THE West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League Awards – in association with The Southern Star – make a welcome return at The Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery this Saturday night.
The annual awards ceremony, honouring the best underage West Cork schoolboys and schoolgirls league footballers, was last held back in 2018. Running since 2014, the awards evening has always proven hugely popular with clubs and supporters alike.
Now, following two Covid-affected seasons, the awards night is back and expected to attract another big attendance to the Celtic Ross Hotel this Saturday, February 12th, between 7pm and 9pm. The WCSSL AGM is also pencilled in for Saturday at the same location between 5pm and 6.30pm.
The WCSSL Committee will use new data collection methodologies utilised in last season’s competitions to determine schoolboys and schoolgirls players of the year winners at the U12, U13, U14, U15 and U16 age-grades.
For 2022, The Southern Star-sponsored event will see, for the first time, three shortlisted candidates in each of the league's age-grades. On the night, presentations will be made to third-placed, runners-up and winners in each of the following WCSSL League Player of the Year categories:
U12 schoolboys shortlist: Joe Twomey (Lyre Rovers), Joe O’Donovan (Drinagh Rangers) and Eoin O’Connor (Riverside Athletic).
U12 schoolgirls shortlist: Niamh Daly (Drinagh Rangers), Aoife Collins (Drinagh Rangers) and Niamh Harrington (Castlelack).
U13 schoolboys shortlist: Jack Browne (Kilmichael Rovers), Dan Joe O’Neil (Bantry Bay Rovers) and Alex Bramoulle (Dunmanway Town).
U14 schoolboys shortlist: Danny O’Donovan (Skibbereen), Jack Hennigan (Lyre Rovers) and Tim Sweeney (Kilmichael Rovers).
U15 schoolboys shortlist: Brian Horgan (Togher Celtic), Jack O’Crowley (Clonakilty AFC) and Tom Browne (Kilmichael Rovers).
U15 schoolgirls shortlist: Emma Hurley (Drinagh Rangers), Sophie O’Sullivan (Bantry Bay Rovers), Aoibheann O’Driscoll (Riverside Rebels) and Mia Boucher (Bunratty United).
U16 schoolboys shortlist: Oran McCarthy (Drinagh Rangers), Tom McQueen (Drinagh Rangers) and Adrian Casey (Sullane).
Only two individuals, Dan Andrews (2017, Bantry Bay Rovers) and Peadar O’Rourke (2018, Ardfield) have the distinction of receiving the overall West Cork Player of the Year trophy, first introduced back in 2017. A third name will be etched on to the Player of the Year trophy on Saturday night. That player will be selected from the evening’s winners in the U12 schoolboys/schoolgirls, U13, U14, U15 schoolboys/schoolgirls and U16 categories.
In 2018, Castlelack were honoured for their dedicated work in keeping their rural football club alive as West Cork’s Club of the Year despite, at the time, not having a permanent home ground to play. Since then, Castlelack have secured and developed an impressive new home ground in Brinny. A 2022 West Cork Club of the Year will also be presented on Saturday evening at the Celtic Ross.
Adding to an already bulging list of awards, the WCSSL will also honour this past season’s (half-season due to Covid-19) group winners with glassware: Lyre Rovers (U12 Premier Group 1), Dunmanway Town (U12 Premier Group 2), Castlelack (U12 Premier Group 3), Bantry Bay Rovers (U12 Premier Schoolgirls), Dunmanway Town (U13 Premier Group 1), Skibbereen B (U13 Premier Group 2), Castlelack (U13 Premier Group 3), Skibbereen Castlelack (U14 Premier Group 1), Kilmichael Rovers (U14 Premier Group 2), Drinagh Rangers (U15 Premier Schoolgirls), Kilmichael Rovers (U15 Premier Group 1), Clonakilty AFC (U15 Premier Group 2) and Drinagh Rangers (U16 Premier).
