smcdonnell

TENNENT’S/UGAAWA MERIT AWARD FOR MAY 2005

Once more there was a pot-pourri of competition during the month of May with a number of candidates shooting into contention for our Tennent’s Merit Award.
Armagh and Monaghan won National Football League titles at Division One and Division Two levels, Armagh and Tyrone survived their Ulster Senior Football tests, Antrim hurlers arrived back from New York with a hard earned championship win and Down battled their way to the Ulster Hurling final. There were also notable performances in the Minor Football Championship.
Trimming the candidates to a manageable level left Armagh men John McEntee, Brian Mallon, Andy Mallon and Steven McDonnell; Antrim’s Chris Hamill, Down’s Martin Coulter and Gabriel Clarke, Peter Canavan and our April winner Thomas Freeman in the mix.
After the normal deliberations the white smoke went up for STEVEN McDONNELL, following his immaculate display in the Allianz National League final against Wexford. The Killeavey man may not have set the hills on fire against Fermanagh in the championship but his Croke Park show was one of the best ever in a league final as he tortured the Slaneysiders’ defence and rifled over 10 glorious points.
McDonnell was also the winner of our monthly award for August 2002 and was our Footballer of the Year for 2003.
With his club, Killeavey St Moninne’s, he has won league and championship medals at all levels apart from senior and has played in the Ulster Minor Club final and a second semi-final. He has won Railway Cup honours with Ulster, played internationally with Ireland, won four Ulster Senior Championship medals with Armagh and also a National League award plus a Sam Maguire Cup and Under-21 honours.
“It is lovely to win this award again. Winning personal awards is always appreciated,” enthuses Stevie.
As his award, our May 2005 winner received a sports voucher from Tennent’s Ireland, training gear from Pro*Star Sports, an engraved Belleek China vase and specially designed silver cuff links from Gareth Mallon, Omeath.. He will also received two tickets plus overnight accommodation for our banquet at the Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran, on November 18. The presentation was made at a reception in the Ulster Brewery on Wednesday, June 8 by John Morgan, Tennent’s Regional Sales Manager.