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ULSTER GAA WRITERS' MERIT AWARD FOR JULY 2006
The Tennent's / UGAAWA Monthly Merit Award
for July has been presented to Armagh Striker, Ronan Clarke. Tony Hawkins,
from Tennent's, made the presentation at a reception held at the Ulster
Brewery, which was also attended by John Mark, Pro* Star Sport and Sean
McMahon, UGAAWA Chairman.
Today we hope
to lift the spirits of at least one Armagh player after the Orchard County’s
defeat by Kerry last Saturday as we give our monthly Tennent’s
Merit Award to
Ronan Clarke.
This is in no way a sop to the lithe Armagh ‘striker’ and proof of that is that the selection was made in advance of the weekend. Ronan Clarke stood out in the Ulster final, at Croke Park, last month when Armagh defeated Donegal to take the provincial title, once again.
The 23-year-old Pearse Og player also had a super second half in the semi-final replay against Fermanagh and for those performances he is a worthy winner of the monthly honour.
Honours are, of course, nothing new to Ronan who has now graduated from St Mary’s College and, for the moment, is ‘dispensing juice’ during the hot weather. Ronan has collected quite a haul of medals to date with top of the pile, of course, being his All-Ireland SFC Celtic Cross. He has won four Armagh and one Ulster Minor Football Championship medals and a MacRory Cup medal. In 2002 he was honoured with the ‘Young Player of the Year’, as well.
For the July award, Ronan Clarke ousted his county colleagues Francie Bellew and Paul McGrane, with Antrim hurling score-getter, Liam Watson, and Down’s target man, Paul Braniff, plus Cavan’s Paul Brady, who retained the US Handball Singles title – the first Irish man ever to win it even once – also considered.
The winner receives a Tennent’s Sports Voucher, wet and dry training gear from Pro*Star Sports, an engraved Belleek China vase, specially designed silver cuff links from Gareth Mallon Jeweller Omaeath and two tickets plus overnight accommodation at the Ulster GAA Writers’ banquet in Bundoran next November.
The presentation was made by Tony Hawkins at a reception in the Ulster Brewery on Wednesday, August 9.
