It was all glitz and glamour for the Laois GAA awards earlier this month.
Twenty-six award winners were presented with their gongs – across all aspects of GAA in the county.
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The faces were familiar but the dress code was very different as the Laois GAA stars of 2017 were honoured tonight in the Midlands Park Hotel.
Individuals in hurling, football, camogie, ladies football, rounders, handball and Scor were all acknoweldged while former Leinster Council chief Michael Delaney was inducted into the Hall of Fame and the Laois U-16 camogie team were honoured for All Ireland triumph earlier this year.
The night was sponsored by Mochua Print and Design while there were also representatives present from Laois GAA’s other key sponsors, including Kevin Doyle, manager of the Laois Shopping Centre who sponsor all the local adult championships.
The juvenile championships in the county are sponsored by Midlands Park Hotel, who hosted the event. Over 350 people were in attendance for a five-course meal, awards presentation and entertainment from professional Irish dancers Reel Rhythm who are fronted by Graiguecullen GAA stalwart Paul Dargan.
The awards also marked the last official duties for Laois GAA chairman Gerry Kavanagh whose five-year tenure ends this Monday coming night.
Delegates from the Laois GAA clubs will gather to vote his successor – with a battle between Portarlington’s Kieran Leavy and Portlaoise’s Peter O’Neill set to dominate Monday’s convention.
All the award winners were joined by family, friends and club members and presented with their award by a member of Laois GAA County Board. Will O’Callaghan, formerly of Midlands 103 and now of Newstalk 106 and Today FM, was the MC
Our photographer Julie Anne Miller was on hand to capture some great images.
The full list of winners was:
Senior Club Ladies Football – Mags McEvoy (Sarsfields)
Senior County Ladies Football – Martha Kirwan (Shanahoe)
Intermediate Club Ladies Football – Anna Healy (Park-Ratheniska)
Junior Club Ladies Football – Ciara Langton (St Joseph’s)
Rounders – Damien Keane (The Heath)
Camogie – Ashling Burke (Camross)
Handball – Molly O’Connor (Cullohill)
Scor – Borris-Kilcotton Instrumental
Special Merit – Laois – U-16 All Ireland Camogie winners
Referee – John Lalor (Shanahoe)
Minor Football – Ronan Coffey (Portarlington)
Minor Hurling – Eoin Gaughan (Camross)
U-17 Football – Niall Dunne (Emo-Courtwood-The Rock)
U-17 Hurling – Eoin Dowling (Camross)
U-21 Football – Paddy O’Sullivan (Portarlington)
U-21 Hurling – Eric Killeen (Rathdowney-Errill)
Junior B Football – Jack Kelly (Errill)
Junior B Hurling – Michael Bermingham (Mountmellick)
Junior Football – Tom Kelly (St Joseph’s)
Junior Hurling – MJ Lalor (Ballypickas)
Intermediate Football – Nigel Murphy (Emo)
Intermediate Hurling – Paul McSpadden (Trumera)
Senior A Hurling – Gareth Dunphy (Ballyfin Gaels)
Senior Football – Gareth Dillon (Portlaoise)
Senior Hurling – Joseph Phelan (Camross)
Hall of Fame – Michael Delaney (Camross)
SEE ALSO – Pictures from the Leinster final celebrations in 2003
The LaoisToday 2017 Annual is now on sale in bookshops and newsagents around the county – this is where you can buy it
