Club Notes 5th March 2023

The Club Awards Night is scheduled for Friday March 24th in the Killarney Avenue Hotel. In the weeks between here and then we will be announcing the winners in the different categories.

 

We begin with the Senior Player of the Year and the recipient of the John OGrady Cup is Darragh O Doherty. Having burst onto the scene in 2015 as an 18 year old Darragh has been a popular and integral member of the Senior panel. By his own admission he didn’t enjoy the best of seasons in 2021 but 2022 saw him return to his true form. A tough tackling defender he possesses an innate ability to read the game and be in the right place at the right time. Now in his mid 20s he is also displaying leadership qualities, a point emphasised by his appointment this year as Senior team Captain. Off the field he is not shy of work either, integral to any fundraising efforts and also very giving of his time to all club activities. Fair to say Darragh Dots O Doherty is a worthy winner of the Senior Player of the Year.

 

 

The Jim Trant Trophy is presented to the young player who has caught the eye in the year just past. This winner made an instant impression in the Senior panel when he was introduced during the Superleague campaign. His boundless energy and bravery made him stand out while his eye for a point wasn’t too shabby either . His commitment was unquestionable, best highlighted by his last minute dash to Rathmore for a Superleague fixture. He had togged out for St Brendans in a Colleges match in Fitzgerald Stadium , sat into a waiting car and made the throw in.  Sam Benson is the 2022 recipient of the Young Player of the Year and there’s no doubt his late grandparents, Michael Doc and Carmel O Donoghue, are looking down proudly on his efforts.

 

 

 A Special Recognition Award will be presented to club member and International Athlete Sarah Leahy. Since taking up Athletics full time Sarah has gone from strength to strength with the past 12 months showcasing her outstanding talent. On the 19th February this year she captured her first indoor National Championship winning the 60 metres race in a personal best time of 7.3 seconds. In August 2022 she was part of the Irish Team in the 4 x 100 Metres relay in the World Championship in Oregon, USA. Not content with the shorter distances she also has made her mark at the 200 m level, notably finishing second in the 2022 Indoor 200m National final. It is quite literally hard to keep pace with Sarah and her ever growing reputation.