The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Conway is hurler of the year on the double
THE sixth annual Kerry County Hurling Championship All Star Awards were held in the Abbeydorney GAA Complex last Friday and were an outstanding success.
The 2018 County Hurling Championship produced many twists and turns, and a dramatic finale with Lixnaw’s goalkeeper Martin Stackpoole producing the defining moment with a match winning penalty save in added time in the final.
He collected his second award at the weekend having been honoured in the very first selection in 2013. He was one of five Lixnaw players to be included in this year’s team with two of those, Michael Quilter and Shane McElligott, being first time recipients.
Indeed nine of those included in the fifteen were receiving their first All Stars with one of those being Jordan Conway from Crotta O’Neills who had captained his club to County Under-21 Championship success one week previous.
Dougie Fitzell in defence and Pádraig Boyle in attack received their third award, while Jack Goulding alongside his Ballyduff colleague in the full forward line added another award to the one he won in 2016, having scored 3-13 from play in just three outings in this year’s campaign. Kilmoyley with six topped the list of awards to bring the club’s total to 26 with 16 players having been honoured since 2013.
Having won two Young Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2017, Shane Conway received this year’s Senior Player of the Year having been selected as the Man of the Match in the Championship final. He was unavoidably absent due to his attendance at the Bord Gais presentations in Dublin where he was being presented with the Player of the Season award for his performances with Kerry in their All-Ireland Under-21 success this season.
Young Player of the Year, Robert Collins, is the first Kilmoyley player to receive this particular recognition, and his selection at wing-back adds two more awards to the Collins household, with his brother Daniel having already won six, including the Senior Player of the Year in 2015.
John Lucid, a former player with his club, Ballyheigue, and with Kerry, and who has continued to contribute enormously to the code in a variety of roles, was the special guest.
Unfortunately, All Ireland win- ning captain Jimmy Deenihan was unable to attend due to a change in the date and the time, having been committed to another speaking engagement in Cork.
However, his message to the event was that “the love of hurling in Clanmaurice is as deep rooted as in any of the traditional hurling counties in Ireland. There is written evidence to show that hurling was played in North Kerry years before the GAA was founded or a Gaelic football was kicked. The recipients of the awards this evening are a manifestation of a tradition which is special in Irish sport.”
Once again the generosity of the clubs and the sponsors helped to finance an event which continues to be organised and co-ordinated in an extremely professional manner by the well-known hurling commentator Mike O’Halloran.
He, along with Timmy Sheehan and Andrew Morrissey, compered proceedings on an occasion, which was a special sporting and social occasion for the players and their families.
The prize for the best dressed lady was won by Gillian Lucid, Ballyduff, while a fundraiser for Killahan National School was generously supported. Next year Causeway will, for the first time, host the event which has now become a popular and permanent fixture on Kerry’s sporting calendar.