The annual Awards Night for Athletics Wexford took place in The Bailey,
Enniscorthy on Friday, February 22nd, with the club picking up a bucket load of medals and awards.

Orla Furney of Menapians
AC was crowned the Wexford Creamery Athlete of the Year for 2012.

There was a large turnout from the sixteen clubs across the county and
all senior, U17, U18 and junior county championship medal winners were
honoured. A number of perpetual trophies and awards were also presented on the
night by sponsors Wexford Creamery and My Sport. A minutes silence was observed
in memory of the late Martin Mimnagh a member of Racing 795, who’s untimely
death as a result of a road traffic accident earlier that week had shocked and
saddened the athletics community in Co. Wexford. Martin was also an officer of
Sliabh Buidhe Rovers and would have been a competitor in the 2012 County
Championships.

The first major award of the night was the Harry Keyes Perpetual Cup,
awarded to the U17 Boys Athlete of the Year and based on a points system. This
year’s winner, Ciarán Joyce from Enniscorthy Athletic Club, was outstanding in
a number of Track & Field events. Ciarán was the 2012 County Champion in
the 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles, 100m, 200m, Javelin, Long Jump, High Jump and
Triple Jump. He also won County medals in the Discus, Shot Putt and 1500m.

Girls U17 Athlete of the Year was Saoirse Burke from Kilmore Athletic
Club. Gillian Kelly, a present member of Taghmon AC, presented Saoirse with the
Ann O’Keeffe Cup. Saoirse is a versatile athlete who is the Girls U17 County
Champion in the Hammer, Discus and Triple Jump, as well as winning medals in
the High Jump, Javelin, Shot Putt, 1500m, 800m, 200m, 100m Hurdles and 300m
Hurdles during the 2012 Track & Field season. She also ran in the county
Cross Country Championships and won Bronze.

The senior Track & Field Club of the Year for 2012 was won by DMP AC
and Michael Farrell was proud to accept the impressive Brother Egan Cup on
behalf of his club. The club, based in Sinnottstown Lane in Drinagh, has had
outstanding success in 2012 at county, regional and national level, with particular
success in throws events.

The next award was a special presentation made by the County Board of
Athletics Wexford to Jim Parle, author of the book “Our Sporting Past”, in
recognition of his contribution to Co. Wexford’s sporting history. Jim received
a specially commissioned crystal piece from Athletics Wexford Chairman, Paddy
Morgan.

The Jim Redmond Memorial Cup for best Cross Country Club was a hotly
contested category and was won by Sliabh Bhuidhe Rovers. Paul Gibbons and Tommy
McElwaine accepted the Cup from athletics legend Toddy Moore on behalf of SBR
AC. With victories in both the senior ladies and men’s county championships,
the club sealed their success over other strong cross country clubs such as
Slaney Olympic, Adamstown and United Striders.

The penultimate award of the evening was a special occasion and probably
the most celebrated of all. The Kehoe Foods Award for Outstanding Service to
Athletics in Wexford was won this year by a couple for the first time ever.
Jane and Graham Porter of Slaney Olympic Athletic Club were visibly amazed to
be called to the podium to receive this accolade. Jane who is the Chairperson
of Slaney Olympic has led her club to great success and aided by her husband
Graham, club secretary, have organised many a successful County Championship,
including the 2012 Senior Cross Country Championships, the hugely popular
Enniscorthy 10k and the recently held County Novice Road Race. Their
efficiency, passion and commitment to athletics is a shining example to other clubs
and they not only dedicate their time and effort to Slaney Olympic, they’re
contribution on a county level is also remarkable. Their award was presented by
Athletics Wexford Secretary, Nora Muldoon and Chairman Paddy Morgan, to
rapturous applause from the large attendance from Enniscorthy’s senior club.
The crystal award was complimented by both Jane and Graham winning individual
medals in the Masters Cross Country Championships, as both are active athletes.

The highlight of the night was the presentation of the Wexford Creamery
Athlete of the Year for 2012. Neil Murphy representing the sponsors, Wexford
Creamery, presented Orla Furney of Menapians AC and formerly Gorey AC, with the
award. The young hurdles sensation won National Juvenile, Schools and Senior
medals over the long and short hurdles in 2012 and has run PBs indoors already
this season. She is the National Title holder in both the Girls U18 100m
Hurdles and the 400m Hurdles. She also took an All Ireland bronze in the Junior
Ladies 100m Hurdles and narrowly missed out on a medal in the National Junior
400m Hurdles, by 0.01 of a second. In her first outing into the Athletics
Association of Ireland Senior Championships last summer, Orla was second in the
Ladies 100m Hurdles. Last summer Orla assisted in coaching with the Athletics
Wexford Summer Camp, passing on her skills to the younger athletes of the
county and she also had outstanding performances as part of the medal winning
County Team in the National Women’s League. A well deserved award and an
athlete that everyone in Co. Wexford will be watching as she enters the senior
grades.

The final awards of the night were certificates for two of the Menapians
AC Relay teams who broke national records during 2012.

Celebrations
went on well into the night after the formalities were concluded.