GAA President’s awards 2006
FRANK played hurling with Turloughmore at all grades from 1964 to 1991, captaining the senior team to county honours in 1985. He also lined out for Galway, winning an U21 medal in 1972 and a senior medal in 1980. He was selected on the Allstar teams of 1976 and 1979. At club level, when vice-chairman with responsibility for development, he helped with fundraising by being buried for 48 hours to raise the final £10,000 required to complete the project.
DONAL is a founder member of Na Fianna GAA Club, in 1955, was chairman of the club from 1962-1966 and secretary from 1975- 1979. He was secretary of the Dublin Minor Board from 1965 to 1972, selector on the last Dublin minor team to win All-Ireland honours and a senior football selector in 1969 and 1970.
In 1971 was appointed full-time Development Officer of the Dublin County Board, a position he held until his retirement in 2002.
FATHER GARDINER played for his native Borrisokane until his ordination in 1961 and was involved in coaching St. Flannan’s College, Ennis from 1970 to 1990, winning Harty Cup and All-Ireland titles in 1976, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1987.
He represented Munster Colleges on Comhairle na Mumhan from 1973 to 1900 and was PRO of Comhairle na Mumhan from 1978 to 2005.
JIMMY was asked to help cutting the grass at Nowlan Park in 1952.
He ended up cutting grass, lining the pitch, putting up goal nets, putting out flags, cleaning dressing rooms, operating the scoreboard on match days, often spending seven days a week there.
Now 83, Jimmy has given a lifetime of service to Kilkenny GAA.
MARCUS’S works include: “The GAA: A History” - three editions, 1980, 1990, 1999”, “Michael Cusack and the GAA - 1989,” “100 years of Faughs Hurling - 1985” and “The GAA in Dublin 1884-2000” - three volumes, running to 1,400 pages.”
MARGARET first got involved in rounders in the Community Games and became PRO of the National Rounders Council in 1992. She was involved in the reforming of the Leinster Council and served as Secretary for many years. For the past four years she has been chairman and PRO of the National Rounders Council, helping to introduce the Allstars Awards, revamping the rule book and drafting the Strategic Plan recently adopted at Congress.
PETER became involved with the handball club in his native Hazelwood before joining Cosets Handball & GAA Club in Mallow. He was elected secretary of the Cork Handball Board in 1976 and in 1977 was selected as a Cork delegate to the Munster Handball Council. He still holds both positions.
He has served as vice-chairman (1981-1984) and chairman (1985-1987) of the Munster Handball Council and is currently secretary of the Council, having taken that role in 1993.
MARTIN was a dual player with Wexford at Minor, U21 and senior level for 23 years. He holds an All-Ireland Minor Hurling medal, Leinster Minor Hurling and Football medals, Leinster U21 and senior medals as well as four Allstars. He has also managed Wexford senior and U21 hurlers as well as the U21 hurlers. He retired in 1991 and has been chairman of the St Martin’s club for five years and manages the club senior hurlers and intermediate footballers.
MICHAEL enjoyed tremendous success with Dr Crokes and Spa before joining his native Fossa in 1986. His first role was coaching underage teams to East Kerry and County League successes and to two Féile Peil na nÓg All-Ireland finals. Ten years ago he was elected Development Officer and had a major input into the design and construction of new club facilities, which include two full-sized playing pitches, training ground, dressing rooms, clubhouse and stand.
CHRISTY was born in Killorglin, Co Kerry and played with the Laune Rangers before emigrating to London in 1963. He was selector on the six-in-a-row Championship-winning Kingdom GAA side in the 70s and the club also won two All-Ireland seven-a-side titles in the Kilmacud Crokes seven-a-side competitions, the only club from Britain to win the tournament.
He was a founding member of the Kingdom Kerry Gaels Club and is still its president.
He is the owner of several pubs in London.
LIAM has been chairman of the St Galls Club in Belfast for 28 years. Under his stewardship the club has won 11 county SFC titles; two Ulster SFC titles and reached the All-Ireland Club FC Championship this year losing out to Salthill-Knocknacarra. During his tenure, the club opened new club premises and three new playing fields. Liam has also been a member of the County Disciplinary Committee and the County Hurling Committee.
DECLAN is the most famous footballer in Tipperary.
In a remarkable career, he has won two Allstars, five county senior football championships, captained his county to the Tommy Murphy Cup last year and represented his country in two Compromise Rules series.
And he is not lacking in the hurling department either, having won Munster and All-Ireland Intermediate medals and two Fitzgibbon Cup titles.
JEROME has been involved in every BBC ‘Championship’ programme since the station first broadcast highlights of the Ulster Championship in 1990. He has also penned seven books on Gaelic Games, including a celebration of his native Tyrone’s All-Ireland success in 2003. He has been a Vodafone Allstars selector but is proudest of his work with Belfast club Bredagh, where an ambitious youth programme has seen their fortunes improve after they lost their pitch in the 90’s.
TADHG, one of the best known faces behind the camera in RTÉ, was a radio continuity announcer and a cameraman for a number of years with the broadcaster.
He has been involved with RTÉ Sport at nine Olympic Games, nine World Cups, over 30 Irish Golf Championships, as well as five Eurovision Song Contests and hundreds of soccer and rugby internationals.
But his first love is GAA. Last September he worked on his 80th senior final at Croke Park.
LILY has devoted a lifetime of service to camogie at club, county, provincial and All-Ireland level. She won an All-Ireland Senior Camogie medal with Antrim in 1947 before going onto referee in four deciders.
On the administrative side, Lily held the presidency of the Camogie Association from 1956 to 1958 and held the position of treasurer from 1959 to 1979. She was elected Uachtarán at the inaugural meeting of the All Ireland Colleges Council in 1969.
ITA has dedicated a huge part of her life to Cumann Peil Gael na mBan. Three decades have passed since her first involvement with Westport and she has graced the game at every level as a player, manager, referee and administrator. Ita is the holder of numerous county, provincial and interprovincial medals as well as an All-Ireland Junior Championship medal with Mayo in 1987. She has held the presidency of the Connacht Council and membership of the national executive.
PATRICK has been involved with Mungret for 55 years. He was club delegate to the County Board for 20 years, was very active in the building of their clubhouse, which opened in 1987, and the development of a new playing field in 2002. For the past 20 years he has acted as caretaker of the clubhouse and looks after all aspects of field maintenance. He coached the club’s Minor Hurling teams in to county honours in 1975 and 1993.
DAVID is one of the founding members of the Croke Park Stadium Executive Committee and its inaugural chairman, a position he held for the past five years until he was succeeded by his close friend Hugh Cauley in January. Under David’s chairmanship, the SEC has been responsible for the day-to-day running and development of Croke Park. Their achievements have been applauded not just in GAA circles but by the general public, the business community and the media.
GABRIEL was born in Cross on the Loop Head peninsula but went to Roscommon Town in 1962. He became involved with Roscommon Gaels and was club secretary from 1968 to 1973. He won five county senior hurling championship medals with Gaels and was a member of the Roscommon Junior Hurling side that won All-Ireland honours in 1965. In 1973 he moved back to Clare and formed a club in his native, Killballyown. He became chairman of the Clare Football Board in 1981.
JIMMY was a member of the Tyrone County Board for over 30 years, serving as assistant secretary, treasurer, Ulster Council delegate and chairman for two three-year terms (1978-1980) and (1984-1986). He represented Ulster on the GAA Management Committee for three years (1996-1999) and is presently a trustee of the association. He is also a co-founder and chairman of fundraising group Club Tyrone.
DAVID was a founding member of the Milwaukee Hurling Club 11 years ago. The club now has 240 members and is helping supply equipment to start up hurling teams in St. Louis, Minneapolis, Akron, Loyola University and University of Notre Dame. The club has also introduced 700 children to hurling. David has been Operations Co-ordinator for eight years.
GEORGE spent 40 years working in Croke Park, latterly as gate supervisor, and served under 16 different presidents from Dr JJ Stuart to Sean Kelly.
He also worked at the pageant to celebrate the Easter Rising in 1966, the Muhammad Ali-Al Blue Lewis fight in 1971 and the Special Olympics in 2003. On the playing field, he won county honours in both hurling and football and holds three Leinster and two All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship medals.
JOHN played for Shamrocks Hurling and Football Club from 1957 to 1991, and was elected secretary of the club in 1966, a position he held until 1990.
He has also served as treasurer, chairman and secretary of the Carrigdhoun Juvenile Board.
In 1998 he was elected chairman of his club and two years later chairman of the Carrigdhoun Divisional Board; he still holds those positions.
KEVIN is a lifetime member of famed Dublin club St. Vincent’s, winning 15 football and four county hurling championship medals.
He captained Dublin to Sam Maguire glory in 1958 and guided Dublin to three All-Ireland football titles.
He is now involved in the underage section of his club.
NED, a legendary figure on and off the field, was a dual minor in 1947 and represented Waterford in both codes before winning an All-Ireland SHC medal in 1959. His non-playing achievements were equally remarkable, as the Dungarvan native transformed the GAA in Tallow where he taught in Scoil Mhuire. His coaching methods with Tallow GAA paid rich dividends and from 1966 to 1980 Tallow won every available county title in both hurling and football bar the senior football crown.
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