Max powers on in 2019

LAST Friday’s GUI Champions’ Dinner featured a heartwarming tribute to the late Maurice Kelly.

The much-lamented Naas senior, who passed away suddenly on 28 December, won this year’s Michael Hennelly Award as Castle’s Alex Gleeson accepted the Bridgestone Order of Merit, Kilkenny’s Mark Power the Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit and Athlone’s Thomas O’Connor the MidAmateur prize.

But there were also plaudits for some of Ireland’s up-andcoming young guns with Co Sligo’s Sean McLoughlin collecting the Michael J Murphy Awar for U14’s, Seapoint’s Dylan Keating the Joe Carr Award for Under 16’s and Royal Dublin’s

Max Kennedy the Tom Montgomery Award as the top U18 player.

Coached by Black Bush professional Shane O’Grady, Kennedy (inset) is a member of the Irish Boys squad and if he can improve on last season, 2019 could be a special year. Second in the Leinster and Munster Boys, he played well in the Boys Home Internationals before winning the Royal Dublin’s Scratch Matchplay trophy, the Ashbourne Cup, and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, GD Kennedy, who won in 1981.