Communities from across North Wexford were guests of honour to Cllr John Hegarty, Chairman, members and officials at the Gorey Municipal District Council Civic Awards presented in Wells House tonight.
Cllr Hegarty welcomed the large attendance and outlined that the function of the event was “to honour individuals and groups that performed exceptionally well”.
Cllr Joe Sullivan introduced Courtown Ladies Golf Club who achieved a first All-Ireland victory for the club with a panel that consisted of 14 players.
Cllr Pip Breen introduced Eoghan Cooke from Ounavarra who won a gold medal in the under 15 National Youth Road Race and a bronze medal for his time trial.
Gorey Cricket Club were honoured fro winning the Dick O’Neill Cup and five players (Anselm Diaz, Ross Norman, Pradeep Hewanalagamage, Khan Khan and Umar Khan were selected on the Divisional team of the year. “The crowing achievement of the 2018 season was winning the club’s first Cricket Leinster title,” claimed Cllr Malcolm Byrne.
Cllr John Hegarty said that Gorey Hockey Club started in 1980 and has had lots of success through the years, even fielding two teams for a while. They joined the Leinster League in 2017, and this season won their division and got promoted for the second season in a row.
Naoise Hennessy, (16), from Craanford, was the overall winner at the Texaco Children’s Art in the senior 16-18 age category that attracted 25,000 entries. Cllr Joe Sulivan said Naoise was “already known to many as an All-Ireland medal winner and goal-scoring forward on the ciunty’s under 16 camogie team.
Cllr Mary Farrell read the citation for a champion ploughman from Kilmuckridge. Dan Donnelly took home a gold medal at the recent European Ploughing Championships to add to his national titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003, in the reversible category.
Cllr Fionntán Ó Suilleabháin sang the praises of Kilrugh Camogie Club, a small club encompassing the townlands of Askamore and Kilrush, and formed in 1967. “The club dedication, work ethnic and talent has trancended through the decades,” he said. In 2018, Kilrush won Co. Wexford Camogie ‘Club of the Year’ title.
The citations were read by individual councillors and each recipient was presented with a special commissioned piece from Paschal Whitmore Jewellers in Gorey.