David Fitzgerald's award winning photograph.
The winners of the 2023 MacNamee Awards have been confirmed by the GAA.
The GAA National Communication and Media Awards are named after the late Pádraig MacNamee, former President of the GAA, Chairman of the GAA Commission (1969-1971) and member of the RTÉ authority. The GAA MacNamee Awards recognise excellence in the area of GAA communications and the winners for outstanding media coverage of the 2023 GAA season at local and national level were announced today.
Uachtarán CLG, Jarlath Burns, said: “From its very beginning the GAA has understood the importance of telling our story, and it explains why in our formative years so many journalists held important posts throughout the Association. “As we stand here 140 years on, the GAA continues to have a great story to tell and the importance of being able to tell it and tell it well is absolutely crucial – especially in the modern world and in the modern and complex media landscape. That is why these MacNamee awards matter and why it is important to recognise and salute outstanding examples of excellence in the coverage of Gaelic games. We greatly value the exposure that is afforded to our great games and our great players, and I want to congratulate all who have been celebrated on this occasion and thank all of those media professionals who champion the coverage of Gaelic games in their outlets.”
The winners of the 2023 MacNamee Awards are as follows:
2023 Best GAA Publication – Colm Keyes & Dermot Reilly “Chasing Sam Maguire” – The All-Ireland Football Championship 1928-1977
First things first, the standard in this section was exceptional and made picking the overall a difficult but rewarding task. In Chasing Sam Maguire, the duo of Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys have truly done the GAA some service. The scale of the task they undertook – to record in detail the story and the players who have contested every Sam Maguire All-Ireland football final since its 1928 debut was exhausting. This is recognised by the fact that they have only covered the first 50 years in this volume.
The level of research required to trace the story and the stats of the seasons, the games and the players has in several instances saved information frombeing permanently lost – this is particularly true in the case of recording every club that the players involved represented. The novelty of placing each final against the backdrop of major international and national headlines paints its own unique picture of the evolution of the GAA Championship.
2023 Best GAA Club Publication – Clan na Gael CLG, An Lorgain “More than a Club”
This wonderful book charts the rich history of the Lurgan Blues in easy to digest chapters. The author has painstakingly used archival research as well as interviews to chronicle the club’s history and story. It also showcases the links between the club and its people. The book highlights what we all love about the GAA – the fact that it is not just about sport, it is about the unique bond between family, place and club that continues through generations. Some wonderful images are dotted throughout the book to add to its charm and notably the book also includes a QR code where you can access an audio oral history of Clan na Gael CLG.
2023 Digital Impact Award – Mayo GAA
Mayo GAA Communications, led by County PRO John Walker, has won the Best Digital Impact Award with an impressive digital strategy, which has grown Mayo GAA into one of the largest county social media footprints in the country. From this strategy, Mayo GAA's online traffic surged by 60%, fueled by PRO John Walker's passion and dedication to capturing and sharing powerful moments from matches across multiple platforms. The work in redesigning the Mayo GAA website and transforming Mayo GAA TV, with clips reaching millions of viewers, exemplifies commitment to innovation. Mayo GAA's passion and dedication have made them the leader in digital GAA storytelling and news in the county.
2023 Best Photograph – Where We All Belong by David Fitzgerald, Sportsfile
If ever one picture captured in a single frame the very essence of what it is to be a member of a GAA club, it is here in this moment in time caught beautifully by David Fitzgerald at the presentation of the Waterford SHC trophy. Ballygunner captain Stephen O’Keeffe is hugged tightly by club supporter Nicky Kennedy, as all around them, generations of club members have the joy of victory etched on their faces. County titles are nothing new to Ballygunner, but there is no sign of complacency here as the joy of being part of a club and of serving something bigger than yourself and proving club is community is all on vivid show.
2023 Best Programme GAA – Roscommon Senior Football Championship Final Programme
No strangers to winning this award, Roscommon GAA continue to set a high standard when it comes to producing excellent publications to mark the showpiece day in their club championship calendar. Informative, colourful and beautifully presented with a link maintained
between the past and the present, it is an excellent memento of the big day and a credit to all involved.
2023 Best GAA Related Radio Programme – Galway Bay FM “The Men of 23” - presented by Ollie Turner.
An account of how in 2023 'Báireoirí na Gallimhe' (The association representing ex Galway Hurlers) tracked down descendants of the players who were on the team that brought the first All-Ireland Hurling title to that County 100 years previously and honoured them both at an occasion in Athenry where at least one surviving member of each of their families was represented. The programme includes an excerpt of an interview of the last surviving member Jim Power who died in 1995, aged almost 100 years.
2023 Provincial Media Award – Damian Dolan, Irish World “The Game of Their Lives”
July 29, 1973 in Duggan Park remains a cherished day in the London GAA story. The All-Ireland SHC Quarter-Final win over Galway in Ballinasloe is still a source of inspiration. Damian Dolan's article, featuring interviews with some of the main protagonists involved, reflects on a remarkable London triumph.
2023 National Media Award – Brendan Crossan, Irish News “All Hail John McKillop”
Brendan Crossan’s profile of Cushendall legend, John McKillop, is a fine piece of writing. It beautifully captures John’s passion for Ruairí Óg Cushendall, and how much he was much loved by the wider community. The club did a lot for John over the years, but when men like Terence McNaughton and Neil McManus speak about the impact that John had on their lives it becomes very clear they all got so much more in return. John McKillop is sadly no longer with us, but it’s very clear he’ll forever have a place in the hearts of those who knew him best.
2023 Gradam na Gaeilge (Irish Language Award) – Donncha Mac an Iomaire “Míreanna CLG, Molscéal”
Déanann Molscéal gearrfhíseáin maidir le tograí, imeachtaí, ócáidí agus gníomhaíochtaí áitiúla thar ceann TG4. Le linn 2023 rinneadh go leor gearrfhíseán ar imeachtaí de chuid Chumann Lúthchleas Gael ar bhonn áitiúil. I measc na bhfíseán sin bhí físeáin a bhain le
clubanna agus lucht eagraithe agus iad ag réiteach le haghaidh Chomórtas Peile na Gaeltachta. Chomh maith leis sin rinneadh físeáin dírithe ar an liathróid láimhe, ar na GAA Go Games Gaeilge i bPáirc an Chrócaigh, ar bhliots iomána chúige Uladh, ar chomórtas ‘Gaelic for Mothers and Others’ a bhí lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht, ar na Laochra Óga, ar Laochra Loch Lao, ar Ghaeil na
Gaillimhe agus ar go leor eile.
Hall of Fame – John Knox, Kilkenny
The Mac Namee Hall of Fame Award in recognition of a lifetime of excellence in Gaelic games coverage will be presented to John Knox, a man who worked for nearly 50 years in the Kilkenny People. In that time, he lived the highs and lows of Kilkenny GAA, reflecting the feelings of fans through his writing. Now retired-ish, John Knox his a hugely respected member of the GAA media corp, a reputation enhanced by the fact that for many years, long before we had PROs, Knox was at the coalface of GAA matters in a County that was envied,
lauded, and admired by GAA followers near and far.
If it happened in Kilkenny John Knox knew about it before the dawn broke. His job took him into the red hot cauldron that was the County Board meetings under the only stand at the time in Nowlan Park. In the face of GAA Admin icons like Paddy Grace, Mick O’Neill, Ted Carroll, Kevin Fennelly (Snr), Joe Walsh, Johnny Ivory, Mick Neary, Nickey Purcell, Kieran Meally et al, a “spalpeen” journalist would have to have all his ducks in a row when the Kilkenny People hit the street or face the wrath of the aforementioned.
During his career, John reported on 26 All-Ireland senior hurling finals and two replays. He told the story of numerous camogie All-Ireland Finals and Leagues. He covered numerous Under-21 and Minor encounters, and he also told the struggles for the survival of football. He helped Gaelic games progress from the pitch to the printed word. Over the 50 years John’s stories from players and management was the daily diet of supporters who craved information. He would readily admit that the supporters, the dedicated people in the Kilkenny People and a visionary County Board was an unbreakable Co-Operative that stood the test of time.
During his tenure with the Kilkenny People, John was privileged to see his beloved Kilkenny win the famous 4 in-a-row, which went to nearly a “five timer” with minutes remaining. John too, was very much part of the club scene in Kilkenny as his coverage of years of superb club hurling by great clubs who garnished their reputations with many Provincial and All-Ireland club wins. John Knox has been a wonderful servant of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and more precisely the Association in his beloved Kilkenny. This is a most deserved accolade for his dedication and longevity to a noble cause.