Coolera-Strandhill's inspirational forward, John McPartland, is the 'Gaelic Football Senior' category winner in the Sligo Sports Awards for 2005. These sports awards are organised by Sligo Weekender newspaper in assocation with the Ulster Bank. McPartland was his club's leading scorer in a Senior Championship campaign that ended with the capture of the Owen B Hunt Cup, the first time since 1908 that Coolera-Strandhill had won Sligo's Senior competition. He scored five points in the county final win over Curry and was appropriately named 'Player of the Match'. McPartland also helped Sligo win the Connacht Junior Championship - new manager Dom Corrigan's first Connacht trophy - and he later played a key role in Sligo's extended run in the All-Ireland SFC 'Qualifiers'. Tubbercurry's David Kelly is the 'Gaelic Football Minor' award recipient. He was central to Tubbercurry's win in the Sligo Minor 'A' Championship and in recent months he helped St Attracta's Community School, Tubbercurry, qualify for the Connacht Colleges Senior 'B' Championship final. Kelly was also called up to Dom Corrigan's Sligo Senior panel for the forthcoming FBD Connacht Senior League. Sligo Senior hurler Keith Raymond is the 'Hurling' winner. A key part of the Calry-St Joseph's team that won its first ever Sligo Senior Hurling Championship title in 2005, beating Tubbercurry in the decider. The gifted dual player was a team-mate of David Kelly's on the Sligo Minor team. Curry's Sean Davey wins the 'Top Scorer' award, having scored the most points in the Sligo Senior Championship. The county player's tally was 1-32 (35 points) in seven games. This is notable, considering he operated at midfield, full-forward and wing-forward in a season that saw Curry reach the county final, only to lose to John McPartland's Coolera-Strandhill. Noelle Gormley is the 'Ladies Football' winner. The leading scorer in Sligo's run to the All-Ireland Junior Championship final in Croke Park, she scored five points against Armagh in the decider but Sligo missed out on the title. Gormley also played in a Connacht Ladies Football Minor final (Sligo lost to Galway) and she was part of the St Nathy's team that were runners-up in the Connacht Intermediate Club Championship. Finally, Brian McCann collects the 'IT Sligo' award in recognition of his contribution to hurling in the Third Level academy, especially his role as manager of the IT Sligo Senior hurling team that won the Ryan Cup. This team included Galway Senior ace Ger Farragher. All six of the aforementioned winners will be honoured, along with 12 other award recipients, at the Sligo Sports Awards function which takes place in the Sligo Park Hotel on Friday, February 10. Tweet

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