of the Sports Stars banquet will be the presentation of the Team of the Year award to the Galway minor hurlers who caught the imagination of the country with their style and commitment in bringing the Irish Press Cup back West for the fourth time ever.
An unique feature of this year’s banquet is a special Sporting Moment of the Year award which goes to Mountbellew native Bobby Burke whose horse Bobbyjo lifted punters’ hearts and emptied bookmakers’ satchels with a thrilling win in the Aintree Grand National last April Ireland’s first triumph in the great race since 1975.
It will be an occasion to savour too for previous multiple award winners like Neville Maxwell (rowing), Tom Slattery (equestrian) and Christy O’Connor jnr (golf) while Veronica Curtin (camogie), Padhraic Quinn (cycling) and Val O’Brien (horse racing) will be picking up their second Sports Stars award.
Joining the honours list for the first time are Sarah Kelly (athletics), John Forde (badminton), Michelle Fahy (basketball), Thomas Lee (boxing), Annette Clarke (ladies gaelic football), Robbie Lee (rugby), Billy Clery (soccer) and Caitriona Kelly (swimming).
The Sports Stars awards are the definitive benchmark of sporting achievement in the county and special guest at the presentation banquet the social highlight of the local sporting year will be popular RTE commentator Micheal Muircheartaigh.
Each Sports Star will be presented with a distinctive Padraig O Conaire statue from the Rynhart Collection – available exclusively to Connolly Fine Gifts and this year’s awards are being sponsored for the first time by Eircell.
The award winners were chosen by a panel of local journalists comprising of John Mcintyre, Connacht Tribune; Jim Carney, Tuam Herald; Martan O’Cladhra, Radio na Gaeltachta; John Fallon, Connaught Tribune; Frank Farragher, Connaught Tribune; Michael Glynn, Connacht Tribune, Sean Ban Breathnach, Radio na Gaeltachta, Declan Tierney, Connacht Tribune; Noel Carney, Tuam Herald; Ciaran Tierney, Connacht Tribune and Brendan Carroll, Connacht Tribune.
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