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TENNENT'S/UGAAWA MONTHLY MERIT AWARD
September 2005

Tyrone gave us many options when selecting the winner of our Tennent’s Merit Award for September with possibly nine or 10 people worthy of the honour. What must be remembered is that the emphasis in on MERIT – this is not a Player of the Month award as it can go to anybody connected with the GAA.
We choose CHRIS LAWN, making it four Tyrone players in a row visiting the Ulster Brewery. That in itself is a record. Moortown man Chris gets the award ahead of all others because of the way he bowed out of county football, tucking a second All-Ireland SFC medal into his hip pocket.
After 14 years in the Red Hand jersey he finished his career in a blaze of glory. When called upon in the closing 20 minutes of the Sam Maguire Cup decider he bounced off the bench to turn in a blinder in the white heat of the action as Kerry expended every ounce of energy in an effort to hold on to the title.
Chris (34) has been a tower of strength in Tyrone defences down the years and now has two All-Ireland senior medals, two National League medals, four Ulster senior awards, two All-Ireland Under-21 medals and one McKenna Cup trophy. At club level he has tucked away a county SFC honour, three under-21 awards and a minor medal but he was stunned when notified of his latest award.
“You must be joking,” was his immediate reaction as he tried to keep 10-months-old Anna from taking the phone. “You can’t be for real – this is a leg pull.”
No leg pull at all. The call was for real as sales rep. Chris gets our award not only for the fine example he showed to the Tyrone squad during last month but also for the brilliant way he dealt with being tossed into the cauldron of closing championship action in the All-Ireland final.
There were other Tyrone people certainly in the frame and there were Down players who shone in the minor final. There were also Armagh girls who stood out in the Ladies’ Junior final but Chris Lawn was the popular choice of the UGAAWA members.
At a reception in the Ulster Brewery on October 6, he received his award of a Tennent’s Gift Voucher, training gear from Pro*Star Sport, an engraved Belleek China vase, specially designed silver cuff links from Garret Mallon Jewellery, Omeath and tickets to the UGAAWA banquet from Seamus Horisk, Regional Sales Manager InBev Ireland Limited.