The Charlestown Sarsfields G.A.A. Club`s Annual Dinner Dance took place in the Park Hotel, Kiltimagh on Saturday February 16th and it was an outstanding success as upwards of 160 people were in attendance as the club looked back on another succesful year on the field of play.
Special guest on the night was former Mayo Intercounty star Michael Conroy from the Davitts club and he took part in a lively questions and answer session and was very honest , witty and fortright in all the questions that were thrown at him. Chairman Liam Breheny also addressed the crowd and paid tribute to the many people who gave of their time and commitment to help out with the running of the club behind the scenes in the many different and varied roles with their efforts very much appreciated by the people charged with running the daily affairs of the club. He also thanked the club`s main sponsor Alan Crean for his continued support which is very much treasured and appreciated by all connected with the executive. Liam also congratulated the many teams who enjoyed success at the various age grades with special mention to the all conquering under-21 team who captured the county under-21 b title in such fine style before Christmas as they blazed their way to victory in fitting Sarsfields tradition, playing some sparkling football in the process. These fine young men are without the Sarsfields stars of the very near future and will be the backbone of the senior team for many years to come. Special mention was also given to the management team of Gareth O`Donnell, Ronan Kenny and Patrick Walsh who got the best out of the talent available to them and had the team in great shape which stood to them in their march to victory. The minor team were also feted for their victory in the East Mayo Minor A Championship and were presented with their medals by special guest Michael Conroy. The Sarsfields also had a notable success at senior level winning the Michael Walsh League for the first time and this was a great achievement by the squad and their manager Ronan Kenny assisted by his selectors Noel Gallagher and Tom McLoughlin. The squad were presented with their medals by Michael Conroy to a rousing round of applause.
There were a number of individual awards also given out on the night with the Ladies club also taking centre stage. Ladies Chairman Richella O`Connor did the honours and a number of awards were presented to a number of ladies at the different age grades. The award for Senior Player of the Year was presented to Ella Brennan on the back of some splendid displays for the club. She was a model of consistency all season and was a lynchpin in the Sarsfields defence in their march to the county intermediate final last season. So impressive were her displays that she subsequently received a call up to the Mayo senior ladies panel and made her debut a few short weeks ago in the national league. The All Star Award at senior level was presented to Nora McGovern and this was very well received as she is a model trainer and very dedicated to the club and has made a huge impression since joining the Sarsfields a few short years ago and fitted in seamlessly. Nora loves her football and is looking forward to knuckling down for the new 2019 season. The Award for Minor Player of the Year was presented to Eva Walsh while the All Star Award at Minor level was presented to Caitlyn Kelly. Both ladies are very promising young talents and were inspirational at minor level last year with their skill levels, pace and athleticism marking them down as special talents.
It was the turn of the men to take centre stage and there were a number of accolades handed down to several players who stood out for their consistently high levels of performance. The Senior Player of the Year Award was presented to David Caffrey in due recognition for his outstanding displays for the club at senior level stretching back a number of years. David has been a great servant to the team since his promotion to the senior ranks back in 2007 and has seldom if ever had a bad game. His tenacity, will to win and ability to nick the ball away from his opponent are just some of his hallmarks as he continues to punch above his weight and provide the Sarsfields with a safe pair of hands in the full back line. The Minor Player of the Award was given to Paul Towey who had a magnificent year at all levels for the club. His scoring exploits were nothing short of startling as he banged in the goals with amazing regularity. He is a special talent and is currently part of the Mayo Under-20 panel for the 2019 season and on all evidence to date he is sure to be pushing hard for a starting position. The All Star Minor Player of the Year Award was presented to Patrick Goldrick. Patrick is another stellar talent in the Sarsfields ranks and is one we have high hopes for as he has great pace and athleticism and is also a terrific fielder of the ball. He made a big impression when propelled onto the senior team last season and will no doubt anchor the midfield for many years to come. He too is also part of the Mayo under-20 squad for the 2019 season and has a good chance of making the first fifteen given a good run of form and fitness. The Junior Player of the Award was presented to David McLoughlin and this was due recognition for some fine performances for the club`s junior team where he consistently stood out for his no-nonsense, aggressive defending style. The Young Player of the Year Award was given to Matthew Lenehan on the back of some superb displays in the under-21`s winning county championship campaign. Matt turned in several big performances along the way none more so than his man of the match performance in the final where he was magnificent. He has lots of weapons in his locker to be a really top class player with his strength, drive and determination just some of the many special qualities he possesses and he looks a great prospect in the making. A special presentation was also made to Jack Mahon who represented Mayo at under-17 level while the Paul Towey and Paddy Goldrick also made a special presentation to last year`s minor management team of Gareth O`Donnell and Ciaran McBrien in recognition for the dedication and levels of commitment they brought to training and the detailed levels of preparation they did for every match. The final award of the night Club Person of the Year was given to Tom McLoughlin. He was presented with the Jim Breheny Memorial Shield by Chairman Liam Breheny to a tumultuous standing ovation and was a very popular recipient. Tom has served the club in many different roles and guises over a long number of years. He is a very steady and sound man, always a purveyor of good advice and gets the job done with the minimum of fuss. He brings a lot of organisation and preparation to any role he takes on with the club and is always much sought after for his wisdom and experience and is a man you can depend on and trust when it come to the art of decision making as Tom will always have your back. That completed a great night`s entertainment with Liam also fulsome in his praise of the staff of the Park Hotel for the fine meal they served up with the quality of food and service receiving the seal of approval from all in attendance. The club are in fine shape ahead of the new season as they look to build on the momentum of their under-21 county championship victory with lots of talented players ready to push on and drive the Sarsfields to what we hope will be further glory in all codes in 2019.