O’Connor crowns great year with top manager award

JACK O’CONNOR’S remarkable achievement in leading Kerry to National League, Munster and All-Ireland football championship titles in his first year in charge last night earned him the ‘Manager of the Year’ by the Munster Council.

And, on a night when the inaugural Munster hurling and football Allstars were honoured, the individual awards went to Ronan Curran and Tomás Ó Sé, also members of the respective times.

The recipients of the Hall of Fame awards were Tom Cheasty from Waterford and Eamonn Young of Cork.

The Waterford Crystal-sponsored awards were presented by GAA president Sean Kelly and Munster Chairman Sean Fogarty at the South Court Hotel in Limerick last night. Additionally, referees who handled provincial finals over the past year were honoured, while the former chairman of the Council, Christy Cooney, who will be a candidate for the GAA presidency next year, received a special presentation.

Interestingly, while Tomás Ó Sé was the journalists’ choice as the Vodafone Allstars ‘Player of the Year,’ it was the first time for Ronan Curran to be picked for one of the individual awards ahead of Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, who made a clean sweep of the GPA, Texaco and Vodafone awards.

Suzanne Kelly from Tipperary won the camogie award, Cork’s Juliet Murphy was chosen for ladies football and, for the first time since the inception of the scheme, the handball award went to a female - Maria Daly from the Ballymacelligott club in Kerry.

PJ Ryan from Limerick, a former Chairman of the Council and currently a member of both the Central Council and the GAC, won the award for distinguished service in administration. Fr. Pat Moran OSA was honoured for his contribution to Coaching and Schools GAA, while Paddy Cronin from Cork, who officiated the 1967 Munster senior and the 1976 All-Ireland minor finals, took the refereeing award.

Former Waterford goalkeeper Ned Power, who also earned a reputation as a coach, received a Special Merit Award. And, not surprisingly, Kilmurry-Ibrickane were chosen as the Club of the Year.

Award winners: Hurler of the Year - R. Curran (Cork); Footballer of the Year - T. Ó Sé (Kerry); Camogie Player of the Year - S. Kelly (Tipperary); Ladies Footballer of the Year - J. Murphy (Cork); Handballer of the Year - M. Daly (Kerry).

Distinguished Service Awards: Administration - PJ Ryan (Limerick); Coaching & Schools GAA - Fr. P. Moran (Waterford); Media - M. Morrissey (RTE); Refereeing - P. Cronin (Cork); Manager of the Year - J. O’Connor (Kerry); Club of the Year - Kilmurry-Ibrickane (Clare); Special Merit - N. Power (Waterford); Hall of Fame, Football - E. Young (Cork); Hurling - T. Cheasty (Waterford).

Munster Hurling Stars: B. Cummins (Tipperary); W. Sherlock (Cork), P. Maher (Tipperary), T.J. Ryan (Limerick); R. Curran (Cork), K. McGrath (Waterford), S. Óg Ó hAilpín (Cork); E. Kelly (Waterford), O. Moran (Limerick); D. Shanahan (Waterford), M. Walsh (Waterford), B. O’Connor (Cork); J. Mullane (Waterford), S. Prendergast (do), E. Kelly (Tipperary).

Munster Football Stars: D. Murphy (Kerry); T. O’Sullivan (do), D. Kavanagh (Cork), T. Stack (Limerick); T. Ó Sé (Kerry), S. Lucey (Limerick), S. Moynihan (Kerry); D. Ó Sé (do), J. Quane (Limerick); D. Russell (Clare), J. Galvin (Limerick), E. Brosnan (Kerry); C. Cooper (Kerry), D. Browne (Tipperary), M.F. Russell (Kerry).