The nights are drawing in, the days are getting colder and the clocks have gone back. Summer, the busiest time of year in the GAA calendar, is but a distant memory. Now is the time to celebrate and share in some of the success stories of the year with the launch of award season.

‘Individual awards count for little’ is a saying that carries some substance but no player is ever going to turn down recognition for their achievements.

The awards nights provide the players with a chance to mingle with some of the top names in the game. Live TV dictates the sequence of events at the All Star ceremony and this impacts on the enjoyment of the occasion early in the night. Once the cameras are off however, players relax and it is common to meet boys on their way to bed at breakfast the next morning!

My parents and some other members of my family attended the All Star ceremony in ‘04 when I received my award. Looking back now, I really appreciate them being there. It made the honour even more special. Cormac McAnallen’s (RIP) parents actually gave my parents their tickets as they knew how important it was. Now that I have my own children, I can appreciate the pride they must have felt.

Before the GPA gained the approval of the GAA, their banquet night in the City West Hotel was a really enjoyable occasion, mainly due to the fact that it was open to all members of the GPA not just the elite players in the country that year. It was a great chance to get the glad rags on and meet up with players from other counties in a nice, relaxed atmosphere.

One of the best nights is the Ulster GAA Writers Association Awards held in the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran. This was one of the first awards ceremonies I attended after our success in ‘04. Myself and Charlie Mulgrew entered the premises together and were asked to pose for the cameras. Over the years I have learned that once a photographer requests a photo as you enter the building, something is brewing. I enjoy the nerves and rush of adrenaline before games but on occasions like this, the nerves are something different. The sweat was running down my back, my mouth was dry and I was finding it difficult to keep a conversation. To make matters worse, I overheard Paddy Heaney say to his partner as we introduced ourselves at the table, that I “was the likely Player of the Year tonight.”

The presentations were made after the meal which did not help my appetite. Anyone who knows me will testify that I tend to leave little behind at the dinner table - on my plate or anyone else’s around me! I somehow managed to get through the presentation and despite all the nerves, it was one of my most enjoyable nights.

On the first Friday in November, Sean Quigley will be sitting nervously waiting and hoping for his name to be called out at the All Star night in Dublin and again the following week in the more relaxed atmosphere of the Great Northern Hotel. Sean will wait patiently alongside fellow UGAAWA Player of the Year nominees, Mattie Donnelly and Conor McManus. Sean deserves to be in this position but as he, himself has pointed out, more Fermanagh men deserve to be sitting alongside him to enjoy the occasion!

The selection panel will waste little time on choosing their back seven but from eight up to fifteen there will be a few heated debates. Colm Cavanagh deserves a mention in midfield but Brian Fenton’s performance in the final may have pushed him out. The fact that Mattie Donnelly has been nominated in the forwards and not midfield where he had most influence, suggests he is in line for an award in the half forward line ahead of teammate Peter Harte. Will Sean Quigley get one? Despite creating a few headlines this year, Fermanagh football does not get the respect it deserves! Aidan O’Shea will likely get the nod ahead of Sean for his three goals in the Connacht final and his first half goal against Donegal. The question is, can the selection panel leave out the top two scorers in this year’s championship in Cillian O’Connor and Quigley?

These are not my top fifteen players of the year, but the players that I think the selection panel will go for, going by how they have been nominated: 1. Brendan Kealy (Kerry), 2. Philly McMahon (Dublin), 3. Rory O’Carroll (Dublin), 4. Shane Enright (Kerry), 5. Lee Keegan (Mayo), 6. Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin), 7. Jack McCaffrey (Dublin), 8. Anthony Maher (Kerry), 9. Brian Fenton (Dublin), 10. Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone), 11. Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin), 12. Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry), 13. Conor McManus (Monaghan), 14. Aidan O’Shea (Mayo), 15. Bernard Brogan (Dublin). Player of the Year - Jack McCaffrey (Dublin); Young Player of the Year - Diarmuid O’Connor (Mayo); Ulster Player of the Year - Conor McManus; Ulster Personality of the Year - A tight call between Mickey Harte, Quigley and Pete McGrath but I think Pete will take it! Whatever happens, the awards are great occasions to savour and enjoy!