Spa GAA’s 11th Annual Awards Night took place on Saturday night, 7th February, in the excellent surroundings of Hilliards, Killarney, and once again proved to be one of the standout occasions on the club calendar.
The night was very well attended, with players, members, volunteers and supporters coming together to celebrate a memorable year for the club both on and off the field. A sincere word of thanks is extended to Hilliards for hosting the event once again — a superb venue with wonderful food and staff who played a key role in making the night such a success.
The night was very well attended, with players, members, volunteers and supporters coming together to celebrate a memorable year for the club both on and off the field. A sincere word of thanks is extended to Hilliards for hosting the event once again — a superb venue with wonderful food and staff who played a key role in making the night such a success.
Special Guests and Opening Address
The evening was opened by Awards Committee member Adrian O’Sullivan, who warmly welcomed everyone in attendance and introduced a distinguished line-up of special guests.
Among those present were Spa’s Scór Set Dancers (Katie O’Connor, Anna O’Connor, Meghann Cronin, Katie Cronin, Liam Spillane, Kianan Doherty, Darragh Brosnan and Diarmuid Donovan), proud three-in-a-row All-Ireland champions who continue to represent the club with enormous distinction on the national stage.
Also in attendance were Spa’s very own Dara Moynihan, All-Ireland Senior Football Champion with Kerry, Patrick O’Sullivan, Chairperson of the Kerry GAA County Board, Noel O’Sullivan, Great Britain GAA Delegate to Croke Park, who travelled from London for the occasion, and the highlight guest of the night, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Jarlath Burns, who made the journey from Armagh with his wife Suzanne.
It was particularly special to welcome Noel O’Sullivan home to Spa on the night, as he proudly represents the club and community in his role.
Patrick O’Sullivan addressed the gathering on behalf of the County Board, acknowledging Spa GAA’s strong presence and importance within the local community. He paid tribute to the huge volume of work carried out behind the scenes by volunteers and highlighted the positive role the club continues to play within Kerry GAA.
Address from GAA President
It was a great honour for Spa GAA to welcome GAA President Jarlath Burns. In an engaging and thoughtful address, he spoke about the importance of the GAA to Irish history, culture and society, and praised Spa GAA for representing everything the Association stands for.
He highlighted the club’s involvement across all disciplines of the GAA and referenced Spa’s outstanding Scór successes as a reflection of that commitment. He also added a light-hearted note, joking about how guest of honour Dara Moynihan played a key role in Kerry’s dramatic All-Ireland quarter-final comeback against his own native Armagh — where the President’s son was involved on the panel!
Also in attendance on the night was the Sam Maguire Cup, with many members taking the opportunity to have their photograph taken with the famous trophy, sitting proudly back home on Kerry soil.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Spa GAA would like to sincerely thank the Awards Night Committee — Andrew Garnett, Anne Holland, Mathilda McCarthy, Adrian O’Sullivan, Tríona Mangan and Ivor Flynn — for their work in organising another outstanding event.
A special word of thanks also goes to Anne Holland, who was on hand throughout the night to capture her ever-popular and wonderful photographs, preserving great memories of the occasion - these will follow shortly!
Club Chairperson Tadhg Hickey hosted the night and spoke passionately about the strength of the club, the people at its heart, and the vital role played by volunteers at every level. He noted that the future of Spa GAA looks incredibly bright before presenting the awards to the deserving recipients.
Award Winners
Young Ladies Player of the Year: Niamh Daly
Young Men’s Player of the Year: Darragh Brosnan
Junior Player of the Year: Michael Horgan
Ladies Player of the Year: Saoirse Kelly
(Special mentions: Clare Murphy and Liadh Tobin)
Men’s Player of the Year: Gary Vaughan
(Special mentions: David Spillane and Cian Tobin)
Each of the above award winners was recognised for their excellent performances throughout the season, producing consistent, high-quality displays on the field.
The Cultural & Social Award was presented to Eileen Ahern, a thoroughly deserving recipient. Eileen served as Scór Officer for seven years and has contributed across several other roles within the club. She now continues that service as Club Secretary, playing a vital role in the ongoing running of Spa GAA.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The most prestigious honour of the night, the Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Michael Cronin.
Michael has given decades of dedicated service to Spa GAA across a wide range of roles, including Registrar, Secretary, underage administrator, Chairman and Field Committee member. His leadership and commitment have left a lasting impact on all areas of the club, and this award was a fitting recognition of that contribution.
The 11th Annual Spa GAA Awards Night was a fitting celebration of another outstanding year for the club and a reminder of the people, effort and community spirit that continue to drive Spa GAA forward.
