Athletics County Board Awards/Mayo AC photos, Co Board Chairperson address

Mayo AC group of Award winners and others collecting family awards. Seated in front are Bridie and Eddie Diver. Martin Peyton (centre) holds the ‘Masters Club of the Year’ shield won by the club.
Congratulations to all of our individual and team Award winners at the B&J Chambers Mayo Athletic Awards in The Great National Hotel, Ballina
Full list of our Awards winners etc posted previously:
https://www.mayoac.com/2022-mayo-athletics-county-board-awards/
We are also delighted to retain the ‘Masters Club of the Year’ Shield:
Mayo AC: Masters Club of the Year: Brendan Chambers sponsor presenting the Masters Club of the Year award to Pauline Moran and Martin Peyton Mayo AC. Included in picture: Gerri Joyce Treasurer, Marion Mattimoe PRO, Sheila Hughes Secretary, & Peter Hynes Chairperson Mayo Co Athletics Board.
Other photos* show Mayo AC award winners included in their appropriate achievement categories.
*Credit for all of these photos – Michael Donnelly
Also below report from Marion Mattimoe Mayo Athletics County Board PRO including Peter Hynes Chairperson address.
Senior, Junior & Masters Silver & Bronze National Medal Winners; Front left to right: Caroline Conroy, St. Colman’s, Aoibhinn Flatley, Swinford, Darragh Mulrooney accepted the award on behalf of Mattie Coleman, Ballina, Paula Donnellan-Walsh Mayo AC, Colm Wallace accepted the award on behalf of his daughter Nina, St. Colman’s, Colette Tuohy Mayo AC and Alan Bracken who accepted the award on behalf of his son Shane, Swinford.
Back left to right: Gerri Joyce Treasurer, Sheila Hughes Secretary, Brendan Chambers sponsor, Marion Mattimoe PRO, Peter Hynes Chairperson, Chairperson, Mayo Athletic Co. Board.
Senior, Junior & Masters Silver & Bronze National Medal Winners; Front left to right: Pauline Moran, Noreen McManamon, Margaret Glavey, Angela O’Connor, Colette Tuohy and Monica Joyce – all Mayo AC.
Back left to right: Gerri Joyce Treasurer, Sheila Hughes Secretary, Brendan Chambers sponsor, Marion Mattimoe PRO, Peter Hynes Chairperson, Chairperson, Mayo Athletic Co. Board.
Outstanding Achievement Awards: Front left to right: Clodagh Gill, Moy Valley, Colm Wallace accepted the award on behalf of Iarlaith Golding, St. Colman’s, Michaela Walsh, Swinford, Freya Renton, Westport, Padraic Joyce who accepted the award on behalf of his son, Oisin Joyce, Lake District, Pauline Moran, Mayo AC, Martin Peyton, Mayo AC and Brendan Kilrehill, Moy Valley. Back left to right; Gerri Joyce Treasurer, Sheila Hughes Secretary, Brendan Chambers sponsor, Jake O’Brien Moy Valley, Angela O’Connor, Mayo AC, Christine Smith Moy Valley, Conor Cusack, Lake District, Marion Mattimoe PRO & Peter Hynes, Chairperson Mayo Athletics Board.
Extraordinary Achievement Awards: Front left to right: Margaret Glavey, Mayo AC, Pauline Moran, Mayo AC, Ruby McNamara and Freya Sweeney who accepted the award on behalf of Thomas Devaney, Castlebar, Seamus Clarke, Moy Valley, Darragh Mulrooney, Moy Valley and Patrick Hyland, Swinford. Back left to right: Gerri Joyce Treasurer, Sheila Hughes Secretary, Marion Mattimoe PRO, Brendan Chambers sponsor, Peter Hynes Chairperson & Mayo Athletics Co Board.
Special Achievement Awards: Front left to right: Hugh Armstrong, Ballina, Eddie & Bridie Diver who accepted the prize on behalf of their daughter Sinéad Diver, Mayo AC, Padraig Corduff, Westport, Caitlin Hughes, Swinford, Eimear Hughes, Castlebar. Back left to right: Gerri Joyce Treasurer, Sheila Hughes Secretary Moy Athletics Co Board, Marion Mattimoe PRO, Brendan Chambers sponsor, and Peter Hynes Mayo Athletics Co Board Chairperson.
Report from Marion Mattimoe Mayo Athletics County Board PRO including Peter Hynes Chairperson address
The 2022 B & J Chambers Mayo Athletic Awards were hosted by Moy Valley Athletic Club in The Great National Hotel, Ballina at the weekend. The awards honour athletes – young and not so young – from all over Mayo for their achievements on track and field, cross country, nationally and internationally during 2022. This was the most successful year by far on the athletic front in Mayo. Over three hundred and fifty athletes, coaches, parents, grandparents and friends turned out in style for a great day to celebrate the fantastic success of all those athletes. The awards ceremony was preceded by a gala dinner.
Peter Hynes, Chairperson of the Mayo Athletic Co. Board welcomed all to the function.
He congratulated all the athletes who represented their club, county and country with distinction during 2022.
In his address he stated,
“The thing that always strikes me about athletics is we run a sport, that at the competitive end especially, becomes highly technical with electronic timing, photo finish, online real time results, online entry and so on. It’s a bit like taking your car to the garage for a service but you bring your own equipment and do the service yourself.
If you just consider that for a moment and all the technical knowledge for each event; break lines, staggers, relays zones, throwing angles, take off boards, hurdle heights, hurdle spacing, implement weights and so on, and all of the above is run by a bunch of volunteers; a bunch of unpaid amateurs. That is frankly incredible.
Why do people go to such great lengths? I think the word is altruism, (a selfless concern for the wellbeing of others), although we are here to recognise excellence this is one of the only chances, I get to thank everyone who helps out in whatever way. So, to you; the parents, coaches, officials, administrators and sponsors, thank you for getting us to this point.
2022 has been an incredible year for athletics in Mayo, this afternoon we have over 130 awards and over 60 certificates to present, that is almost 200 All-Ireland medal winners, by some margin, the most successful year we have ever had.
Sport in general, and athletics in particular allows us to physically strive and test ourselves against both ourselves and our peers. The vast majority of our members do not achieve the level of success reflected in the awards here today but are no less important because of that.
In summary, you are the reward, all your successes are worth all the frustration and effort that gets you to this point, thank you and good luck in 2023!”
Report continued:
Sean Gallagher and Susan Reynolds read the citations on the day. Sean Gallagher, Chairperson Moy Valley Athletic Club – the hosts – welcomed all to Ballina. This was the first function in the celebrations of Ballina 2023 and he hoped that the guests here today will visit Ballina again during the year for more festivities.
A special presentation was made to Brendan & Julie Chambers for their fifteen years sponsorship of these awards. Without them we would not be able to hold the awards in this format. Presentations were also made to Sheila Hughes, Secretary of the Mayo Athletic Co Board and Marion Mattimoe, Competitions Secretary and PRO.
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Look out for full coverage including photos of Awards presentations in local papers next week.