Tradition plays an important part in our native games and this is still very much the case today with the Datapac sponsored Hotshots Award winners announced in recognition of those Footballers and Hurlers in the Higher Education Sector who have performed well during the course of the Datapac Higher Education GAA Championships in 2006. In what is the third year of the Awards scheme the Datapac Hotshots initiative continues to build on a tradition which dates back to the 1950's when the Combined Universities teams were initiated taking part in the Railway Cup. Dublin City University have received seven football awards this year in recognition of their success in capturing the Datapac Sigerson Cup title for the first time. Waterford IT captured their seventh Fitzgibbon Cup title at P·irc UÌ Rinn by beating UCD in the final and have been honoured with eight hurling awards. Meanwhile UCC are the only college side to pick up Hurling and Football awards. John Tennyson of Kilkenny becomes the only player to continue to hold a place on the Datapac Hotshots hurling team as for the third year in succession he has performed with distinction for University College Cork and picks up his third award. Tennyson is the only player from last years Hurling selection to pick up an award this year but midfielders on this years team, Tom Kenny of UCC and Michael Walsh of Waterford IT; both picked up awards in 2004 along with Rory Jacob also from Waterford IT. Paul Horan of Mary Immaculate College picks up an award for his performances in the Datapac Ryan Cup; on the Hotshots hurling selection, which sees a total of five colleges and eight counties represented. Brian Mallon of Queen's University Belfast is the only player to make a reappearance on the football team from last year. The Armagh player is one of three players from the beaten Sigerson Cup finalists to make this years Football selection. Inter-county players are firmly in evidence on the football team which sees DCU and Dublin players Stephen Cluxton , Paul Casey, Declan Lally and Bryan Cullen all scooping awards. The team also honours two players from the Trench Cup. Kevin Ward of Trinity College Dublin and Meath has been honoured following Trinity's inaugural success in the competition while beaten finalists St. Patrick's College Drumcondra have also been honoured with Brian Kavanagh of Longford picking up the full-forward spot. This is Datapac's fourth year of sponsoring all Higher Education GAA Games. This sponsorship amounts to over Ä100,000 and is the largest sponsorship ever awarded for the promotion of Gaelic Games at this level. Further initiatives that Datapac have brought to third level include the Club Administrator of the Year and work placement scholarships. Datapac is a market leader in the supply of computer consumables (including ink cartridges and toner cartridges for printers), computers and computer network products and the services associated with installing and maintaining these products. Datapac was established in 1982 and is the largest Irish owned company in its sector in the IT industry in Ireland with turnover reaching Ä65m in 2005. Datapac employ 220 people in Dublin, Wexford, Cork and Belfast and also has technical experts based at strategic locations throughout Ireland to ensure that suitably qualified personnel can deal with customers' requirements quickly and efficiently. The players will be presented with their Datapac Hotshots awards at a function in Croke Park prior to the All-Ireland Club Finals on St. Patrick's Day. The Hurling selection: 1. Philip Brennan Waterford IT (Tulla, Co. Clare) 2. John Tennyson UCC (Carrickshock, Co. Kilkenny) 3. Kevin Moran Waterford IT (De La Salle, Co. Waterford) 4. Martin Ryan NUI Galway (Kilconieron, Co. Galway) 5. Hugh Maloney Waterford IT (Eire Og Nenagh, Co. Tipperary) 6. Kevin Brady Waterford IT (Coolderry, Co. Offaly) 7. Eamonn Ryan UCD (Moycarkey-Borris, Co. Tipperary) 8. Tom Kenny UCC (Grenagh, Co. Cork) 9. Michael Walsh Waterford IT (Stradbally, Co. Waterford) 10. Eoin Reid Waterford IT (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Co. Kilkenny) 11. Paul Horan MICL (Gortnahoe, Co. Tipperary) 12. Andy Smith UCD (Portumna, Co. Galway) 13. Rory Jacob Waterford IT (Oulart-the-Ballagh, Co. Wexford) 14. Dara Egan NUI Galway (Kildangan, Co. Tipperary) 15. Willie Ryan Waterford IT (Toomevara, Co. Tipperary) The football selection: 1. Stephen Cluxton DCU (Parnells, Co. Dublin) 2. Kevin Ward TCD (Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath) 3. Peter Donnelly UUJ (Coalisland, Co. Tyrone) 4. Paul Casey DCU (Lucan Sarsfields, Co. Dublin) 5. Declan Lally DCU (St. Brigid's Co. Dublin) 6. Bryan Cullen DCU (Skerries Harps, Co. Dublin) 7. Kevin Gunn QUB (Enniskillen Gaels, Co. Fermanagh) 8. Owen Lennon DCU (Latton, Co. Monaghan) 9. Peter Turley QUB (Saval, Co. Down) 10. Ronan Flanagan DCU (Castlerahen, Co. Cavan) 11. Brian Mallon QUB (Tir na n"g, Co. Armagh) 12. Michael McNamee UUJ (Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh) 13. Ronan Hussey UCC (Sneem, Co. Kerry) 14. Brian Kavanagh St. Pat's Drumcondra (Ardagh St. Patrick's, Co. Longford) 15. Sean Johnston DCU (Cavan Gaels, Co. Cavan) For Further Information: CÛilÌn Duffy National P.R.O. Higher Education G.A.A. Phone: (086) 3292466 E-mail: [email protected]                                  Address: Ballyadden, Ballybrittas, Portlaoise, Co. Laois Higher Education Gaelic Games are proudly sponsored by Datapac: http://www.datapac.ie Tweet

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