John ‘Darner’ O’Hagan – Club Person of the Year 2005
Clonduff held their Annual Awards and Dinner Dance for 2006 in The Golf Inn, Newry on Friday 16th March. Upwards on 200 patrons attended to recognise the success of the Club on the field of Play.
Fear an Tí Jerry Quinn introduced the proceedings and the special guests. Club President Dean A Davies and Club Chairman Brian McGreevy both addressed the patrons with short speeches.
First up were the triple winning Minor Camogs – League and Championship double and Feis 7s. Maureen O’Higgins (Down County Camogie Chairperson was the Guest of Honour). Awards were: Senior Player of the Year Fionnuala Carr; Intermediate Player of the Year Sheenagh McConville: joint Minor Players of the Year Sarah Farnon and Naoimh Hynes. Special Club presentations were made to Kitty Fegan joint Manager Down Minor All Ireland winning team and the Clonduff representatives on it – Sarah Farnon, Paula Gribben, Sara Louise Carr, Lisa McPolin and Ursula Walls. Sarah Farnon also made a presentation to Kitty on behalf of the Clonduff Minors whom she also managed. Third Level Education winners (Purcell Shield) – Karen Gribben, Orla Maginn and Mary McPolin were also acknowledged – Karen’s All Star was also acknowledged as was Fionnuala Carr’s Ashbourne All Star and her two Long Puck titles (Ashbourne and Kilmacud).
The Senior Ladies County Football Champions were next up – Paul Kelly (Down Ladies Chairman) singled out Paula Gribben’s dual All Ireland successes in Football and Camogie during 2006 as a feat that will seldom be repeated. Karen Gribben and Aoibheann Downey were joint winners of the Senior Player of the Year award. The Club made a special award to Paula Gribben on her dual All Ireland success and to Michaela Downey on her Compromise Rules call up. On behalf of the Senior team, Karen Gribben made presentations to mentors Paul McShane, John A Gribben, Austin Ward and Johnny McAleavey and to the ladies involved Rita Kearney and Anita Brannigan.
Fear an Tí, in introducing the Hurling awards mentioned the inclusion of Clonduff players on the Down Senior team and St Mark’s High School Warrenpoint, – ten Clonduff players on the team when they won the Down title; Clonduff was also fielding Hurling teams at U12 to U18 level in the coming season and the special challenges this would present so that young people would have to opportunity to play both football and Hurling. Paudie Matthews presented the James Matthew trophy to Senior Player of the Year and County Player John Murphy
Pride of Place in the Men’s Football scene went to the Minor team who clinched the B Championship. Individual awards were as follows: Minor Player of the Year Darren O’Hagan; U21 Player of the Year Shane O’Hagan, Thirds Player of the Year (joint) Austin Ward and Liam McGivern; Seconds Player of the Year (joint) Rory Grant and Paudi Brown; Senior Player of the Year Paul Shields (he also won this award in 1999). Special Club awards were made to Rory Grant (Hogan Cup with Abbey CBS) and Aidan Carr (Sigerson Cup with QUB).
The County Secretary Seamus Walsh addressed the crowd as did Nigel McPolin, Chairperson Clonduff Development committee who gave a rundown on developments to date.
Hugh McShane Memorial Cup – Club Personality of the Year presented by Gerard McShane to Sean Milligan, son-in-law of the next recipient.
P J McAlinden Memorial Cup – ‘Hall of Fame’ award presented by Club Chairman Brian McGreevy to John ‘Darner’ O’Hagan who took great pleasure in the award and told the gathering that he had made club history as his father had won the award in 1982. To the delight of the crowd he told them the jersey he wore was not yellow but ‘Gold’.
In conclusion, Fear an Tí Jerry Quinn congratulated all the individual winners and on behalf of the Club, wished Clonduff’s new County Football manager Ross Carr every success in the remainder of the League and the forthcoming Championship.
