Maguire and Bonner set to receive prestigious sports award
Adrian Maguire, the retired jockey, will be presented with a “Lifetime achievement” award and former goalkeeper Packie Bonner will receive a “Golden Memories” award.
The Tipperary event has developed into one of the most prestigious promotions of its kind since it was inaugurated five years ago. The County boasts a proud and memorable history in sport and the Canon Hayes awards are a superb way of acknowledging the contribution of some of Ireland’s most famous sportsmen and women.
Previous winners include Paul McGrath, Charlie Swan, Liam Devanney, Ronnie Delany, Mick O’Connell, Alan Quinlan, and Christy Roche.
Horse racing figures high in the list of popular sports in Tipperary and that is reflected in the nomination of horse trainers Aidan O’Brien and Dermot Weld for one of this year’s awards.
They have been nominated in the “National” sports section, one of the three categories identified by the team of judges invited by the management of the Canon Hayes Sports Centre to adjudicate on the awards.
The third nominee for this award is Sam Lynch, the oarsman who won the World sculling championship during a year when Ireland’s oarsmen made a huge impact in top-level competition.
The “Local” sports section nominees are Patrique Kelly, a rugby player with the University of Limerick; Marion Riordan, a golfer with the Tipperary and Ballykisteen clubs and a dual representation from the St. Michael’s football club, Paul Tobin of Tipperary and James Walsh, Cashel.
The other award for “county” sports achievement, rests between Declan Brown, the Tipperary Gaelic footballer, Mandy Crowe, athlete from Bansha, and Margaret Danagher, cross-country runner from the Loughmore club.
The awards will be presented by John Treacy, of the Irish Sports Council, and the distinguished guest list includes soccer personalities Brian Kerr and Noel O’Reilly, Liz Howard, PRO, Tipperary GAA County Board as well as John Delaney, Hon. Treas. of the FAI, Mick Doyle, the former hurling star, Shane O’Donoghue, RTÉ.
