Meath Sports Awards - JANUARY GAVIN KENNEDY
The countdown is on for the Meath Chronicle Sportsperson of the Year awards with the 13th annual ceremony scheduled for its traditional home at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim next Friday evening.
TICKETS
You can still buy tickets as there is limited availability - If you wish to attend contact Linda Cahill in the Meath Chronicle by Wednesday - linda.cahill@meathchronicle.ie or the Ticketline at (046) 9079654 - 10am - 2pm - Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
The overall 2019 Sportsperson of the Year will be selected from the monthly winners who will each be honoured on the night in recognition of their specific achievements during 2019.
The 2019 Sportsperson of the Year awards will be hosted by RTE’s Evanne Ni Chuilinn.
The list of contenders is listed at the end of this article and in this piece the focus is on January winner Gavin Kennedy from Ashbourne RFC.
GAVIN KENNEDY
Gavin Kennedy captained Ashbourne RFC to three successive All-Ireland Junior Cup titles 2017, 2018 and 2019 - a remarkable feat.
For the 2019 win he returned from injury to take his place on the team and help Ashbourne to a 16-11 win over a fancied Enniscorthy side at Edenderry RFC, notching up 11 points of his team's final tally and helped Ashbourne claim a unique hat-trick of All-Ireland Junior Cup crowns.
To cap off a remarkable season for Ashbourne and Gavin Kennedy they claimed a top four finish in the Leinster League Div 1A and that qualified them for the 2020 All-Ireland Junior Cup - the dream of four was halted in the semi-final in December when they were edged out by Kilfeacle.
Gavin Kennedy will be the first recipient of a monthly award next Friday night
MONTHLY WINNERS
January - Gavin Kennedy (Ashbourne RFC); February - Shane Aston (Trim AC); March - Ger Lyons (horseracing), Andy McEntee (GAA); Keith Donoghue (horseracing), Gavin Cromwell (horseracing), April - Ray Moloney (Navan RFC), Gordon Elliott (horseracing); May - Eamonn Murray (GAA); June - Nick Fitzgerald (GAA); July - Donal Keogan (GAA); August - Colin Keane (horseracing); September - Brian Carroll & Gary McConnell (handball); October - Cian Carey (motorsport); November - Mary Watters (athletics); December - Alan Murphy (Trim Celtic).
OTHER AWARDS
Other awards that will be presented include
Team of the Year - Na Fianna Camogie (voted by Meath Chronicle readers)
Outstanding Achievement Male - Jack Regan (voted by Meath Chronicle readers)
Outstanding Achievement Female - Natalya Coyle (voted by Meath Chronicle readers)
Young Sportsperson of the Year - TBA on the night (selected by Meath Chronicle)
There will be some Facebook live from the Knightsbrook next Friday night.