The GAA has confirmed the 15 winners of the Gradaim an Uachtaráin 2013 / 2013 President’s Awards ahead of a special Croke Park banquet this evening.

The annual winners are honoured as long standing GAA volunteers who have served the Association with distinction in their chosen field over a prolonged period

The recipients who have been chosen by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Liam Ó Néill have been chosen from across all strands of the Association and represent all codes and disciplines from the wider GAA family.

The GAA President paid tribute to those honoured in this year’s scheme.

He said “Tonight is a night for our volunteers, an evening that is organised annually to shine a light on their activities.  These people represent the wider Association as a whole in that they give of their time so generously to ensuring our games are passed from one generation to the next.

I laud them all for their special contributions to the GAA over prolonged period and I would particularly like to mention the Ó Sé family who are the recipients of the Dermot Earley Family Award in light of their incredible input to the GAA and to football in particular.

A special word of thanks also to our sponsors, AIB and TG4 who help us to bring this occasion together”

The Family Acknowledgement Award, known as the Dermot Earley Family Award which is presented in acknowledgement of an outstanding family contribution to the GAA. This award will be made to the Ó Sé family of an Gaeltacht GAA Club, Kerry.

This evening’s banquet, supported by AIB and TG4, will be broadcast live on TG4 at 7:30pm. The show will also feature a preview of Sunday’s  AIB GAA Club Championship Finals in TG4’s Seó Spoirt.

Connacht  - PJ Hughes:

A Crossmolina man through and through, PJ has been an integral part of the club successes over the last 40 years. Having worked as the club’s PRO every year without fail, he’s also been the club’s unofficial photographer and annually compiles a club list of appearances and scores of every team from U-6 to senior. Without doubt, the epitome of what it is to be a great clubman.