Paul scoops top award

PAUL O’CONNELL has been named Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year.

He will be presented with his award at a luncheon in Killiney Castle Hotel on Wednesday next.

Shannon RFC have, once again, been voted Club of the Year and the Tom Rooney Award, for making an exceptional contribution to the game over a substantial number of years goes to former referee Kevin Kelleher.

Although Shannon take the glory for their victory in the AIB League, Munster’s achievement in winning the Heineken Cup has been recognised with a new award in memory of Dave Guiney.

Two new members of the Hall of Fame will be inducted, Willie John McBride and his formidable second row partner for several years, Mick Molloy.

Michael Whelan of Guinness and Kieran Rooney, chairman of the Rugby Writers of Ireland, will present the awards.

O’Connell was the popular favourite of the voting panel after his exploits of last season — even though his then Munster captain, Anthony Foley, apparently pushed him close.

Paul went to school in Árd Scoil Rís in Limerick and excelled at other sports, most notably swimming, before going on to play for Young Munster and then Munster, Ireland and the Lions. To date he has scored four tries for Ireland.

Shannon, coached by Mick Galwey, just seem to go on and on in the success stakes.

Not only did they win Division One of the AIB All-Ireland League for the eighth time, they captured six other titles as well, including their 18th Munster Senior Cup.

Three of those titles were at U20 level and the remaining two at U16 and U13, surely a sign that Shannon will be competing at the top echelon for a long time to come.

Kevin Kelleher made his international debut as a referee in the Wales v Scotland game in the 1959/1960 season, and was a dominant figure in international refereeing throughout the Sixties. He officiated in 23 internationals and in 1966 he refereed no fewer than five Test games.

He is well remembered as the man who sent off the great All Black Colin Meads against Scotland in Murrayfield in 1967, an act which brought Kelleher a lot of attention in both hemispheres.

The Munster story of last year does not need to be re-told. Twice beaten finalists, they finally reached the Holy Grail with a Heineken Cup victory over Biarritz in Cardiff.