'Tipperary sports followers didn’t have too far to look for their own homegrown heroes'

Noel Coonan, Leas Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, has stated that the council, under the leadership of CEO Joe MacGrath, would continue to provide facilities for young people to participate in sport, and it would encourage young people to participate.

Speaking at the presentation of the Annerville sports awards at the Talbot Hotel Clonmel, Cllr Coonan thanked the United Sports Panel for organising the awards. He congratulated the many winners and praised all the participants in sport.

Eamonn Wynne, Chairman of the Tipperary United Sports Panel, stated that the winners came from all areas of the county.

“They include young men and women who made their mark nationally and internationally in the past twelve months, emphasising once again that when it comes to sporting achievement, Tipperary really is the Premier County”.

He said that headlines had been made in 2022 by the Irish women’s soccer team, Rory McIlroy, Katie Taylor, Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, who were just some of the many Irish sports stars to savour the sweet taste of success on the international stage.

“A glance through our list of award winners shows that Tipperary sports followers didn’t have too far to look for their own homegrown heroes.

“We trust that this year of success and achievement has been adequately reflected in our full line-up of award recipients”.

He said that John O’Donoghue was a most worthy recipient of the prestigious Knocknagow Award, which each year is presented to a famous sportsperson of the past.

John was the goalkeeper who played a pivotal role in the success of Tipperary hurling teams during a halcyon era for the county in the 1960s.

“The Arravale Rovers clubman’s sporting prowess wasn’t confined to the hurling pitch. Something of an all-rounder, he also proved himself as an accomplished Gaelic footballer, badminton player and golfer, as well as serving as a selector on the Tipperary hurling team that won Munster and All-Ireland honours for the second time in three years in 1991”.

The Sports Panel chairman thanked Bulmers for their continued support and generosity, which he said had allowed the Tipperary United Sports Panel to continue to recognise sporting greatness in our midst for almost the last six decades.