2018 Gala Night and East Kerry Awards Ceremony
The 2018 All Star Awards ceremony was held on Saturday 26th January 2019 at a Gala Banquet in the Brehon Hotel, Killarney. MC for the night was Niall O’Callaghan, Dr Crokes C.L.G. Guests include the Nominees for Awards, Sponsors representatives from the Aquila Club, Gleneagle Hotel, Liam Kealy and Eamonn Quigley and Paul Brennan Sports Editor Kerryman Newspaper and Michelle Cooper Galvin, Photographer, The Kerryman Newspaper.
2018 All Star Award Nominees
SHORT LIST OF 24 NOMINEES FOR 2018 EAST KERRY ALL STAR TEAM
IN GOALS: Shane Murphy (Dr Crokes) and Patrick Riordan (Gneeveguilla)
DEFENDERS: Eoin Brosnan (Dr Crokes), Fionn Fitzgerald (Dr Crokes), Gavin White(Dr Crokes), Jason Lyne (Dr Crokes), John Payne (Dr Crokes), Mike Joe Kelliher (Rathmore), Niall Donohue (Firies), Patrick Warren (Gneeveguilla), Philip Casey (Kilcummin)
MID FIELD: Daithi Casey(Dr Crokes), Johnny Buckley (Dr Crokes), Kieran Murphy(Kilcummin), Mark Ryan (Rathmore)
FORWARDS: Brian Looney (Dr Crokes), Darragh Roche (Glenflesk), Gary O Leary(Kilcummin), John Buckley (Currow), Jordan Kiely (Dr Crokes), Kieran O Leary (Dr Crokes) , Matt Keane (Kilcummin), Micheal Burns (Dr Crokes), Micheal O Donoghue (Spa)
2018 EAST KERRY ALL STAR TEAM
In Goal: Shane Murphy (Dr Crokes)
Full back line:
2. John Payne (Dr Crokes)
3. Eoin Brosnan (Dr Crokes)
4. Mike Joe Kellliher (Rathmore)
Half Back Line:
5. Jason Lyne (Dr Crokes)
6. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
7. Fionn Fitzgerald (Dr Crokes)
Mid Field:
8. Daithi Casey (Dr Crokes)
9. Mark Ryan (Rathmore)
Half Forward Line:
10. Micheal Burns (Dr Crokes)
11. Gary O Leary (Kilcummin)
12. Brian Looney (Dr Crokes)
Full Forward Line:
13. Matt Keane (Kilcummin)
14. Kieran O Leary (Dr Crokes)
15. Jordan Kiely (Dr Crokes)
SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Kieran O Leary (Dr Crokes)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
2018 Fr Galvin All Star Nominees
Aaron Mc Carthy (Listry), Anthony Sweeney (Listry), Jimmy O Leary (Listry), Paudie Clifford (Fossa), Tadgh O Shea (Fossa)
2018 Fr Galvin All Star (Intermediate player of the year):
Anthony Sweeney (Listry)
2018 East Kerry Person of the Year Award
The 2018 East Kerry GAA Person of the Year is Tony Moynihan, Rathmore
Tony Moynihan, (Rathmore) has served the club, parish community and East Kerry GAA for decades and continues to do so across a wide range of activities along with running his own farm and looking after his family.
He has served many roles for his club, from being a star player, a long standing development officer, an All Ireland quiz winner, and most recently an ace Strictly Come dancing participant. He is the welcoming face that greets so many arriving to Rathmores sports complex and the person who makes sure everyting is ready for them.
Tony first came to prominence as a brilliant underage player in the early 1970s when organised underage football was in its infancy in the County. A County medal at Under 14 in 1973 when he lined out at midfield, showed his great potential. He burst on the scene at senior level in 1978 when he won his first O Donoghue Cup medal. He was corner forward playing alongside the great John Saunders. This was the summer Argentina won the World Cup, with Mario Kempes being top scorer. Tony was Rathmores Kempes with flowing long hair, head-band and the deadly left leg.
Unfortunately, Tonys football was then badly hampered by asthma. This meant that often he was not able to play full games. However, it did not stop him making an impression, which was best exemplified in the O Donoghue Cup final in 1984. Tony came on as a substitute 10 minutes into the second half. He scored the crucial goal, winning his second medal. He also annexed the Man of the Match award!
Off the field, Tony has been Development Officer in Rathmore for many years and at a time when massive development happened in the Club. He oversees the 3 pitches as if they were his own and is the man that most teams meet first when they come to Rathbeg. Whether it is senior teams, school teams, ladies teams or underage teams, Tony greets all with a smile and treats all with respect.
Over the last 3 years, Rathmore has been the home venue for East Kerry U21 and Minor teams, for Championship and challenge matches. Tony has gone above and beyond the call of duty to look after them at all times. With Tony’s co-operation the East Kerry Minors won three county championships in a row. He made sure that everything needed was ready and in imacculate condition, including pitch, practice area, showers, flood lights, kitchen facilities or meeting rooms. A quick phone call to Tony is all that is needed for everything to be arranged.
After hanging up his boots, Tony became interested in quiz. He was, and indeed still is, part of Rathmore Quiz team. In total he won 6 All Ireland titles in Question Time, three in Scor and three in Seachtain na Gaeilge.
Last November, Tony demonstrated his versatility, and willingness to do anything for his Club, when he took to the stage at the INEC in a club fundraiser – Strictly Hollywood. Demonstrating a nimbleness of foot reminiscent of his playing days, he dazzled the audience with his dance partner Mary Kelleher as they waltzed around the iconic venue. He also participated fully in the social events that accompanied Strictly!
In his family life, Tony has had to overcome the tragic loss of his wife Sheila when the children were very young. Those 3 children, Marie , Tadhg and Donal are now following in his footsteps playing an active role as players and officers in Rathmore GAA and LGFA clubs.
Tony is one of lifes true gentlemen and a most worthy recipient of the 2018 person of the year award. East Kerry GAA thank him and congratulate him and wish him the very best in his new position of vice chairman with his beloved GAA club Rathmore for 2019.
2018 East Kerry Hall of Fame Recipient
The 2018 recipient of the Hall of Fame Award, was Pat O’Donoghue, Fossa
Pat has served his club, District and community over many decades.
Pat has been a great servant of his home club starting out as a member of the trailblazing Under 14 panel that reached East Kerry and County finals in 1970 and he had a long and distinguished career as a player, mentor, referee and administrator. He played senior football with Fossa from 1978 to 1988, captaining the team to an O Sullivan Cup final in 1983. After retiring from playing, Pat was involved with various teams from juvenile through to senior level and he also took up refereeing officiating at the 1994 O Donoghue Cup final between Glenflesk and Dr Crokes as well as a County Under 21 Final and many senior football championship games at county level. He also umpired and ran the line as a member of intercounty referee Tommy Sugrues team of officials.
Pat was also a most efficient secretary of Fossa GAA club from 1980 to 1984 and followed that with another five year stint as Assistant Secretary and it was in those two capacities that he first came to interact with the East Kerry Board as the clubs delegate. Having tested the waters at divisional level as a club delegate, the Two Mile School man took up the position of Joint Treasurer of the Board in 2000. Pat held that position for eleven very successful years, first serving with Andy O Sullivan(Spa) and then in the company of Dan Favier(Glenflesk). Pat proved to be the perfect fit for the position. The quiet and unassuming demeanour that once tempted former East Kerry Board and Fossa GAA Club President, Fr James Galvin, to observe that Pat would not say boo to a goose, endeared him to fellow officers and club delegates alike. He diligently controlled the purse strings during what was a very successful decade financially for the Board.
The first six or seven years coincided with an economic boom at national level and attendances at games were very good. It was also a time when sponsors were only too glad to get involved” Pat recalled. With his diligent management of the finances, the generous sponsorship was a great help to East Kerry in running affairs, supporting clubs and underage activities. In addition Pat remembers “We were able to provide defibrillators free of charge to the clubs.
The Hall of Fame Award recipient is justifiably proud of his decade or so of involvement as an officer of the Board; I served on the East Kerry Board under three different chairmen, and the peculiar thing was that all three were Fossa natives; Pat Sweeney, Ger Galvin (now Spa) and Dermot Griffin. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Board and I particularly enjoyed the experience of working with officers and voluntary members from other clubs, Pat recalls.
These days the retired An Post employee enjoys an interest in horses and of course keeps a keen eye on the progress of his club-mate and near neighbour David Cliffords involvement with the Kerry senior footballers. Pat maintains a strong connection with his beloved club and as the golden jubilee of the Fossa GAA club approaches in 2020, Pat is chairman of the history committee to mark that event. Pat O Donoghue of Fossa is a very popular and most worthy recipient of the 2018 East Kerry GAA Hall of Fame Award.
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2018 All Star Award Nominees
The Short list of Nominees for East Kerry All Star Awards along with citations for the East Kerry Person of the Year and The Hall of Fame recipient were published in the Kerryman Newspaper of the 23rd January 2019
Photographs and articles on the Gala Banquet and East Kerry All Star Awards night were to be published in the Kerryman Newspaper of Wednesday 30th January 2019.
TICKETS (35 EURO) WERE AVAILABLE FROM THE KERRY GAA STORE, KILLARNEY OUTLET CENTRE, EAST KERRY C.L.G. CLUB OFFICERS AND ALL EAST KERRY C.L.G. COMMITTEE OFFICERS.