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Leitrim Sports Star Awards 2015
29th November 2015
Special guest
John O’Mahony
Pitching for Peace
Shannonside Regional Campus
One of the projects that the Leitrim Sports Partnership is involved with is the Pitching for Peace cross border
program. This came about through the County Leitrim PEACE III program for cross border cooperation in
conjunction with Omagh District Council. It helped to identify the need for a top quality sporting arena to
service the greater Carrick-on-Shannon area.
Over the past two years, a small but determined committee have assisted in putting together a vision for this
facility.
The key features of this project are:
Full size 3G GAA pitch :
o Wide enough to have 2 soccer pitches across it
o Also lined for Rugby
Floodlit and fenced
400 meter 8 lane tartan track
Space for all field athletics (Discus, Javelin, Hammer etc.)
Sports Hall for indoor events
Dressing Rooms
If you would like to get involved with this project, contact the Leitrim Sports Partnership sports@leitrimcoco.ie
or 071 9650 498.
Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion.
Lions Clubs International is the largest service club organization in the world. Their 1.4 million members
perform valuable service in 210 countries and geographic areas around the globe.
Lions are friends, family and neighbours who share a core belief:
Community is what we make it
The first Leitrim Chapter of the Lions club was formed in 2014
To date it has raised money for a number of worthy causes:
• €4,500 worth of food was collected in Tesco Carrick-on-Shannon & Ballinamore for SVP
• Carrick-on-Shannon Family Life Centre
• Carrick-on-Shannon Dyslexia Workshop
• St. Ciaran's Services for Adults & Children, Carrick-on-Shannon
• National Learning Network, Manorhamilton
• ASIST Suicide Prevention Training
• Rainbow Programme for children affected by the death of a parent or family member
• North West Hospice
Traditionally at the awards, we nominate a charity and
ask patrons to make a small contribution in the
envelopes provided on the tables.
Thank you
Raffle Prizes
Sponsored by
Bernadette Glancy
Cox’s Pharmacy
The Dock
Sásta Fitness
Victoria Hall Restaurant
Ladies Team of the Year Award
Leitrim County Enterprise Fund assist and support small and medium sized
enterprises in job creation by offering low interest loans within the County.
The Board also run the Hive Enterprise Centre .
Leitrim Ladies U16 (Ladies Football)
Leitrim Ladies Intermediate (Ladies Football)
The U16 ladies reached the All-Ireland C
final where they were gallantly defeated
by Wexford.
Won the Connacht Championship, beating Sligo
in the final.
Breda Travers and Bríd Sullivan (Golf)
Kiltubrid Ladies G.A.A. (Ladies Football)
In
2015
the
club
won
their
first
ever
Winners of the Daily Mail Foursomes Golf
Competition. Over 250 teams competed in
this national event. Bríd and Breda won six
knock-out rounds to get to the semi-final.
On Monday 7 September in Powerscourt,
Co Wicklow, the girls beat Castlecomer, Co
Kilkenny in the semi-final and went on to
beat Ballycastle, Co Antrim in the final.
This was the second time in three years for
the Ballinamore girls to win.
Leitrim Senior Ladies Championship title.
Won an All-Ireland 7's Shield title at the Annual
Ladies Gaelic 7's in Portmarnock.
Reaching a first ever Connacht Senior Final after
beating Sligo champions Geevagh in the semifinal.
Mens Team of the Year Award
CF Consulting provides a range of services and has worked witth Leitrim
Sports Partnership for a number of years delivering education programs
throughout the county. In addition CF Consulting produced the current
Stategic Plan for Leitrim Sports Partnership 2014-17.
Mohill Senior Football (Gaelic Football)
Ballinamore Senior Hurling (Hurling)
The Mohill outfit has gone from strength
to strength, this year capturing both
league and Championship titles.
Won the County title for the first time since
1978 defeating Carrick on Shannon in an
exciting final by 3-10 to 3-9.
Melvin Gaels Intermediate (Gaelic Fooball)
Regained their Senior status by winning
the Intermediate Title. They reached the
Connacht final.
Volunteer of the Year Award
Leitrim Sports Partnership : “Towards a Fitter and Healthier Leitrim”, our
main objective is to build on the theme of increasing the participation in
sport and recreational activity for the people of County Leitrim.
.
Simon and Siobhan McGuinness
John Connolly
Simon is the manager of Mohill U16 G.A.A.,
Mohill N.S. and Mohill ladies U12 as well as
coaching in Mohill athletics club. He also
serves in an administrative capacity as
assistant chair for the athletics club and
treasurer of the local community games.
Together with Siobhan they manage the
U14 Ladies football team in GAA and
community games competition.
John has been coaching athletics in Carrick-onShannon for 25 years. A number of his protégés
have gone on to compete internationally. He
coaches on 5 days each week. John has also
served as secretary and PRO of the local
athletics club as well as being chairman of the
Connacht athletics board.
Gabrielle Early
She has been involved in Leitrim Water Safety for over 19 years.
Gabrielle is a Water Safety Examiner and teaches trainee instructors
as well as upskilling current instructors.
She visits each venue to advise during Water Safety Weeks and
examines pupils on their knowledge.
Other tasks which Gabrielle takes on:
o
Organise outside examiners assist in examines.
o
Water Safety Designated Liaison Person
o
Deliver National Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children
o
Train instructors in use of Automated external Defibrillator
(AED) as per PHECC standards
Her motto :
"Every person a swimmer every swimmer a lifeguard".
Juvenile Team of the Year Award
Sásta fitness is a weight loss and fitness studio using the locally
manufactured, patented Sásta fitness pod which provides clients with an
exercise opportunity that gives guaranteed results in 4 weeks.
The short 30 minute workout caters for all fitness abilities from the unfit to
the elite athlete. With 7 studios across Ireland and recent openings in the UK
and Spain Sásta fitness invites you to call in for your free trial of the Sásta experience. .
Ballinamore U10 Community Games Football
Manorhamilton Community Games U12
A remarkable 5th title in a row for the U12 ladies
of Manorhamilton in the community games.
The U10 boys brought national glory to
Ballinamore when they won the Community
Games title in the football competition.
Melvin Gaels Minor Footballers
St. Manchan’s Minor team
For the 4th year in succession, the most
Northerly club in the county won the Minor
“B” Championship. 3 players were incredibly
winning their 4th title at this age grade. They
went on to compete in the inaugural
Connacht club minor championship where
they beat Caulry-St. Josephs before losing out
to Oranmore-Maree in the semi-final.
St. Manchans showed the club had a bright
future when capturing the league and
championship double this year.
Sports School of the Year Award
Aura Leisure Leitrim is based in Carrick on Shannon and operates a fully equipped gym,
25m swimming pool and two AstroTurf pitches as well as offering a range of
programmes for groups such as boot camps, boxercise, indoor cycling etc.
Carrick-on-Shannon Community School
St. Caillins, Fenagh
-1st
year basketball All-Ireland Champions
-Compete in Connacht Colleges Football
Competitions at all age groups from 1st year to
Senior
-Compete in all Golfing Competitions annually
-Compete in all provincial Athletics competitions
– Elise Brune made the Connacht representative
team this year.
The school encourages all children to
participate in sporting activities including
Gaelic football, swimming, soccer and
different athletics competitions throughout
the year. We strive to place emphasis on
participation rather than winning.
Girls - Cumann na mBunscoil division final
Boys - Cumann na mBunscoil shield final
Connacht finalists in cross country and
competed in sports hall athletics program.
Four Masters N.S. Kinlough
Very active school in all activities including:
- National Indoor Athletics – Boys & Girls
finished 6th & 7th
- 7-aside football - “North Leitrim” winners
- Boys & Girl 15 –aside “North Leitrim/South
Donegal Cup” runners up
- Leitrim Sportshall Athletics winners
- Self Financed through Skipathon
Unsung Hero Year Award
Jonathan Costello & Karol
McNern
Fundraising for Northwest Hospice.
Jonathan & Karol trained for 8 months through
hailstones, rain, wind and the odd day of sunshine.
To help with fund raising we
held various events culminating in April with a 14
hour cycle lapping Lough Melvin.
“On the main event we had a brilliant team of 7
along with ourselves helping us everything from food
to sun cream to quick massages”.
In June they cycled over 800 kms from Mizen hed to
Malin head and back into Kinlough were they were
met by a roaring crowd.
The lads managed to raise just over 10,000 euro for
the hospice and are deserving winners of the award.
Juvenile Team of the Year Award
The Landmark Hotel is a 4 Star Fáilte Ireland and AA rated,
multi award winning hotel renowned as a venue for
weddings, conferences and a top quality dining experience.
Conor Hession
Dearbhla Rooney
Dearbhla claimed her third Irish boxing title
earlier in the year when she won the Girl 4
54kg final at Dublin’s National Stadium.
Dearbhla is a member of the Sean
McDermotts boxing club in
Manorhamilton.
Weight lifter Conor is an Irish
international in this growing sport. He
holds an incredible 6 Irish record in his
age group and has also set a world record
for the dead lift at that age.
Eanna O’Hara
Promising swimmer Eanna from Kinlough
took a number of prestigious titles this
year as well as representative honours
for Ireland. He won Irish and Welsh titles
for the U14 breaststroke 200m as well as
Gold in the 50m freestyle at the
community games.
Dearbhile Beirne
All-rounder
Dearbhile had
another busy
year lining out
with Leitrim
ladies as well as
a myriad of
individual
events. She
scored a last
minute equaliser
for her club Shelbourne in the ladies FAI
Cup final as well as winning caps at U17 &
U19 level for Ireland.
Individual Senior Award
The Landmark Hotel is a 4 Star Fáilte Ireland and AA rated,
multi award winning hotel renowned as a venue for
weddings, conferences and a top quality dining experience.
Áine Tighe
Áine was central to her club Kiltubrid’s
County Final win as well as winning an
O’Connor cup with UL. Her
performances saw her nominated or an
all-star.
Donnacha Holmes
Donnacha’s star continues to rise and he
broke the magical 10 hour mark for the
ironman triathlon in Austria this year. He
finished 103rd out of a huge field of 2900
competitors. This gruelling event saw
Donnacha swim 3800 metres and then
completing a 180 km cycle before running a
full marathon.
Eanna Madden
Gerard O’Donnell
Eanna is the National U23 200m
Champion. He also took bronze in the
Senior event. He represented Ireland as
part of the 4x100m relay team.
60m hurdles Champion. Achieved 3rd
fastest time for an Irish man in the event as
well as 5th fastest 110m. Represented
Ireland in European indoors championship
in Prague.
Individual Senior Award
Nigel McHugh
Breege Connolly
Nigel became the first Leitrim Man to
ride the Rás Tailteann and finished 6th in
the Irish National Pursuit Championships
and 8th in the Irish National Scratch Race
Championships.
Breege, ran the London marathon in
April this year achieving a time of
2:37:24, running within the Olympic
qualifying time of 2:42:00 and a personal
best. Her aim is to be selected on the
team for Rio
Table Names
This year, we have named each of our tables after Irish sporting heroes
Katie Taylor
Catriona McKiernan
Roy Keane
A.P. McCoy
Ruby Walsh
Jack McCaffrey
Annalise Murphy
Anna Geary
Rory McIlroy
Paul O’Connell
Derval O’Rourke
Niamh Briggs
Nicolas Roche
Sonia O’Sullivan
Olympic Boxing Gold medallist
Former London marathon and World Cross Country Champion
Assistant manager to Martin O’Neill and former Irish captain
Legendary jumps jockey who retired this year
Top jumps jockey
Footballer of the year
Olympic Rower
recently retired camogie player
One of the top golfers in the world
recently retired Irish Rugby Champion
Former champion hurdler
Irish Ladies Ruby Captain
One of our top cyclists
Olympic medallist
Special Achievement Award
Leitrim Development Company, with its head office in
Drumshanbo provide services to a range of groups from
community to people who are unemployed, youth and
marginalised groups.
Breifne Early
Michael Cornyn
Breifne took part in an 18,000km cycle
circumnavigating the earth. His aim was to
use the cycle to increase suicide awareness
and promoted the message that “It’s ok not
to feel ok”.
Michael achieved a lifelong ambition when he
represented Ireland at the European cross
country championships in Tuscany. He won
two national titles at 200m and 400m. A
native of Ballinaglera, Michael is currently
attached to Dunboyne AC in Co. Meath.
David Downes
David took part in arguably the toughest
endurance race on the earth - the Marathon
des Sables. He ran 240 km over 7 days – the
equivalent of almost 6 “regular” marathons.
The race is run in the Sahara desert where
temperature regularly exceed 50 degrees.
The only provisions are a tent and 9 litres of
water per day.
Hall of Fame Award
Lough Rynn Hotel is is one of the most luxurious Castle
Hotels in Ireland, the ancestral home of the Clements family
and the legendary Lord Leitrim. The entire estate comprises
over 300 acres of an Ireland that is idyllic, rich in history and
charmed with natural beauty.
Packy McGarty
This article first appeared in the Hogan Stand magazine in 1978
Connacht Railway Cup semi finalists 1959.
Front L-R: Jack Mahon; Cathal Flynn; PACKY MC GARTY; Sean Purcell; Willie Casey; Tom Dillon; Jackie
Coyle.
Back L-R: John Nallen; Mattie McDonagh; Gerry O’Malley; Nace O’Dowd; Gerry Kirwan; Frank Evers;
Mick Greally; Aidan Brady.
Leitrim’s greatest ever footballer- a man who remained ever loyal to the north west county
A Tribute From His Old Opponent Jack Mahon Of Galway
It’s a dangerous game naming anyone as the greatest ever. A writer can only cover what he saw
himself, his own lifetime. Leitrim won the county’s only Connacht Senior Football Championship title
in 1927 and that was five years before I was born. That team is special in Leitrim and men like Tom
Gannon the captain, Ned Dolan, Willie Martin, “Nipper” Shanley, a much revered player to this day,
Peter Blessing, Paddy Carey and Jack Bohan are still talked about.
Subsequently, Leitrim sometimes fielded a Junior team only, winning the 1938 All-Ireland (Home) title
before losing to London in the final proper – a team captained by Mick Kilkenny and including veteran,
“Nipper” Shanley, an outstanding place-kicker. I saw Leitrim destroyed by Mayo in the Connact Final
of 1949 in Roscommon. They were over-awed and yet I admired the determined play of John Heslin
particularly with memories too of Ray Beirne, Hubie Reynolds, Petie Dolan, Frankie Mitchell a great
friend of my late brother Fr. Paddy and Sean Mulvey. Subsequently, Leitrim were regarded Junior
again and in 1952 lost in the All-Ireland Junior Home final to Meath powered by Leo McAlinden, a
princely player and an absolute sportsman, Alo Blessing, Frank Quinn, Ciaran Shanley and Eugene
Boland. At left corner forward on this team was a youngster named Packy McGarty, still a Minor,
about to become a national figure and already establishing himself as a footballer fit to rub shoulders
with elders.
Unusual Debut
Born in Garvagh, just outside Mohill, Packy was a schoolboy hero in 1943 helping Mohill to win a
Leitrim Under 14 title, attributing much to the tutelage of Mark Keegan N.T. and winning two Leitrim
Minor Football titles in the company of such as Cathal Flynn, Eddie Rowley and Jim McKeon in 1951
and ’52. But believe it or not, the bould Packy played Senior football for his native county before ever
playing county Minor. The occasion was a National Football League game versus Offaly in Mohill late
1950. Leitrim football was in dire straits then and they could only muster fourteen players. Finally,
they called on a sprightly youth who was distinguishing himself in a pre-match kick-around goal, very
much a feature of the scene then, handed him a jersey which he pulled on over his clothes and in the
course of that unusual debut, the great Packy scored one goal and a point. This was Packie’s first
appearance in a Leitrim jersey and he never looked back after that, giving absolutely brilliant and loyal
service to his county in a football life span of 22 years. No man could do more for his county. In fact,
for me, Packy has always epitomised county loyalty to the fullest degree. In an interview with the
legendary John D Hickey in 1958, Packy said “no matter where I am, I will never play for any county
only Leitrim as long as they will have me. Winning is not everything – not for anything would I part from
my Leitrim team mates“ Greater loyalty and love of county no footballer ever had.
I played against Packy for the first time in 1953 in the Connacht Senior Football Championship in
Roscommon. It was my debut for Galway in the Connacht Senior Football Championship. Packy had
still to make an impression. The Leitrim men, I remember from that game, were Brian Sweeney, Tony
Hayden and Leo McAlinden. But in 1954, when Packy was selected for Connacht at the age of
nineteen and travelled from Donegal where he worked to Tralee to face Munster, and his immediate
opponent, Kerry’s 1953 All-Ireland winning captain, James Murphy – a towering figure – little was
expected of the diminutive Mohill man. Let Packy take up the story – “my most enjoyable game was
the 1954 Railway Cup semi-final against Munster in Tralee – my first match for Connacht. I was
working in Letterkenny at the time and on the journey to Tralee, I was overawed with the prospect of
playing with forwards like Padraic Carney, Sean Purcell, John Nallen, Tom Langan and Eamonn
Donoghoe. I felt I would be completely out of my class. And to be marking a giant of a man like James
Murphy really made me feel it was all up with me. I must pay tribute to the big Kerryman, although he
had all the physical advantages, he played me fairly and squarely like a sportsman. I had worried I
might let down Connacht and Leitrim, but Padraic Carney brought me into the game and I could
scarcely believe afterwards that I had scored 1-4. We won and I was on my way to Croke Park for the
first time.” Packy was to go on to play for Connacht for many years, winning Railway Cup medals in
1957 and 1958 as a player and in 1967 as a substitute. In the 1958 semi-final versus Leinster in
Balinasloe, Packy and Cathal Flynn between them shot 1-9 out of 1-11 of Connacht’s total – a
remarkable contribution from this footballing duet. Packy was selected for Ireland in the Annual
Representative game versus the Combined Universities for three successive years. Years afterwards,
he was honoured with Leitrim’s G.A.A. Hall of Fame Award and is often invited back to this day for
some function or other. But statistics are cold.
It was my pleasure and at times discomfort to be Packie’s immediate opponent in the Connacht finals
of 1957 in Galway, ’58 in Roscommon and ’59 in Sligo. He was then in the zenith of his career. He had
the elasticity of a rubber ball, could turn on a sixpence, was an impeccable sportsman, kept coming at
you toe to hand, toe to hand, was indomitable, irrepressible, a born footballer. ’58 was his greatest
honour. I remember being as delighted to see the rain fall before the end feeling I’d have a fielding
advantage, which I had. One incident from that game, refereed by Johnny Mulvey, is still with me.
Early in the game, Sean Purcell and myself sandwiched him between us and a knowing nod between
us suggested the end of the threat of McGarty that day. He bounced up from being winded to take the
free, got on with the game and played the game of his life. There are many other memories not least
his great hospitality to me in London when I travelled there in the mid sixties with Dunmore McHales.
We had tea together, relived many memories and cemented a relationship which spanned more than
a decade.
For most, if not all, of his footballing life, the jovial McGarty lived outside Leitrim. Mostly in Dublin
with a sojourn in London in the late fifties and early sixties, before returning to Clondalkin, where he
established a successful business and now lives. In his early day, he played his club football with Sean
McDermotts in Dublin then with Taras in London, where he had many Leitrim exiles including two
brothers as team mates and finally with Round Towers in his Clondalkin days. So his loyalty in
unquestioned and sacred. I remember clearly the 1959 Connacht final in Sligo. I had been injured in a
clash with Packy just before the full time whistle and for one reason or another didn’t meet him after
the game. I had to drive my brother Brendan to catch the boat to England from DunLaoghaire. Having
bid goodbye to my brother, who raced down the pier almost the last to catch the boat, bag in hand,
but the bould Packy? A quick shake hands, no time for chat, but I really admired this man who had to
be in time for work in London the following morning. It was around this time that Packy was the victim
of a vicious frontal charge after he had kicked the ball in a club game with Taras. A rotten facial injury
required eleven stitches and the culprit, well-known in the London scene, got off scot free. Another
lesser mortal would have given it all up. Not Packy. This greatest of all Leitrim men had more to give to
his native county.
Packy played in six Connacht finals in all, losing all six – five to Galway in ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60 and ’63 and
one to Mayo in ’67. Leitrim were unlucky to be at their best during Galway’s golden era in Connacht in
the era 1957-’60 particularly. At another time, Leitrim would have won a number of Connacht titles.
Their backline couldn’t handle the football skill of Sean Purcell. Bernie Doyle did a great job of
handling Sean in 1958. One had to admire the football ability of Josie Murray, Frank Quinn, Paddy
Dolan, Cathal Flynn, Tony Hayden, Tom Colreavy, Jim McKeon, jimmy O’Donnell, the late Leo Heslin,
the late Eddie Duffy, Michael McGowan, Jimmy Reynolds, Paddy Reilly, Columba Cryan, Noel Blessing,
(how nice to see him in the audience at Mick Murphy’s Winning Streak show on R.T.E. very recently –
greying now, but still with the broad smile).
Since those days when Leitrim’s support never forsook the county team despite all the reverses,
Leitrim’s football interest has not waned. In fact, despite a dwindling population, interest was never
higher. P.J. Carroll did much to raise the spirit when he came down from Cavan to steer the Leitrim
football ship. Their All-Ireland B success in 1990 was the start, then a very successful National Football
League campaign saw Leitrim become a top football force. Gone was much of the inferiority complex
of the past. Players like Micky Martin, Micky Quinn and Declan Darcy have become folk heroes though
not to the same extent as McGarty. John O’Mahony of Mayo has now taken over from P.J. Carroll and
there is great confidence in the guidance of the Mayo teacher. A healthy Supporters Club has helped
to up morale and generate finance largely controlled by the County Board as is right and helped
considerably by Leitrim’s many exiles. I have watched Leitrim’s great attempts to crash the Connacht
barrier over the past few years. They came close last year in Roscommon, over-elaboration was their
downfall. One of the men now reaching the veteran class, Ollie Honeyman, is another who made a
great contribution to Leitrim’s recent upsurge. County officials like George O’Toole, Tommy Moran
and Tony McGowan have helped no end to fuel the flame. Moran is a communicator par excellence
and is yet another marvellous admirer of McGarty. Packy is still keen on the game, very loyal to
Leitrim, a hard working businessman in Clondalkin and will never be disposed as “the greatest Leitrim
footballer of them all.”
Special Guest
John O’Mahony
John O’Mahony comes from Kilmovee in County Mayo - just outside the town of Ballaghadereen.
He was first elected as a T.D. in 2007 before regaining his seat in 2011. He had previously taught as a
secondary school teacher in St. Nathy’s College – his Alma Mater. In his youth he played for Mayo and won
two All-Ireland titles at minor and U21 levels.
However it is a manager that he is best remembered, coming up just short of an All-Ireland title in 1989 with
his native county, he took up the reigns in Galway in 1998 and led them to two All-Ireland titles. He later
returned to Mayo and his also won All-Ireland titles with St. Nathys.
However he is best remembered here for bringing Leitrim only their second ever Connacht title in 1994 and
doing it the hard way by having to beat Roscommon, Galway and Mayo to claim the title.
John is married to Gerardine and they have five daughters.
www.leitrimsports.ie