Next Friday night (December 6 ) in the Welcome Inn Hotel the Mayo League will honour the best performers of the year at its annual awards night. The league has selected teams of the year across all five divisions of the Mayo League, from the Super League to League Two, and team of the year for the Masters competitions it runs. It will also announce on the night the player of the year in each division.
The Mayo League has also announced before the awards the joint winners of the prestigious Henry Downes Service to Football award, which this year goes to Tommy Rumley, Manulla, and Mick Walsh, Castlebar. These awards, introduced last year, are in honour of a man who dedicated so much of his life to the game in the county. Henry Downes served as chairman of the Mayo League from 1959 to 1989, an incredible length of time for any sporting volunteer which is unlikely to be repeated.
Tommy Rumley has given a lifetime of service to his Club in Manulla and the Mayo Football League. His involvement in the game from 1976 has continued to the present day, during this time he has managed underage boys’ and girls’ teams, men’s and women’s teams, and has progressed along the ages to his present role as manager of the Mayo Masters team. Even when not directly involved, he is regularly in attendance at matches all over the county and rarely misses a match in Milebush Park. Mick Walsh began his footballing career with Castlebar Celtic where he had much success, he then took up a spell in management. He is probably best known to the football fraternity as a referee. His dedication to this is second to none and even though in the autumn of his career he still shows remarkable enthusiasm for the game in the county. Padraig McHale, chairman Mayo Football League, stated: “I would like to congratulate Tommy Rumley and Mick Walsh on winning this prestigious award. They are certainly worthy recipients as both have given a lifetime of service to the game and are highly respected within the county and beyond. It is fitting that an award named after such a great servant is bestowed upon two gentlemen of the game.”
The Mayo League will also name a young footballer of the year on the night and the nominees are Jamie Cawley (Ballina Town ), Matthew Flanagan (Manulla ), and Andrew Leahy (Fahy Rovers ). The teams of the year across all divisions are as below:
Super League: Sean Fahy (Ballyheane ); Sean Morrisey (Manulla ), Andy Neary (Castlebar Celtic ), Peter Burke (Ballyheane ), Theron Coghill (Ballyheane ); Jamie Cawley (Ballina Town ), Daniel Gorman (Ballina Town ), Pat Fitzgerald (Westport United ), Eugene Gorman (Ballina Town ); David Hoban (Westport United ), David O’Mahony (Ballina Town ).
Premier A: Eugene Carlin (Moy Villa ), Christopher Moore (Moy Villa ), Joe Keane (Fahy Rovers ), Kevin McCarron (Moy Villa ), Tomas Keane (Fahy Rovers ), John O’Hara (Straide & Foxford Utd ), Brendan Curtis (Fahy Rovers ), Gerry Gaughan (Conn Rangers ), Michael Corrigan (Charlestown Athletic ), Paul Moran (Straide & Foxford United ), Andrew Leahy (Fahy Rovers ).
Premier B: Michael Gibbons (Westport United B ); Alan McLoughlin (Swinford ), Matthew Hamilton (Ballyglass ), Jonathan Smith (Westport United B ), Danny Broderick (Ballyglass ); Padraig Folan (Westport United B ), Ciaran Hennelly (Partry Athletic ), Tom McGing (Westport United B ), Neil Fallon (Swinford ), Mark McNally (Westport United B ), Martin Sweeney (Swinford ).
League One: Michael Goulding (Ballyhaunis Town ); Michael D McNamara (Achill Rovers ), Andy Leadbetter (Kiltimagh/Knock United ), Terrence Devers (Achill Rovers ); Andy Cunnane (Ballyhaunis Town ), Danny Higgins (Kiltimagh/Knock United ), Conor Freely (Ballyhaunis Town ), Ronan Kilbane (Achill Rovers ), Stephen Wallace (Kilitmagh/Knock United ), Shane Prendergast (Kiltimagh/Knock United ), Levi Barrett (Glenhest Rovers ).
League Two: Ronan O’Grady (Newport Town ), Kenny O’Donnell (Newport Town ), Tim Davitt (Newport Town ), Gary Malee (Kiltimagh/Knock United B ), Michael Padden (Castlebar Celtic C ), Stephen O’Regan (Newport Town ), Charlie O’Donnell (Newport Town ), Keith McCormack (Kiltimagh/Knock United B ), Brendan Burke (Kiltimagh/Knock United B ), Robert Walsh (Ballyvary Blue Bombers ), Lorcan King (Castlebar Celtic C ).
Masters: Christy McNicholas (Ballyvary Blue Bombers ), Sean Walsh (Iorras Aontaithe ), Michael Costello (Straide & Foxford United ), Russell Gibbons (Manulla ), John Loftus (Ballyvary Blue Bombers ), Garreth O’Malley (Iorras Aontaithe ), Kieran Lavelle (Iorras Aontaithe ), Pat Reid (Straide & Foxford United ), Colm Napier (Fahy Rovers ), Johnny Jordan (Straide & Foxford United ), Johnny Hennelly (Manulla ).
