Player of the Year Awards

Re-Birth of Wolfe Tones celebrated

THE re-birth of Gaelic Games in the Greencastle area began in hope more than expectation just over 12 months ago when Serpentine Road man Aodhan Moloney gathered together a small squad to play Laochra Loch Lao in a challenge game. 

It was immediately apparent through the power of social media that there was a demand for a football team based in and around Greencastle town-land and the Lough-shore Parishes on the north Belfast/Newtownabbey border. 

Fast forward a year and the club is now a fully affiliated GAA unit that has had over forty men pull on the Wolfe Tone’s green and white hoops at various different stages. 

Despite much of the hard work being done at meetings, over the telephone and Zoom, on our social media channels and through filling in various documents the playing panel more than matched the dedication and endeavour of the volunteers tasked with making the dream a reality. 

Players from all six counties in the north of Ireland, Merseyside and Tipperary have turned out for the Tones and we have amongst our numbers complete novices through to an All Ireland Senior Club Football Championship winner. 

Although we shipped some heavy defeats along the way we did manage to secure six wins from 15 games over the course of the last 12 months. The Committee of Greencastle Wolfe Tones would like to thank each and every one of our members, management team, financial donors and shirt sponsors Jim and Sandra O’Toole, of Riverside Consulting, Worcester, England formerly of north Belfast.  

Our awards were won by the following people 

Player of the Year

Kieran Moloney Ciarán Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh

Whitewell man Kieran pipped club captain Paul Carlin to the award and is

a deserving recipient of the POTY gong following a solid first season with the Wolfe Tones. Strong, athletic and brave Kieran is an asset to the team and found the back of the net a number of times this season including a vital goal which helped us to a league win over St Patrick’s Lisburn. Legend has it he is eligible for New York and may yet feature in the Connaught Football Championship. 

Young Player of the Year

Gerard McDonnell Gearóid Mac Domhnaill

This was a close run contest between Lansdowne man Gerard and Paul McAdorey. The former had a solid juvenile career at St Enda’s Glengormley and we hope he will be turning out in green and white for many years to come. McDonnell scores consistently from play and set-pieces and big things will no doubt come from the nippy forward in 2021. 

Newcomer of the Year

Paul McAdorey Pól Mac an Deoraidh

Paul McAdorey was in contention for both the POTY and YPOTY awards and is a deserving winner of the Newcomer of the Year title. Despite being completely new to Gaelic Games the Bawnmore man is a massive player for Wolfe Tones and will likely be a mainstay of the squad for 10/15 years should he stay on the scene. His highlight of the season was an incredible 2-4 from play when Greencastle secured their first ever competitive win with a comprehensive win over East Belfast. 

The Next Big Thing

Conor McMullan Conchubhar Mac Ghille Mhaoil

Conor came to the club as a competent soccer player who was keen to get involved in the ‘family business’. Blessed with the core attributes to be a handy footballer Conor kicked on and has now made a spot for himself in defence his own. Sandsy is competitive and will no doubt be telling Kieran Moloney he’s the 2021 player of the year elect. 

Clubperson of the Year

Stephen McCourt Stíofán MacCuarta

Chairman Stephen McCourt is the clear and resounding winning of this award. It would be fair to say that Wolfe Tones would likely not exist never mind be on the cusp of entering children’s teams into blitzes next year and participating in the All County Junior Football Championship. McCourt lives and breathes Greencastle Wolfe Tones and is an invaluable asset to the club.