Three GAA MacNamee awards come to Kerry

BROSNA GAA club is one of three Kerry winners of a 2019 MacNamee Award in recognition of outstanding contributions made by individuals and GAA units in the area of media and communications.

The GAA’s National Communication and Media Awards are named after the late Pádraig MacNamee, former President of the GAA, Chairman of the GAA Commission (1969-1971) and member of the RTÉ authority, and are presented annually across a range of categories.

Brosna GAA club won the ‘Best GAA Club Publication’ award for the ‘The Story of Brosna GAA”. The citation from the judging panels reads: ‘The story of Brosna GAA is a wonderful history of the club over 130 years. A fantastic production, the hardback book has stunning photography on the front and back covers. The Club’s history is chartered through the book, decade by decade. There are interesting stories from the early years of the club, the ‘Snippets from the past’ section are a great way of presenting these stories. The book covers all activities of the club, which highlights the role the Club plays in their local community. This book serves as a testament to the pride members have in Brosna and their parish.’

Meanwhile, Radio Kerry have won the ‘Best GAA Related Radio Programme’ category for its Terrace Talk programme called Kerry’s Golden Years.

The citation reads: ‘This programme celebrated the best Gaelic football team of all time and indeed Kerry’s Golden Years. The show was lively, informative, entertaining and inclusive from start to finish and kept the listener enthralled. Several players are interviewed included Eoin ‘Bomber’ Liston, Ambrose O’Donovan, Denis

‘Ogie’ Moran, Jimmy Deenihan, Ger Power, John Kennedy, Jack O’Shea, Mickey ‘Ned’ O’Sullivan and Pat Spillane. An emotional and informative interview with Mick O’Dwyer was one of the highlights of this show, which included a mix of chat and commentary – helped along by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable presenter.

The third Kerry winner is RTE and TG4 journalist Seán Mac an tSitigh, from West Kerry, who won the Gradam Gaeilge (Irish Language Award) for his book ‘An Síol a Cuireadh sa tSneachta’ which tells the story of the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta.

The citation reads: ‘ An bhliain seo caite rinne Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta ceiliúradh ar chaoga bliain a bhunaithe. Tá cuntas ar bhunú agus ar stair an chomórtais sa leabhar seo ag tosaí leis an gcaoi ar thug buíon peileadóirí as Corca Dhuibhne an turas fillte 650 míle go Gaoth Dobhair i lár an tsneachta ar an 4ú Eanáir 1969 gur chuireadar an síol as ar tháinig ceann de na comórtais is tábhachtaí dá bhfuil againn. Cuntas den scoth atá ann agus cur síos freisin ag an 50 club as na Contaethea Gaeltachta, as Bleá Cliath, Béal Feirste agus as Londain ar an gceangal atá acu leis an ócáid.’

The other winners of the 2019 MacNamee awardsare:

Best Website – Ballycrann – http://ballycran.down.gaa.ie

Provincial Media Award – ‘Mayo GAA – A Decade in Review’ by The Western People National Media Award – Keith Duggan, The Irish Times “Summer of 69”

Best Programme GAA – Meath Senior Football Championship Final Programme Best New Media – Roscommon Gaels All-stars

Best Photograph – Ray Ryan, The Tuam Herald

Best GAA Publication - ‘Forgotten Gaelic Volunteer” by Donal McAnallen

Best TV Documentary – The Sunday Best – 40 Years of the Sunday

Hall of Fame – Martin Breheny