2014 Gala Night and East Kerry Awards Ceremony
The 2014 Gala night and All Star Awards ceremony was held on Friday 16th January 2015 in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney. MC for the night was Ger Galvin, Spa. Guests included the Nominees for Awards, Guest Speaker Kerry Senior All Ireland Winning Goal Keeper Declan O’Keeffe (Rathmore), Sponsors representatives Eamonn Quigley, Aquila Club, Gleneagle Hotel and Paul Brennan, Sports Editor, The Kerryman
2014 All Star Award Nominees
The 24 nominated players were
Goalkeeper Brian Kelly (Legion) and Padraic Mc Carthy (Rathmore)
Defenders Cathal Murphy, Paul Murphy, Aidan O’Mahony and James O’Sullivan (Rathmore); Jonathon Lyne and Padraig O’ Connor (Legion); Shane Cronin (Spa); Daniel O’Leary (Kilcummin); Alan O’Sullivan (Dr Crokes).
MidfieldAndrew Garnett (Spa), Kevin Gorman (Kilcummin), Donal O’Sullivan (Rathmore), Seamus Scanlon (Currow)
ForwardsGeorge O’Keeffe, Michael O’Riordan, and Mark Reen (Rathmore); Conor Keane, David O’Sullivan and Kieran Slattery (Legion); Johnny Buckley (Dr Crokes); Noel Duggan (Kilcummin) and Michael O’Donoghue (Spa).
2014 East Kerry All Star Team
GOAL KEEPER: Brian Kelly (Legion)
DEFENDERS
Full Back Line: Padraig O’Connor (Legion), Aidan O’Mahony (Rathmore), Cathal Murphy (Rathmore)
Half Back Line: Shane Cronin (Spa), Paul Murphy (Rathmore), Jonathon Lyne (Legion)
MID FIELD:Kevin Gorman (Kilcummin), Andrew Garnett (Spa)
FORWARDS
Half Forward Line: George O’Keeffe (Rathmore), Kieran Slattery (Legion), Noel Duggan (Kilcummin)
Full Forward Line: Mark Reen (Rathmore), David O’Sullivan (Legion), Conor Keane (Legion).
2014 YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Under 21): Shane Cronin (Spa)
2014 SENIOR LAYER OF THE YEAR: Mark Reen (Rathmore)
2014 Fr Galvin All Star Nominees
Tadgh O’Shea (Fossa)
Kevin Courtney (Listry)
Lorcan Daly (Fossa)
2014 Fr Galvin All Star
Tadgh O’Shea (Fossa)
2014 East Kerry Person of the Year Award
The East Kerry Person of the year award was presented to DAN FAVIER (Glenflesk). Highly regarded by all, one of life’s true gentlemen, Dan has served the community for decades and at East Kerry Board, club and Parish levels and continues to do so across a wide range of activities. Dan has given long and committed service to the East Kerry Board. In 1994 he became Treasurer of the Board, where he served until 2005. His late brother Joe served as PRO alongside Dan, when he was Treasurer of the Board. Dan holds the remarkable record of being one of 3 brothers to serve on the East Kerry Board. His late brother Joe served as PRO, while his brother Pat served as both Chairman and Secretary. Dan was also involved with the East Kerry Senior, Under 21 and Minor teams. A highlight of this service was being involved with the East Kerry team that won 3 in a row, in the Senior County Championship.
Indeed there were many successes on the field of play, which brought great delight during Dan’s tenure as East Kerry Board Treasurer. These highlights of Dan’s time both with the club and on the East Kerry Board included the O’ Donoghue Cup successes of his own club from 1988 to 2001 and Glenflesk club winning the Millennium Cup (County Championship title) in 2000. A further highlight was the welcome home for Sam Maguire in 2000 with East Kerry players and particularly Glenflesk’s Seamus Moynihan as an Captaen, and team mate, fellow club man, John Crowley.
Dan is a great all-rounder with a keen interest in the cultural aspect of the life of the GAA and was a great advocate for Scor, attending all local and many national events. The many successes of East Kerry and Glenflesk at Munster and all Ireland level in Scor were further highlights of his service with his club and the East Kerry District Board. It was a source of great pride to him to see his beloved club, Glenflesk, become the first club in East Kerry to bring home the All Ireland Scor Sinsir Set Dancing title. This great achievement was all the more special for Dan as his son, Paul, was one of the dancers on that record making dance team. The circle was completed in 2012 when Dan’s daughter Danielle was a member of the Glenflesk Set Dancers who won the All Ireland Scor Sinsir title for Set Dancing. This second title was all the sweeter for being held here in the INEC. Dan’s great interest in Cultural events is further highlighted by his involvement on the Glenflesk branch of Comhaltas Ceoilteoiri Eireann where he served as Treasurer in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Dan has been serving the East Kerry Board for approximately 23 years as gateman for East Kerry games, working alongside Dermot Coffey and Anthony Favier.
Dan’s involvement with his beloved club, St Agatha’s Glenflesk C.L.G., was wide ranging and continues to this day. His first involvement as an Officer of the club was in 1981 on the Coiste na nOg when he took over from Tim Kelliher. He served on the club’s Coiste na nOg for 10 years. During this time he was delegate to both East Kerry and County Coiste na nOg as well as attending activities on and off the field. During Dan’s tenure in Glenflesk Coiste na nOg, the club/committee were involved in helping to host the National competition, Feile Peile na nOg. In 1993, they hosted the Kingscourt club from County Cavan and in 1994 the O’ Hanrahans club from County Carlow.
In addition to his involvement on the Glenflesk clubs Coiste na nOg, Dan joined the hall and field committee in Glenflesk, in the mid 1980’s. In 1989, Dan succeeded his brother Anthony as Treasurer of Glenflesk CLG where he served for the next 7 years. This period saw great advances in the club, and which Dan had a major role as the club Treasurer. These included the purchase of a juvenile pitch and the further development of the hall facilities and the erection of a stand the in 1990’s. He was also involved in fundraising for the club with roles in the club Carnivals and organising card drives in Glenflesk in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Dan returned as Treasurer of Glenflesk CLG in 2004.
Dan’s involvement in the GAA also includes a wide ranging service as a steward, serving at local and Inter County games in Tralee and Killarney and Munster Finals in Thurles. He also serves as a steward for a wide variety of diocesan and parish events, including for example, stewarding at the Ordination of the Bishop of Kerry.
Dan’s commitment to the community is further evidenced by his involvement in Glenflesk Parish, where he serves on the Parish Council helping with many events the Parish Bazaar, fundraising, church gate collections etc. He served a remarkable 4 terms on the Board of Management of Glenflesk National School from 1981 to 1997, a period spanning an impressive 16 years. He also served on the Glenflesk Community Games Committee in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Dan’s community involvement also extended to his employment. He served many communities working as a postman for 43 years. He went to Dublin to work with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs at the age of 18, and remained there for 9 years. In 1972 he returned to Killarney where he worked for 25 years and thus is known far and wide around the area. In 1997 he returned to his native Parish and worked in the Headford and Clonkeen area until he retired in March 2006. Dan is held in the highest of esteem by all who have encountered him.
Dan Favier is one of life’s gentlemen, always helpful and working quietly in the background in so many ways. In honouring Dan Favier with the Personality Award, the East Kerry Board are recognising a truly committed member of the GAA community, with involvement across many decades and numerous events and activities. A truly worthy recipient, held in the highest esteem by all.
2014 East Kerry Hall of Fame Recipient
The Hall of Fame Award was presented to Spa’s PATSY CREMIN. Patsy is widely known throughout the county, having given a lifetime’s service to juvenile football in his club, district and county and also serving C.L.G. in many other capacities. He served as a Gateman for the East Kerry Board and he was a member of the Fitzgerald Stadium Committee for decades. He prepared the programme for the Munster Final, with the Fitzgerald Stadium Committee. He is President of the County Coiste na nOg and also Vice President of the juvenile section of his beloved club Spa.
Patsy’s interest and abilities as an organiser of underage football, first came to the fore in Lisivigeen National school. Fellow student and Spa club member, John Kelly, remembers that Patsy would be the first out during the break, organising games after a quick lunch. They would jump into Arthur O@ Keeffe’s field beside Lisivigeen old the school. They played until the bell rang to resume class and any available talent was pressed into action by Patsy.
Patsy was a founder member of the County Coiste na nOg. Fr Linane called the meeting to set up the committee, in the early 1950’s. Patsy was one of those present. He served as his clubs delegate to and went on to serve as Treasurer, alongside Peggy Horan for many years. Patsy is highly respected at County Board level and is regarded as one of the gentlemen of the GAA. His colleague Kieran Coffey reflected, Patsy is regarded as someone to whom one could ask advice and he would give sound and solid advice. The high regard in which Patsy is held, is reflected in his being the current President of the County Coiste na nOg.
Patsy served as the Chairman of East Kerry Coiste na nOg. Tadhgie Fleming, Runai of East Kerry Coiste na nOg, remembers Patsy a very good chairman of East Kerry Coiste na nOg. He attended every game and you saw him more than you heard him. He was very well up on the rules. He was totally impartial in his dealings as the Chairman of East Kerry Coiste na nOg. Patsy was the same to all clubs. He did not favour his own club and treated every club the same. He departed the chair of the East Kerry Coiste na nOg to return to run the Spa Juvenile section.
Patsy got involved with his beloved club Spa GAA in the early seventies and was involved at various meetings at that time in the Conroy Hall, to discuss the purchase of the Spa field. Spa set up its own juvenile section at an early stage and in the 1970’s, Patsy’s talent with underage teams was recognised. Sean O’Connor, then chairman of Spa CLG Juvenile section and asked Patsy to get involved training the underage teams in Spa, which Patsy did, starting in the early 1970’s and he went on to have wide ranging involvement in Spa Juvenile section.
Together with his good friend, the late Archie Cronin (RIP), Patsy started training underage footballers in Spa and he trained all of the underage teams i.e. Spa U12, U14 and U16 teams, during the same period. Patsy trained and coached many great players at under age level. Many went on to play for Kerry at various levels, and this including his own son Denis, who played Minor football for Kerry, and Michael Mc Auliffe.
During Patsy’s time training U12, U14 & U16 teams at Spa, there were no mobile phones and communications were difficult but finding Patsy was not so hard. He was a travelling sales man Frozen Foods and all you had to do was drive around the town, spot the van outside one of the local hotels or restaurants, wait for a little while and he was sure to emerge. This process was carried out by many of the local GAA organisers.
Patsy also organised transport to/from games for the juvenile players. Arranging transport for players was so different in the early days of Coiste na nOg, when there were no mobile phones or e mails. Patsy and Archie would transport the players in their cars to the various locations, often with 8 or 9 young lads per car.!! There were only 2 cars available ever. Spa’s Dinny Doolan, who worked alongside Patsy, recalls one day, he was at home doing some painting when Patsy appeared and said you must come to a match. That’s how it was then. Dinny dropped what he was doing and took underage players in his car to the match. He remembers Patsy having 9 juvenile players in his car at one time. That’s how it was then, it’s so different now. Kieran Coffey summed it up so well saying ‘we all remember those times and if you talk to players they will name those days as their best and happiest’
Patsy also carried out fundraising for the Spa CLG Juvenile section. He was instrumental in organising sponsored walks, raffles and card games on behalf of Spa GAA Juvenile club.
Patsy retired as Chairman of Spa Coiste na nOg in 1993, but continued to serve as Delegate to the East Kerry Board and County Board Coiste na nOg. He also continued his involvement in training looking after the Spa Under 10 team and in many other GAA activities.
In 1995, Patsy was honoured by the County Board with the GAA Communications Award for services to Bord na nOg at Local, Divisional and County levels. The Award was presented by Sean Kelly, then Chairman of Kerry County Board. Presenting the award, Sean Kelly said that it reflected the high esteem in which Patsy is held, that Patsy is the kind of fella who could be passed over. He gave no criticism, he gave quiet words of praise and that Patsy was one of the most worthy recipients
Patsy travels to every game. He travels with the Kerry Supporters club to Inter county games. He analyses games but you never hear Patsy criticise. Patsy gives praise and encouragement. Patsy’s second love is card playing and, on more than 1 occasion, he was the winner of the Kerry 31 club which Spa organise as a fundraiser club. A card player all his life, Patsy still turns out every Friday night to play in the 31 card drive Championship of Kerry
This year the East Kerry Board are recognising a lifetime of involvement and service to the GAA, to a member who is steeped in Juvenile Football and has served in a wide range of capacities at Club, East Kerry and County Board. Patsy Cremin is a most worthy and popular recipient and this is summed up in the thoughts of everyone one speaks to – everyone likes Patsy.