CASTLEBAR Mitchels star Paddy Durcan was named as the Mayo Senior Football Championship Player of the Year at the eleventh annual Mayo News/O’Neills Club Stars Charity Banquet in Knockranny House Hotel, Westport, on Friday night.
Durcan (21) was rewarded for a string of stellar displays for the county champions and was presented with his award by special guest, Paul Earley.
The Mayo defender beat off competition from club-mates Barry Moran, Neil Douglas and Eoghan O’Reilly to win the coveted Willie McNeela Perpetual Trophy.
Hollymount/Carramore defender Padraig Feerick was named as the Intermediate Championship Player of the Year, Ardnaree’s Eoin McCormack won the Junior Championship equivalent, while Colin Gill from Claremorris was the winner of the Young Player of the Year accolade.
Paddy Durcan was also named at wing-back on the Club Stars Team of the Year, winning his second award in the process.
Rory Byrne, Tom Cunniffe, Eoghan O’Reilly, Ger McDonagh, Barry Moran, Richie Feeney, Neil Douglas and Danny Kirby were also among the Castlebar Mitchels contingent named in the Club Stars Team of the Year.
Donie Newcombe and Shane Hopkins also picked up replacement awards for their efforts in 2015.
Knockmore’s Colm Reape, who was picked at corner-forward on the Team of the Year, also won the Golden Boot award for Top Scorer in the Mayo Senior Football Championship while Ballintubber’s Alan Plunkett was the Top Scorer from play.
In the Intermediate Championship, Seanie Cosgrove from The Neale was the Overall Top Scorer, while Brian Reape from Moy Davitts was the Top Scorer From Play.
New Mayo manager Stephen Rochford was presented with a ‘Special Achievement’ award for managing Galway’s Corofin to the All-Ireland club title last March, while Ballycastle GAA club also received a ‘Special Achievement’ award to mark winning their first county title since 1939.
Lee Keegan was chosen as the ‘Personality of the Year’ after another excellent season with Mayo, culminating in his third All Star in a row.
Well-known Ballinrobe GAA club PRO Billy Horan was an extremely popular winner of the ‘Hall of Fame’ award, while Achill GAA club’s Packie and Hughie McGinty were the deserving recipients of the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ gong.
The ‘Hurling Recognition’ award winner, Martin Linnane from Belmullet, also got a warm reception when he accepted his accolade.
A capacity crowd attended the event last night, with all the proceeds being donated to CF West and the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre.
Read more on the 2015 Mayo News/O’Neills Club Stars awards in this week’s Mayo News, plus see lots of pictures from the big night.
Mayo News/O’Neills Club Stars 2015 Team:
1 Rory Byrne (Castlebar Mitchels)
2 Colm Jordan (Breaffy)
3 Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels)
4 Eoghan O’Reilly (Castlebar Mitchels)
5 Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
6 Ger McDonagh (Castlebar Mitchels)
7 Padraig Feerick (Hollymount/Carramore)
8 Barry Moran (Castlebar Mitchels)
9 Kieran Langan (Knockmore)
10 Conor O’Shea (Breaffy)
11 Richie Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels)
12 Neil Douglas (Castlebar Mitchels)
13 Danny Kirby (Castlebar Mitchels)
14 Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)
15 Colm Reape (Knockmore)
Replacements
16 Donie Newcombe (Castlebar Mitchels)
17 Shane Nally (Garrymore)
18 Shane Hopkins (Castlebar Mitchels)
19 Tommy O’Reilly (Breaffy)
20 Darren Coen (Hollymount/Carramore)