2019 LGFA Volunteer of the Year award winners announced
February 24, 2020
Ladies Gaelic Football Association President Marie Hickey, front and centre, with award winners, back row, from left, George Leetch, representing the St Nathy's club in Sligo, winner of the Club Coach of the Year award, Galway's John McDermott, winner of the PRO of the Year award, Shirley Doody from the Kerins O'Rahillys club in Kerry, winner of the Club Committee Officer of the Year award, Eoin Delaney from Crettyard, Co. Laois, winner of the Young Volunteer of the Year award, Ger McCarthy, Co. Cork, winner of the Local Journalist of the Year award and Michael Ryan, from Ballymacarbry in Co. Waterford, winner of the Volunteer Hall of Fame award. Front row, from left, Ciara Marley, representing St Catherine's, Co. Armagh, winner of the School Coach of the Year award, Galway's Geraldine Heverin winner of the County/Provincial Officer of the Year award, Maggie Skelton, from Aghyaran in Co. Tyrone, winner of the Lulu Carroll award for the Overall Volunteer of the Year, and Ciara Lane from Louth, and representing the Calgary Chieftains Club in Canada, winner of the International Volunteer of the Year award during the 2019 LGFA Volunteer of the Year awards night at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
THE Ladies Gaelic Football Association has announced the winners of the prestigious 2019 LGFA Volunteer of the Year awards.
Administrators, coaches and media are among those honoured across ten categories, with the scheme now in its third year.
The winners are as follows:
Young Volunteer of the Year – Eoin Delaney (Crettyard, Laois)
School Coach of the Year – Ciara Marley (St Catherine’s, Armagh)
Club Coach of the Year – George Leetch (St Nathy’s, Sligo)
Local Journalist of the Year – Ger McCarthy (Cork Evening Echo)
PRO of the Year (John McDermott, Galway)
Club Committee Officer of the Year (Shirley Doody, Kerins O’Rahillys, Kerry)
County/Provincial Officer of the Year (Geraldine Heverin, Galway LGFA Secretary)
International Volunteer of the Year – Ciara Lane (Calgary Chieftains, Canada)
Volunteer Hall of Fame – Michael Ryan (Ballymacarbry, Waterford)
Overall Volunteer of the Year – Maggie Skelton (Tyrone & Ulster)
The Overall Volunteer of the Year, Maggie Skelton from the Aghyaran Club in Tyrone, received the Lulu Carroll award at last Friday night’s (February 21) awards ceremony at Croke Park.
This award is named after the late Lulu, a 2001 All-Ireland Senior Medallist with Laois who sadly passed away in 2007, following a battle with cancer.
During her glittering career, former All Star Lulu also won eight Leinster Senior titles with Laois, six county Senior titles with Timahoe, and a provincial crown with her club.
Maggie Skelton is a most worthy recipient of the Lulu Carroll award for 2019.
Maggie has been a stalwart of Tyrone LGFA for over 15 years, and she most recently fulfilled the role of county board secretary.
She has also been a key member of the Tyrone Senior team’s backroom, working as liaison officer, while also serving as an Ulster Council delegate.
Our Volunteer Hall of Fame winner, Michael Ryan, has been involved with the Ballymacarbry Ladies Football club in Waterford since its inception.
Over the years, Michael has presided over incredible success with club and county, including ten All-Ireland Senior Club title wins with his beloved Ballymac, and five All-Ireland Senior titles in charge of Waterford.
Michael also worked as an administrator at various levels, and he served Munster Council for 30 years, including three as President.
Paying tribute to the winners, Ladies Gaelic Football Association President, Marie Hickey, commented: “It’s incredible to see our LGFA Volunteer of the Year awards go from strength to strength.
“Each and every one of our winners has given such magnificent service to our Association, and their individual awards are richly deserved.
“We would not have the flourishing and vibrant Association that we are all so proud of without our volunteers.
“Our winners are credit to themselves, their clubs, local communities, counties and provinces.
“We were overwhelmed once again by the huge volume of entries for each of the categories, and I would like to thank all of those people who took the time to submit nominations.
“On behalf of the LGFA, I would also like to acknowledge our 2019 winners, and our now annual awards night is one to savour, as our Volunteers of the Year are rightly rewarded for their selfless contributions to our Association.”
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