Tyrone Masters Celebrate

Tyrone Masters’ recently held a banquet in Quinn’s Corner. It was a double celebration to mark their 2015 All Ireland Masters’ triumph and 25 years of masters’ football in the county. With close to two hundred and fifty in attendance the function proved to be a great night of nostalgia and celebration. Master of Ceremonies Liam Morris conducted proceedings with great ease and efficiency. His interaction with the large attendance greatly added to the buoyant mood throughout the night.
Special guests included Roisin Jordan, Chairperson of the Tyrone County Board, John Pat Sheridan, Chairman of the Gaelic Masters’ Association, PRO of The Gaelic Masters’ and Tyrone native Sean Mc Caughey and Brendan Harkin President of Tyrone GAA. Speaking first Roisin Jordan offered her congratulations to the players and management of the All Ireland winning squad paying tribute to the dedication to the players. She offered her support and that of the County Board to the concept of masters’ football in the country. Speaking next John Pat Sheridan, on his first visit to Tyrone, paid tribute to the dedication of Eugene Bradley and Joe Leonard who have been loyal to the Tyrone Masters since 1990 first as players and then as managers. He expressed his delight that they have finally been rewarded with an All Ireland title. Brendan Harkin spoke passionately about the need to promote the playing of Gaelic football over the age of 40 in terms of the positive impact it had on the physical and mental wellbeing of those involved. He called on the GAA as a whole to embrace the concept and to support its growth.
A highlight of the night was a twenty minute film presentation which featured pictures of past master’s teams, an extensive account of the 2015 campaign rounded off with the highlights of the 2015 final courtesy of Irish TV. It can be viewed on the Tyrone Gaelic Masters Facebook page.
Presentations on the night included the main business of presenting the All Ireland Masters winners with their specially commissioned medals and commemorative jerseys. John Pat Sheridan and Sean Mc Caughey made presentations on behalf of the Gaelic Masters’ Association to Joe Leonard and Eugene Bradley in honour of their long years of service to masters’ football in the county. The manager’s wives Vera Leonard and Margaret Bradley were presented with bouquets of flowers as a token of appreciation for their hard work and support behind the scenes. Malachy Cush accepted a presentation on behalf of Irish TV from the Gaelic Masters Association for their on-going commitment to masters’ football.
Tyrone Gaelic Masters’ PRO, and masters’ player, Gavan Mc Elroy, concluded proceedings on behalf of the Tyrone Gaelic Masters committee by acknowledging the support and contribution of all those who had made Tyrone’s success in 2015 possible. He thanked the players who represented the Tyrone masters’ over the past twenty five years making special mention of the ‘torchbearer’s’ who reached the final in 1990 many of whom were in attendance. He also thanked the clubs not only for their role in making the masters’ players who they are but for their contribution to the purchase of the All Ireland medals. In particular Killyclogher were thanked for the use of their facilities to train and for home games as well as the ‘unselfish work’ done by Donal Magee’. Gavan thanked Roisin Jordan for her kind words and the Tyrone county Board for their support and financial input this year having paid for the post final meal and contributed to the purchase of the winner’s medals. Tribute was paid to the masters’ main sponsor Quinn Coach Hire and their decision to come on board in 2015 and to all the other sponsors who made the night possible. The Gaelic Masters’ association and
its representatives John Pat and Sean were highlighted for ‘their role in keeping the masters ideal alive and in creating the opportunity for players to extend their playing careers’. The past support of Kieran Kennedy and O’Neill Sportswear was acknowledged as well as the loyalty of teamtalkmag.com, the Ulster Herald and Dungannon Observer in their promotion of masters’ football . The role of Irish TV was given pride of place with their live streaming of the finals since 2014 bringing masters football to a new level with 1.5 million viewers watching the 2015 finals worldwide. Speaking directly to the wives, partners and extended families of the players, Gavan thanked them for ‘the sacrifices they have made to allow the players to extend their careers’. He continued,’ more often than not, these sacrifices can be questioned when seasons end in defeat but thankfully this year we can all share the All Ireland success’
Highlights and interviews from the banquet will be shown on Irish TV in the coming days.