Caption – Pierce Flynn, Park Hotel presenting Caithriona McGlone with her award, while Kieran O’Connor, adjudicator presents Linda Wall with her award after they were the joint Park Hotel Sports Stars for September. Also included are Charlotte Raher (Waterford Camogie team) and Pat Sullivan, Manager Intermediate Football Team and Ger Lawton, adjudicator. Photo: Sean Byrne//Deise Sport.

As we head into the winter time of 2015, we can look back and say that this was a great year for Waterford sport (and there’s still plenty of time for even more highlights) and especially for GAA. It started with the footballers winning the McGrath Cup, then the hurlers won the National League and went all the way to the All- Ireland semi-final and there were plenty of other highs too, but without doubt the All- Ireland double in September for the Waterford camogie and ladies football teams will be the highlight of 2015 for many Déise GAA fans.
Therefore the choice of the two captains, Caithriona McGlone for the camogie and Linda Wall for the Ladies Football as our joint Park Hotel Sports Star Award winners for September was an easy one. In the world of GAA it doesn’t get any better than leading your team-mates up the steps of the Hogan Stand and lifting an All-Ireland Cup high in the air. Both these great players and great leaders have now joined that elite group of people and are now also members of the Park Hotel Sports Award monthly winners group and for both it is thoroughly deserved.
Presenting the awards at the monthly lunch on Friday, Pierce Flynn proprietor of the Park Hotel said, ‘On behalf of myself, my family and all here in the hotel I’d like to congratulate both award winners here today and indeed both teams for their fantastic achievements in September and throughout the year. First of all to the Caithriona and the camogie team, you’re just the second the camogie winner in this our 25th year of the awards so fair play to you and congratulations. To the Ladies Football and to their great captain Linda, I know how much effort ye all put into playing for Waterford and it’s brilliant to see all the hard work pay off with this lovely cup here today and congratulation to you and your team-mates on such a great year and we look forward to seeing you all again at the Overall Banquet in January.’
On behalf of the adjudicators, Kieran O’Connor said, ‘we try every month to pick one winner of this award and it’s only in exceptional circumstances that we opt to give joint awards but with the double All-Ireland victories of the Camogie and Ladies Football it was an easy decision to give a joint award to the two captains, Caithriona and Linda. For Waterford to be in Croke Park twice in September was some achievement but to come away with two All-Ireland titles was incredible. But of course the foundations for these two great wins weren’t put down in September, the work that has gone in at underage and all the way up in both associations over a long long number of years has been terrific and it’s great that it bore such great fruits in September with both girls going up the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect All-Ireland Cups. Linda is the ninth Ladies Football monthly winner and as Pierce said, Caithriona is just the second camogie winner (Colm Bonnar won it many years ago). Of course there was a time that Ladies Football won All-Ireland titles nearly every year but having dropped out of the senior ranks, it has taken a lot of hard work to get Waterford back to the top table of the sport and ye did that in style and as always Linda played a starring role as captain.
‘The camogie story has been a real success story for hard work over a long number of years and this team has really been built up from success all the way up through the underage ranks and now with this win we have a senior camogie team in Waterford for the very first time. Like Linda, Caithriona played a key role and both girls made great speeches on the day. So on behalf of the adjudicators, a big well done to all involved and especially our two winners, Linda and Caithriona,’ said Kieran.
Linda Wall began by thanking Pierce Flynn, all at the Park Hotel and the adjudicators for this award. ‘I was absolutely delighted when I got the phone call to say we had been chosen for this award and I was even more delighted when I was told that it was a joint award with the camogie team. It really is great for women’s sport in Waterford to get these awards and thanks again, it means a lot.’
Caithriona McGlone said, ‘thanks very much to Pierce and the Park Hotel for this great award and as Linda said it’s great that the women are getting recognised for our achievements and it makes all the hard work during the year worthwhile when you win awards like this.’
On behalf of the County Camogie Board, chairperson Ita Murphy, said, ‘thanks as always to Pierce and all at the hotel, they’ve always been great supporters of Waterford camogie, and to the adjudicators. To be honest the Park Hotel award was the one we least expected to win but when we got the phone call we were absolutely thrilled and I was even more delighted when I heard it was a joint award with the footballers. We’re all from the same tree, some of the best players in this county are dual players and that’s something that myself and Pat (Sullivan) are going to have to sit down and have a chat about in the near future, but not today, again I’d like to thank everyone associated with these awards and say what a pleasure it is to be here today.’
Ladies Football manager, Pat Sullivan said, ‘I would also like to thank Pierce, the Park Hotel and the adjudicators for this award, it really means a lot. We started training last November and the work and effort that the girls put in all year was tremendous. In truth they give up their whole lives for this and thankfully it paid off in Croke Park in September. All the hurt and pain and the joy throughout the year was all worth it at around 3.15 on that Sunday in September as Linda went up the steps to collect the cup. And to be honest to be here today is the real icing on the cake. Over the years we’ve all walked down the halls here and admired the pictures of Waterford sporting greats who have won this award so now to see Linda take her place on that wall for Ladies Football is absolutely brilliant, thanks again.’

• Also in GAA in this week’s paper – reports and lots of pictures from the County Intermediate hurling and football finals, reports on the four Co. SFC quarter-finals, previews on next weekend’s SFC semi-finals, Austin Gleeson on his best position, a GAA picture special and so much more….