Glen Fuels/Wexford GAA Awards Excellence:
The cream of Wexford GAA congregated in large numbers on Saturday night last night to celebrate all that is unique and great about our organisation and to honour the heroes and heroines of our games.
Sponsored by Glen Fuels and organised by Wexford Supporters Club this was a night of appreciation, splendour and glamour from sophisticated fashionista Anne Doyle who hosted the evening to our wonderfully stylish All Ireland winning Camogie team and indeed the men did us proud too.
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Beginning with a champagne reception at 7.30pm the evening commenced with Chairman of the Wexford Supporters Club Arthur Quinn thanking all for coming and asking all to be upstanding to welcome our 3 in a row All Ireland Camogie winners who entered the room to tremendous applause led by Manager JJ Doyle. Arthur paid tribute to sponsor Alan Keyes and Glen Fuels not alone for their most generous sponsorship but for their huge contribution to the event itself and he called on Alan to address the 350 strong gathering.
Alan thanked Arthur and the Supporters Club for all their work and had particular mention for PRO Maria Nolan saying that the night would never have happened without her trojan input. Before introducing Ann Doyle Alan added a bit of fun to the proceedings asking everyone to stand to play Heads & Tails – the winner received a weekend for two in the luxury Druids Glen. Alan then told everyone to look beneath their seats for a €50 voucher for Glen Fuels – there was one lucky person at each table. Alan concluded by saying that he intended to stay with Wexford GAA over the next 5 years and hoped that our Gala Awards Ball would grow and develop with him.
Anne Doyle got straight down to business and announced the Nominees for the Senior Football Award and in true Oscar style the footage for each appeared on 4 large screens placed strategically around the function room after which Ann opened the white envelop and declared the St. Annes Clubman Redmond Barry as the winner. Red was presented with his Award by County Board Chairman Diarmuid Devereux and interviewed briefly by the one and only Liam Spratt.
This set the pattern for the remainder of the presentations which continued between courses and beyond with the Senior Hurling Award going to Keith Rossiter, U/21 Hurling to Matthew O`Hanlon who had flown home from Madrid specially for the event, U/21 Football went to the dual player Lee Chin, Ladies Football went to Catriona McCabe and Camogie player of the year was Katrina Parrock.
This year Handball was also included in our Awards Night and there was a very special welcome for our World Champions and when Darren O`Toole was announced as the winner he was overwhelmed and paid tribute to Glen Fuels and Wexford GAA for bringing all codes together in this wonderful celebration.
Clubs had also been asked to nominate a Volunteer of the Year and the 5 very deserving nominees in this Category were Paddy Wickham, Davidstown/Courtnacuddy, Dominic Murphy, Ferns, Breda Curran Ladies Football, Sadie Howling Camogie and Patsy Murray, Handball. And the winner was the retiring Sadie Howlin who did a runner to the little girls room when her name was called out but was quickly followed by the ever vigilant Liam Spratt who escorted her up on stage to receive her award.
County Chairman Diarmuid Devereux then took centre stage and complimented Anne Doyle for her wonderful coverage of the evening and said that Anne was a great Ambassador for Wexford GAA, it was obvious that her heart was in it and it was great to have her on board. Diarmuid called on Maria Nolan to present Anne with a bouquet of flowers and JJ Doyle who presented her with a hurl signed by the Camogie team. Diarmuid thanked the Wexford Supporters Committee and Chairman Arthur Quinn for all their work on this one and looked for support for their upcoming events – Record Breaking Quiz on Thursday 21st Feb and Jim Bolger This is your Life on Sunday 3rd March and the annual Golf Classic on May 3rd, with more to come. Diarmuid said that it was an exceptionally well executed and enjoyable evening and thanked Alan Keyes and his IT people for the thoroughly professional show.
The Waterford Band the Hee Bee Jee Bees were the entertainment for the remainder and had the crowd on the floor immediately and kept them there til the end of the totally successful and prestigious event – the culmination of our achievements in 2012.
The winners on the night were as follows:
Senior Football: Redmond Barry.
Under 21 Football : Lee Chin.
Under 21 Hurling: Matthew O’Hanlon.
Volunteer of the year: Sadie Howlin.
Ladies Football: Cath McCabe
Handball : Darren O’Toole
Senior Hurlung : Keith Rossiter
Camogie : Katrina Parrock
