It was celebration all the way when members, players and supporters of Glenroe G.A.A. came together in Deebert House, Kilmallock, last Friday evening.
2015 was a special year for the club in that for the first time ever two of its players, David McCarthy and Jonathan Tallon, won All-Ireland U21 Championship hurling medals. David McCarthy was goalkeeper on the Limerick team that won the All-Ireland U21 Hurling Championship in 2015, and the Glenroe man made such an impact on his debut in the Munster semi-final against Tipperary that he scooped the Man of the Match award before going on to put on stellar perfor-mances against Clare, Galway and Wexford, three games in which he conceded just one goal in Limerick’s glorious march to glory.
Jonathan Tallon meanwhile left the club at the end of 2014 and transferred to Wicklow where he is currently studying. He made an immediate impact in his adopted county and was a member of the Wicklow squad that claimed the All-Ireland Under 21B hurling championship with a victory over Meath in the final.
Oliver Mann, chairperson Limerick County Board was special guest on the evening and he made a presentation to both players in recognition of their achievement.
The County Board chairman presented the medals to the members of the club’s 13 aside hurling team who won the county competition for the second year in a row and for the fourth time in six years. He also made presentations to the mentors, Liam O’Connell, Pakie Sheehan Jason Leigh and manager Seán Coffey.
Mr Mann also made presentations to the Minor Player of the Year Eoin Gallahue, the Under 21 Player of the Year David McCarthy and the Club Player of the Year, Brian O’Connell.
Presentations were made to now retired Limerick intercounty senior hurlers Mike O’Brien and Stephen Walsh in recognition of their services to the county.
There was a special pre-sentation to Danny Murphy, who retired from club hurling at the end of 2015 after almost a quarter of a century in the Glenroe colours at adult level. Murphy, an All-Ireland intermediate hurling medal winner with Limerick in 1998 won county junior hurling medals with Glenroe in 1992, and 2000 and captained Ballylanders to county senior football championship success in 1999 and again in 2007.
The Club Person of the Year for 2015 went to Seán Coffey and Mr. Mann made a presentation to him on behalf of the club.
David McCarthy, the club chairman who was an excellent MC on the evening, finally made a presentation of a cheque to the value of €1,320 to Anne Marie O’Connor of Brú Columbanus, the proceeds of a bingo session that the club organised. Brú Columbanus is an independent charity that provides “home from home” accommodation for relatives of seriously ill patients in any of the Cork Hospitals and the Hospice.
The evening ended with the sweet strains of music and dulcet tones of entertainer Gerry Moloney.