The winners of the 2006 Mc Namee Awards have been confirmed by the GAA. The Awards will be presented at a function in Croke Park on July 22nd. The winners are:
Best Local Radio Programme
A Lifetime ‘til Sunday – Mid West Radio
Liam Horan and Mike Finnerty’s well researched and presented review of the high points and disappointments of Mayo football from the mid ‘Thirties up to the 2006 All-Ireland senior final is an informative and enjoyable programme that commands interest from start to finish and is radio presentation at its best.
Best Website
Doheny GAA Club, Dunmanway, County Cork www.dohenygaa.com
This web site has everything a great GAA web site should have. Two particular aspects mark it out as exceptional. The first is the real sense of ‘community’ you get from it. Secondly, the site’s use of multimedia features is impressive and shows a good grasp of how such features can make a club web site more useful as well as more enjoyable for visitors.
Best Club Media Production
“120 Years of GAA in Passage†by Matt Ahern
This is a stunningly produced book on the Passage West GAA club and the history of Gaelic Games in the area that will serve as an important source of local history as well as an extremely readable book for any GAA fan. Author Matt Aherne is to be commended on completing the difficult task of producing what will be required reading for anyone from the area whilst never alienating those not familiar with this (predominantly) hurling pocket of Cork.
Best County Final Programme – Kildare Football Final
This programme had all the essential details of a truly souvenir programme for County Final day including an extremely colourful and attractive layout. But what was really welcome and unusual in such programmes was the light, humorous approach to some articles which made reading them a pleasure
Best County Yearbook – CLG Aontroma
Covering all codes and cultural aspects of the association in depth and with considerable style, this publication creates a strong impression of the special character of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Chontae Aontroma. A series of insightful feature articles and striking photographs convey the personalities, youthful enthusiasm, club pride and community identity of members of the association in the county. Colourful, well-edited and at a very affordable price, this publication contains much to attract anyone interested in Cumann Lúthchleas Gael in Antrim and beyond.
Provincial Media Award – Roscommon Herald, All Ireland Minor Football Final Souvenir Supplement
From underdogs to champions, Roscommon’s success in the All-Ireland minor football championship last Summer was one of the great stories of the year. The triumphs, the drama and the extraordinary excitement generated amongst their fanatical supporters before and after the victory over Kerry following a replay in Ennis is wonderfully and colourfully captured in the 48 page supplement produced by the editorial team at the Roscommon Herald.
National Media Award – John Fogarty, Mail on Sunday
In his interview in Ireland on Sunday with Paul Caffrey and with his observations on all the issues that surround the Dublin team, John Fogarty not alone makes us aware of the pressures of being involved with football’s most public team but also of the passions, desires and dreams of the management and the players as they search for All-Ireland glory.
Special Merit Award – Red Hand View (Tyrone)
Red Hand View is the Tyrone County Board’s colourful and informative series of National football League match programmes produced for all of the county’s home league games. The programme’s include the musings of the team manager, reflections on past encounters, the view from the opposing camp, features on unsung heroes from the grassroots and many more novel contributions presented in a quirky, easy-to-read and well laid out publication which sets the standard for match programmes in the National League.
Best Photograph on a GAA Theme – John Kelly, Clare Champion
If photography is about the ‘decisive moment’ John Kelly certainly has the eye to capture it. His winning shot of a tearful, young Clare supporter would have been missed by many a photographer. It freezes an emotional, off-field moment that tugs at the heart strings and is a worthy winner. This is John’s second award, having won a Mc Namee award previously in 1997.
Hall of Fame Award – John Campbell, Sunday Telegraph
John Campbell has worked with the Belfast Telegraph since the 1970’s and is one of the most highly respected journalists covering Gaelic games. The GAA correspondent with the paper since the mid-80’s, John previously won a Mc Namee Award for the Best Article in a County Yearbook (Down). He joins a distinguished list of former winners of the Hall of Fame Award including Micheál Ó Hehir, Seán Og Ó Ceallacháin, Paddy Downey, Micheál O Muircheartaigh, Sean Kilfeather and Mick Dunne