Top Scorer Awards presentation

The annual presentation of the Erin Foods/Hogan Stand Top Scorer Awards took place in Dublin recently with the cream of the GAA world there to accept their prizes.

Now in its fourth year, the awards scheme recognises those who have the uncanny ability to knock in scores when it matters most, in the senior football and hurling championships.

There were some truly amazing scoring feats this year with Mattie Forde’s tally of 2-10 in a qualifier match for Wexford against Offaly standing out in the football championship, while Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly will long be remembered for his amazing 2-8 in the Munster semi-final against Waterford. These were just some of the many amazing scoring feats which took place in the 2004 championships.

The Quality Hotel was the venue for the Awards Ceremony in November as Orla Kane of Erin Foods was on hand to present the beautiful Cavan Crystal trophies along with Frank Lynch and Geraldine Lynch of Hogan Stand Magazine. Each Award winner was also presented with a hamper full of Erin products.

In hurling Kilkenny’s Henry Shefflin was the top scorer nationwide and also the top scoring Leinster hurler. Amazingly the two time All-Ireland winner was 20 points clear of his nearest challenger, Niall Gilligan of Clare, who scooped the Munster Award.

Antrim’s Brian McFall was the top scoring Ulster hurler, piping his county colleague Paddy Richmond by a point.

Despite Galway having just two championship games this year, Eugene Cloonan still managed to bag 4-14 and deservedly took the Connacht honours as a result.

In the football competition Wexford’s Mattie Forde (who also took the top Scoring Leinster Award) held off the challenge of Mayo’s Conor Mortimer to claim the overall Top Scorer Award.

Interestingly Mortimer was the favourite to claim the honour when he trailed Forde by just three points before the All-Ireland final and with an average of seven points a game up to that stage; he seemed destined to win the title. However, Kerry’s dominant display in the Sam Maguire decider restricted Mortimer to a solitary point and he had to be content to claim the Connacht Top Scorer Award.

All-Ireland winning captain Dara O’Cinneide was the top scoring Munster footballer as he held off the challenge of Limerick’s Muiris Gavin while Paddy Bradley won the top Scoring Ulster footballer Award on behalf of Derry.