Borris Ileigh club man Brendan Maher and Corofin star Ronan Steede have been named club players of the year in hurling and football respectively.
Brendan Maher was fully deserving of his award having led his club to the All-Ireland Club Hurling Final. However his side lost out to Ballyhale Shamrocks. Earlier this week the GAA announced the hurling team of the year. It included five players,goalkeeper James McCormack Paddy Stapleton, Jerry Kelly, Dan McCormack and of course Maher. Moreover, Maher, an All-Ireland winner with Tipperary in 2019 scored 0-06 in that final. He also scored 0-07 in victory over Ballygunner in the Munster decider earlier in the year.
Maher as many would have seen by now was playing with a broken hurley in the win over St Thomas’ in the semi-final. Speaking at the AIB awards night he said of this, “I had a twenty-one yard free and I remember the second I hit the free the hurley just split down the middle,”. “I remember waving and running towards the dugout, calling for a new hurl, but I knew there wasn’t going to be enough time as the ball was pucked out short”.
Meanwhile Ronan Steede scooped the football award. He was also named on the team of the year. The Corofin man was instrumental in his side run to a third successive club All-Ireland title. He scored 0-03 in the final win over Down side Kilcoo. Padraic Joyce rewarded Steede for his super performance with a Galway debut. This came in the Allianz League meeting against Meath, Steede scored 1-01 in that game. The 28 year old said he was delighted he has been given a chance at inter-county. He said, Yes, I just got a call up there. Padraic likes attacking players as midfielders, he has that style of football he wants to play,”.
