Large crowd at inaugural Mayo Youth Presentation Awards

ALMOST 150 people gathered at the TF Royal Hotel & Theatre last Friday week for the inaugural Mayo Football League Youth Presentation Awards night.

Last year was the first year that the Under 18 Leagues were under the banner of the Mayo League and the game’s brightest young talents were honoured for their achievements, with Midwest Radio’s Michael D. McAndrew the MC for the awards.

The large crowd was welcomed by Seamus Hughes, Mayo Football League chairperson.

In his address, Mr. Hughes congratulated the three league winners - Kiltimagh/Knock United, Ballyheane and Iorras Aontaithe - and also congratulated Kiltimagh/Knock on winning their first ever Quigley Cup, the premier competition at Under 18 level which is now entering its 50th year.

Mr. Hughes added that he was delighted to have Pat Quigley in attendance, whom the cup is named after.

A special mention was also to the management team of Joe Togher, Mark Togher, Michael English, Micheal Gibbons and Simon Collins, who guided the Mayo Under 18 team to the inter-league semi-final stage. Each of the Mayo Under 18 playing squad received a certificate on the night for their involvement with the side.

The 2022 Mayo Youth Inter-League squad: Luca Meldrum (Ballyheane), James Hughes (Conn Rangers), Conor Stapleton (Manulla), David Osuwu (Ballyhaunis Town), Adam Blake (Castlebar Celtic), Colm McHale (Straide & Foxford United), A.J. McGrath (Conn Rangers), Alex Halpin (Westport United), Noah Massey (Westport United), James Dunne (Manulla), Alan Hegarty (Castlebar Celtic), Ted Rowe (Ballina Town), Simon Boyle (Ballinrobe Town), Fionn O’Hora (Westport United), Dylan Coleman (Straide & Foxford United), Matthew Traynor (Ballina Town), Conor Gorman (Ballina Town), Jack Murphy (Swinford), Fionn McLoughlin (Claremorris), Cillian McGing (Westport United), Niall Vahey (Ballyheane), Dan O’Malley (Westport United), Adam Nugent (Westport United), Conor Devaney (Swinford), Liam Burke (Partry Athletic).

Kiltimagh/Knock United were the big winners on the night as Tadhg Caulfield won Premier Division Player of The Year. The other Player of the Year awards went to Ballyheane’s Darragh Duffy (Division 1) and Iorras Aontaithe’s Seamus Howard (Division 2).

The Under 18 Players of the Month are as follows:

July: Conor Devaney (Swinford, Premier Division); James Dunne (Manulla, Division 1); Sintayehu Killeen (Snugboro United, Division 2).

August: David Smith (Kiltimagh/Knock United, Premier Division), Darragh Duffy (Ballyheane, Division 1), James Lavelle (Iorras Aontaithe, Division 2).

September: Tadhg Caulfield (Kiltimagh/Knock United).

The Teams of the Year for each of the Under 18 divisions are: Helen Johnson Under 18 Premier Division Team of the Year: Ryan Finn (Kiltimagh/Knock United); Nathan Griffin (Swinford), Tadhg Caulfield (Kiltimagh/Knock United), Noah Massey (Westport United), Ted Rowe (Ballina Town), Conor Gorman (Ballina Town), Fionn O’Hora (Westport United), Ronan Clarke (Kiltimagh/Knock United), Conall Breslin (Kiltimagh/Knock United), Conor Devaney (Swinford), David Smith (Kiltimagh/Knock United).

Helen Johnson Under 18 Division 1 Team of the Year: Luca Meldrum (Ballyheane); Darragh Duffy (Ballyheane), James Dunne (Manulla), Donal Behan (Ballyheane), Jack Cunningham (Manulla), Jude Clarke (Manulla), Rian Gilligan (Ballyglass), Robert Callaghan (Ballyheane), Simon Boyle, Ballinrobe Town), Jack Keane (Ballyglass), Matthew Walsh (Ballinrobe Town).

Helen Johnson Under 18 Division 2 Team of the Year: Aiden Noone (Ballyhaunis Town); Peter Foy (Snugboro United), Seamus Howard (Iorras Aontaithe), Paul Jennings (Fahy Rovers), David Osuwu (Ballyhaunis Town), Evan Durkan (Westport United B), Dylan Stevenson (Snugboro United), Liam Maloney (Iorras Aontaithe), Sintayehu Killeen (Snugboro United), James Lavelle (Iorras Aontaithe), Kyle Heffernan (Iorras Aontaithe).