dcorrigan

TENNENTS/UGAAWA MERIT AWARD FOR JULY 2003
July is always a busy month in GAA with hurling and football, championship at all levels in full swing. Plenty of activity from which to choose our Tennents Monthly Merit Award winner
When such a busy schedule occurs it is normally difficult to choose between the various candidates for the honour. Last month we had many marvellous displays on the field of play among them excellent performances from Antrim hurler Karl McKeegan, Tyrone footballers Peter Canavan and Owen Mulligan, Armagh sharpshooter Stevie McDonnell and many others.
In the end we strayed from the field of play to the sidelines to choose our winner as the honour goes to Fermanagh senior football team manager Dom Corrigan.
What Fermanagh achieved during the month of July was historic. Not given a chance by most pundits for their All-Ireland SFC 2nd Round qualifier against mighty Meath, the Erne team scorched to a 1-12 to 0-9 victory at Clones and followed that up with an exciting one point win over Mayo at Sligo in the next round.
That took Fermanagh into the August All-Ireland quarter-finals and to the Croke Park championship stage for the first time. Dom Corrigan's management of the team was surely the key to those victories over Meath and Mayo and for his input to history he gets our award for July 2003. It is not the first time, of course, that Dom has made his name as a manager as he ahs steered St Michael's College to many MacRory Cup success in the past. He was also a noted Fermanagh senior player for many years and led the attack against Armagh in the 1983 Ulster final. As a lecturer at St Michael's College the former Kinawley player has also shaped the football future of many players from both Fermanagh and Tyrone.
"I am thrilled at getting this award. It is a great honour," enthused Dom.
He got the nod to collect the award vouchers from Tennents Ireland and Pro*Star sport plus a Belleek China engraved vase ahead for Karl McKeegan and Peter Canavan. The presentation was made at a reception in the Ulster Brewery on Wednesday, August 6.