Kilteevan Community Centre was packed to capacity on Friday 28th December for St Joseph’s GAA Club special presentation function. The community Centre was magnificently decorated in our team colours of red and black. The atmosphere on entering the centre of one of community and celebration. We hope to add a photo gallery of the event in the days to come.
Niall Croghan Chairperson St Joseph’s GAA Club was our very professional Master of Ceremonies for the night. Niall welcomed all in attendance to St Joseph’s GAA night of celebration.
Niall went on to say at the outset that “the village has been touched with sadness during the week with the passing of Dan Gillooly”. However, Niall stated “the Gillooly family were keen that this function would go ahead tonight". The Gillooly family were thanked sincerely for this consideration. Sympathy was extended to Teresa, Felicia, and to John, Peter Niall and Dominic. This was followed by a very poignant minutes silence in Dan’s memory. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Special thanks was extended to FIona Coen, Patricia Beirne, Ronnie Beirne, Enda Garvery, John Donoghue, Seamus Maher and Padraig Brennan for their support in organising the event.
Paddy Finns and Hannon’s Hotel were thanked for their support in organising refreshments for the event and Daire Gilleran was thanked for providing the music.
Fr Sean Beirne Club Patron shared Grace before meals and the welcome refreshments were served.
PRESENTATIONS
After the meal presentations were made to special guests on the night St Joseph’s 2003 Junior Championship winning panel.
Seamus Hayden & John Greene presented the team with their mementos.
2003 Panel Members
Derek Dowling Fergal Towey Joint Managers
Stephen Reynolds Anthony Mc Cormack Padraig Brennan & Peter Gillooly
Shane Gilleran Ollie Brennan Selectors
Declan Donlon John Gilleran Larry Brennan & Seamus Hayden
Paul Gilleran Peter Gilleran
Brian Carroll Gerry McNulty
Sasha O' Connor John Wynne
Alan O'Keeffe John Gillooly
Mark Gilleran (Emoe) Peter Gillooly
Ronan Beirne Niall Gillooly
Sean Gilleran Dominic Gillooly
Mark Fox Gary McLoughlin
Sean Mooney Shane Donlon
Joe Davis James Gormley
Paul Kelly Jack Sexton
Captain Shane Gilleran.
The outstanding role of the Gillooly brothers to this team was acknowledged.
2018 Panel members
The captain of 2018 team Paul Gilleran presented medals to the 2018 winning panel with the following panel members.
Paul Gilleran, Ronan Beirne, Craig Simpson,Enda Garvey,Shane Gilleran,David Gibbons, Chris Feeney, Eoin Keenan, Shane O’Malley, Eoin Gilleran, Sean Gilleran, Patrick Fannon, Johnny Mannion, Mark Gilleran, Brian Carroll, Mickey Joe Egan, Nicholas Timothy, Leonardo Araujo, Conor O Malley, Daniel Mangan, Joseph Davis, Patrick Garvey, Jonathon Mooney, James Mooney, David Hughes, Kieran Neilan, Colm Walsh, Mark Bagnel, .
Club Person of the Year
The Club Person of the year award dedicated to the memory of Conor Dempsey.Presented by Alec and Helen Dempsey.
Niall Croghan announced
"This player, is a member of the Executive, member of the organising committee , and liaison for the 50/50 draw.He has given enormous commitment to the club this year and fully deserves to be crowned Club Person of the Year for 2018"- Winner Enda Garvey
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award Dedicated to the memory of Colm MacElvaney. Colm played with this club between 2004 to 2007 this awards is made in recognition of the outstanding contribution made to the club.
Niall Croghan stated that “This award went to a man who has most given almost a third of a century to St Joseph’s GAA club…."he always and ever had only one thing at heart and that was the club and its advancement. As a volunteer he gave exceptional commitment to the club".-Winner John Greene
Mary Greene was also presented with a bouquet of flowers by Patricia Beirne
Special Achievement Award 1-Top Scorer
Niall Croghan stated the following-
"This special award is in recognition the contribution made to the club and of a very talented footballer. At underage level he would have stood out among his peers at U14 and U16 level and was recognised as one of the most talented players in the county at that time. Such was his talent that when he playing in a County Under 16 final two players were allocated to mark him, which to this day is rarely seen and is very unusual at underage level.
This player had such talent but for his injuries there would have been no doubt that he would have went all the way representing his county at senior level. We heard earlier the lengths that he has to go to just to be able to play and that shows real commitment to the club. We as a club are very lucky that he was born not very far away from where we are standing now.
For St. Joseph's this man has stood out for his outstanding scoring performance for the last number of years. Indeed his scoring prowess this year was off the charts particularly his ability to score from acute angles. Some of this points he scored this year were outrageous. He has been the top scorer in the club for the last six or seven years at least and this year he was top scorer in Division 5 if not in most other leagues.
To top his ability as a footballer he is very passionate about the club and is a very positive influence for the rest of the players."-Winner Mark Gilleran.
Special Achievement Award 2.
Niall Croghan stated the following
"This special achievement award is in recognition of the contribution made to the club by this individual. This award is going to someone who firstly will not want the attention as he is always looking to give everyone else recognition no matter when you are talking to him he finds someone to praise. This person has made a significant contribution to the club even though he left us for a number of years and has returned home to where his heart is. He was involved in the club as a young lad played for a number of years, was part of the panel in 1988 that won the junior championship, however injury blighted his football career. It says a lot about the man that his passion for this club never diminished. And why wouldn’t he be very passionate about St Joseph’s. He has St Joseph’s in his DNA. His father was a founding member of the club and his brother captained that 1988 Junior Championship team. He went on and has excelled at management and it’s fair to say that players would run through a wall for him. He was the main architect of our success this year and of course he was joint Manager in 2003 when we last won the junior championship. Some might say that the 2003 and 2018 finals have been St Joseph’s finest two hours of the new millennium".-Winner- Padraig Brennan.
Hall of Fame Awards
Sean Mooney Club Treasurer spoke passionately at length about the outstanding contribution of both men to St Joseph’s GAA Club. -Winners Seamus Hayden and Peter Dolan
Outstanding Co. Ladies Footballer
A presentation of flowers was made to Laura Fleming in recognition of being one the most outstanding Ladies footballers in the country.
Club members who married in 2018
Congratulations was extended to Sean and Yvonne Gilleran, Chris and Niamh Feeney and Dominic and Corina Gillooly .
Congratulations was also extended
Paul and Ashling Gilleran on the birth of their daughter Jane ,Bobby & Edel Smith on the birth of their son Adam,and John & Emer Kilmartin on the birth of their daughter Indie.
Posted December 30th 2018
