GAA writers’ Lifetime awards

THREE doyens of GAA writing, with over 130 years of service behind them, were honoured last night as the Gaelic Writers’ Association announced their inaugural Hall of Fame winners at a function in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin.

This newspaper’s Jim O’Sullivan has an astonishing 47 years behind him with the Cork Examiner, and, now Irish Examiner, and he was joined in receiving Lifetime Achievement awards by fellow veterans Paddy Downey (Irish Times) and Peadar O’Brien (The Irish Press and the Irish Sun).

The GWA was revived last year and is the organisation that represents full-time GAA journalists in print and broadcast media.

Last night, it hosted a star-studded evening, with Hall of Fame awards also going to legendary figures such as Jimmy Barry Murphy (Cork), John Doyle (Tipperary), DJ Carey (Kilkenny), Jimmy Keaveney (Dublin), Peter Canavan (Tyrone) and Mick O’Dwyer (Kerry).

Special merit awards were also presented to outgoing GAA president Nickey Brennan, and former GAA PR director danny Lynch.

In a bid to encourage innovative presentations and assistance from individual counties, the GWA also presented a PRO of the year award – Ed Donnelly from Tipperary being the recipient.