Photo: Mayo News
Just a quick Monday morning update for you – imagine, the Monday morning match reports will soon be back once again – to give a brief mention of the annual Club Stars bash that took place on Friday night last.
Now in its eleventh year, the Club Stars awards – sponsored by the Mayo News and O’Neill’s – took place, as per usual, at the Knockranny Hotel in Westport. It was no surprise that county and now Connacht club champions Castlebar Mitchels scooped a fair few of the prizes on offer. Nine Mitchels lads were named on Club Stars Team of the Year, with two more of them featuring among the five replacements.
The major individual award – Championship Player of the Year – also went to Castlebar and it was won by wing-back Paddy Durcan. It caps a wonderful year for the 21 year-old, who over the course of 2015 has emerged as one of the county’s hottest prospects.
The full list of winners from Friday night’s awards is here. Congrats to all concerned.
This function is a replica of Gaa Allstars. Its the last 4 clubs left in the championship that get the awards. In the Mayo News Club awards its who you know. If you look at the persons who pick the players since its foundation Knockmore and Garrymore have always a player selected. I wonder why?. If it was a fair competition, the Mayo always selects a Senior team of the week after every championship, why not reward those players who get the most places on team of the week and this would do away with the present joke.
True Grit, in eleven years of the awards Garrymore have had three winners, Jimmy Killeen, Morven Connolly and Martin Maloney and one Sub Shane Nally.
Give they have been in 5 Quarter Finals in a row, I would say that is under representation.
The awards are just an end of year knees-up-I wouldn’t take them too seriously!
True Grit – so what other players in your opinion should have been selected and can you provide some insights into their performances over the course of the club championship that would merit their inclusion over those selected? Your comment would suggest you have attended all club games this season to give a full and objective assessment over that of the selection committee…?
I have to agree with true grit on the club stars. I also think it too much favouritism towards the big names.
Congrats to all of the winners of the Club Star awards. Especially well done and congrats to Patrick Durcan on winning the player of the year award. What a year it has been for him! With players like Paddy and Diarmuid O’Connor coming through our future should be bright. Can players like Stephen Coen, Adam Gallagher and Evan Regan make the breakthrough next year, if they do, then our future would become even brighter. Roll on 2016!
If those players do progress to the extent that P Durkan has then we would be seeing Paradise. On top of Rochford,effective FBD, successful league, minimal injuries, maturing mentalities here and there on the field, more scoring from forwards, clinical back line and Santa will have his bag overflowing on his trip to Mayo! That’s assuming there is a Santa!
The club stars are all about selling newspapers really for the mayo news around the county. From belmullet to ballinrobe, and from the neale to Achill someone from a club got an award or was recognised for something. Fair play to the mayo news though it’s good advertisement for them and the night does contribute to a charitable organisation.
The night is about the charities every player nominated will bring supporters from his club so by nominating from different clubs will help fill all the tables .As regards the selected team personally from the championship games I was at I would question some of the choices but the judging panel are no fools and have a good knowledge of football gained through their experiences through the years.