Published: Thursday, 11th March, 2010 10:12am

Young guns make for a bright future

by Editorial Department

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Ciaran Dolan, Junior Personality winner and recipient of the Impartial Reporter bursary receives his award from Ann Cairns, special guest and Mark Conway, News and Sports Editor of the Impartial Reporter.

The future of sport in Fermanagh is extremely healthy if the Fermanagh Sports Awards 2009 is anything to go by. As always the awards' heavy accent on the achievements of our young sports stars was another defining feature of the celebration with Stephen Slater, Juvenile Personality and Ciaran Dolan, Junior Personality coming out on top of two very competitive categories.

The Junior team award was shared between the all conquering efforts of the Portora Rowing Club and St. Michael's Cross Country and Athletics team. Add in the nominees who achieved superbly but just did not win on this occasion and it is obvious that there is a large pool of talent representing Fermanagh in the highly competitive youth sports arena. More importantly, though, they are not just representing Fermanagh but winning for Fermanagh, themselves and their respective clubs.

Christine McCann, chairperson of the Fermanagh Sports Advisory outlined some of the work that their committee does and the help that they try to deliver especially to youth sport while Mark Conway, speaking on behalf of the sponsors the Impartial Reporter, explained that the awarding of bursaries to the Junior and Juvenile winner was to meet in some way the cost of pursuing their dreams. He also urged all the winners and nominees to push on and achieve more and not to rest on their laurels.

Elsewhere, the Senior Team of the Year award went to the Fermanagh Ladies gaelic football team who won an Ulster title and made an All-Ireland final while GAA also featured heavily in the Merit Awards with Ryan McCluskey, Liam McBarron, Derrygonnelly Harps and the Fermanagh Minor hurlers all gaining deserved recognition. Whitey Anderson and Ballinamallard United FC were also recognised as was Derrylin Boxing Club who made a major impact in their short history.

Juvenile Personality and Sports Advisory Committee bursary winner, Stephen Slater, receives his prize from Impartial Reporter sports journalist Gareth Cauldwell and Sports Advisory Chairperson Christine McCann.

It was also a good night for the Fermanagh Mallards who may have missed out on the team of the year award but joint coaches Raymond Farrell and Gareth McGuckian lifted the Coach of the Year accolade while the girls certainly brought much colour and enjoyment to the evening.