Brilliant Brogan and Corbett light up season of stars
LAR CORBETT has been a class forward during this millennium and hit his peak this year.
Some peak!
Three goals in an All-Ireland final capped a sensational season.
TIPPERARY won the All-Ireland and stopped Kilkenny’s bid for the historic five in a row. Hats off to the Premier men.
ANY team that wins the NFL Division One title and the Sam Maguire are the best in the land. Cork had been heading in the right direction for a few years.
Redemption and acclaim was their just reward in 2010.
FOR me a goal of the year has to be crucial as well as brilliant. Lar Corbett scored a hat-trick in the All-Ireland final but the first was the most crucial against Kilkenny. It was the essence of simplicity by a man who makes scoring look easy — the litmus test of class.
THE award didn’t come in the league or championship. Instead I am voting for Bernard Brogan’s sensational goal in the first International Rules Test in Limerick. By so doing he electrified the crowd and may well have rescued the series for many years to come. You can’t beat class.
LIAM SHEEDY’S championship began with a crushing defeat to Cork on Leeside. But he and his side bounced back superbly to come through the qualifiers and claim All-Ireland glory, Tipp’s first since 2001. A superb manager and a gentleman.
CONOR COUNIHAN of Cork. The Aghada man steered the Rebels to All-Ireland glory to end a 20-year famine. If he had failed this year, Cork may have gone into decline. They didn’t and I expect them to be a force for years to come.
KILDARE were dumped out of the All-Ireland semi-final as a result of a dodgy Benny Coulter goal.
At the death they got a close-range free but being two points in arrears, they needed a goal or nothing.
Substitute Rob Kelly elected to take the kick. He produced an absolute piledriver which was nudged onto the crossbar by the fingers of one of the Down players. Had it gone in, it would live in folklore forever more!
A brilliant, powerful, accurate and courageous effort which deserves an award.
NOT just an injustice of the year, but of the decade. Louth were on the cusp of their first Leinster SFC title in 50 years when Joe Sheridan tumbled over the line for an illegal goal which secured victory for Meath. Subsequently, they were almost browbeaten into accepting the decision as it was eventually left to the Royal County’s players to decide whether the game should be replayed or not. They took the latter option and the Wee County’s wait for provincial glory continues.
ONE contender here. Any club that wins the All-Ireland senior club title, the Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland sevens and also contest the All-Ireland IHC club final cannot be overlooked. Will any club ever do that again? St Gall’s from West Belfast achieved all those feats in 2010.
THE failure of any Cork forward to make the All-Star 15 was a joke considering their success in league and championship. Limerick midfielder John Galvin is another man who should have made the selection.
WHEN Michael Maguire took over as chairman, Roscommon were at their lowest ebb. Morale was down, the financial situation was dire and the county’s reputation was tarnished. Slowly but surely, this great man went about rehabilitation and rebuilding. Their victory over Kerry in an All-Ireland MFC final replay was the catalyst for a change of fortune. This year Roscommon regained the Connacht SFC title while earlier this month, county champions, St Brigid’s, won the Connacht SFC club title. Rehabilitation complete, reputation restored.
The good leadership of Michael Maguire was essential in this change of fortunes.
IN this era of ‘professionals’ involved in county management, we have all sorts of assistants. One profession that preceded them and are essential to any team are doctors. The majority give of their expertise free and willingly. Doctors like Dave Geaney (Kerry) and Con Murphy (Cork) have done it for decades. Unsung heroes but irreplaceable.
CHARLES KICKHAM came from Mullinahone. He wrote the often-quoted line “for the honour and glory of the little village”. If ever a supporter lived up to that ideal, it is another Mullinahone person — Cathleen McNamara. Not only does she go to every match that Mullinahone and Tipperary play but she also sells raffle tickets, lottery tickets and washes the jerseys for the club teams. A wonderful woman and an inspiration to all.
