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Now Maura is a Sportstar!

2011-11-30 08:42:05

Inspector Maura Walsh, member of the Garda Clay Pigeon Shooting Club, was a recipient of one of the Garda Sportstars Awards at the recent ceremony in Limerick. In 2011 she qualified as captain of the Ireland Ladies Clay Pigeon Shooting team and she also won 10 medals in the World Police and Fire Games in the USA. Unfortunately, owing to a family bereavement, Maura was not able to attend the Limerick ceremony.

Clay Pigeon Shooting

Maura Walsh

In 2011 Maura qualified as captain of the Ireland ladies team in DTL clay target shooting. The ladies team were successful in three international competitions over three consecutive weekends in July 2011. She also travelled to Manorville, Long Island, New York State in August with the Garda team to compete in this year’s World Police and Fire Games winning 10 medals over the 5 days of competition – 4 gold and 6 silver. Well known and respected on the international circuit Maura is a native of Louth and an Inspector in the Garda National Drugs Unit.

Boxing

Laoise Traynor

Currently a member of the |Irish ladies boxing team and training as a member of their high performance squad. Recent accolades include being winner of All Ireland intermediate championships 2010, winner of All Ireland senior championships February 2011 and a European bronze medal winner in light middleweight June 2011. Laoise is a native of Bray, Dublin and a Garda based in Tallaght.

Gaelic Football

Aaron Hoey

Has represented his county Louth for 16 years at senior level and with 160 outings in the jersey is second in the all time county’s appearances list. He is the holder of 3 NFL medals – the most recent being division 3 winners 2011. Also was on the Louth team controversially defeated by Meath in the 2010 Leinster final. He does tireless work for his home club, St Bride’s of Knockbridge. Aaron is a native of Louth and a Garda stationed at Mountjoy.

Hurling

Eddie Brennan

Boasts 8 All Ireland medals, 11 Leinster, 4 National Leagues, 4 All Stars, 1 U21 All Ireland, 2 Senior Club & 1 Leinster Club. Not to mention being a 7 time recipient of the Sportstar Award. Some performance in this year’s All-Ireland for a player in the ‘twilight’ of his career – allegedly! Eddie is a native of Kilkenny and a Garda stationed at Portlaoise.

Mountain Climbing

Martin Byrne

Successfully achieved a lifelong ambition by climbing to the summit of Mount Everest on the 26th May 2011. In doing so became the first member of An Garda Síochána, the first Offaly man, and at 58 years of age, the eldest Irishman to do so. He has been climbing for the last 25 years. This was his fourth attempt to conquer Everest and his achievement was as a result of physical training, good organisation, discipline, team work and as he would say himself – “a bit of luck with the weather”. Martin is a native of Offaly and a Garda stationed in Harcourt Terrace.

Athletics

Paul Tierney

By the age of 21 he had won 3 senior club championship medals in Cork and was a member of the county hurling panel in 2003 & 2004 (winning an All-Ireland medal that year). However the allure of athletics called and in 2005 he began to enter triathlons, graduating to compete in long distance endurance ultra-running. This year he was selected on the Irish ultra running team which competed in the IAU world trail running championships. As an individual he is the current Garda Cross Country Champion, set a record for running the complete Wicklow Way Walk in 2011 (132 Kms), claimed first place at the same venue in a 50km race on a different date and claimed first place in the 2011 IMRA Clara Hill Race. Undoubtedly his biggest achievement to date was his completion of the Lakeland 100 Run on the 29th July 2011 – coming joint 3rd place. Paul is a native of Cork and a Garda stationed at Cobh.

Cycling

Caroline Ryan

Competed in the Track Cycling World Cup in Cali, Columbia in December 2010. She raced against 20 world class competitors, finishing fourth and setting a new Irish record. This finish qualified Caroline to represent Ireland at the Track World Cycling Championships in Apeldoorn, Holland, where she became the first female to represent Ireland at this level. She competed in the National Championships in Monaghan in June 2011, finishing first in the 40km time trial (ensuring a first National Title for the Garda Cycling Club) and finishing 3rd in the National Road Race taking the bronze medal. Caroline is a native of Meath and a Garda stationed in Pearse Street.

Rugby

Áine Grogan

Captained An Garda Síochána’s women’s rugby team to division 3 Leinster success this year. In so doing they won their first ever league final and landed silverware for Westmanstown Women’s Rugby to end a 7 year drought. Has given a lot of her personal time to the cause and shown exceptional leadership qualities. Áine is a native of Tipperary and a Garda based at Sundrive Road.

Special Contribution – Tony Hannon.

The Hannon family have a long and prominent involvement in handball and it is no surprise that Tony continued his family’s tradition.

His earliest achievement in the game came when he teamed up with Ballymote club mate Martin Meehan to win the Sligo county minor doubles title. Later Tony won 4 National doubles master’s accolades along with a number of Garda national titles during a fine playing career.

His first administrative post came in 1980 when he became club secretary in Ballymote and secretary of the Sligo Handball Board. In 1996 he took over as club secretary in St. Coman’s in Roscommon – a position he held for 10 years. During that time he also served as Roscommon County Chairman and also on Ard Comhairle of the Irish Handball Council.

In 2008 Tony became Irish Handball President and with a hands on approach has undertaken many initiatives and guided the fortunes of Irish handball. He is already viewed as being one of the great presidents in Irish handball history.

Tony is a native of Sligo and a Garda based in Roscommon Town.

Hall of Fame Award 2011 - Brian Byrne

Brian first started boxing with the British Railways boxing club on the North Wall Quay where he won a Co. Dublin school boy league title. He stayed there 2 years and moved to Transport Boxing on Common Street.

Between 1975 and 1983 he won 6 national Senior Championships at Welterweight, Light Middleweight and Middle Weight.

In the 1976 Montreal Olympics he boxed against Wilfredo Gursman from Puerto Rico and lost - much to his disappointment.

Brian joined An Garda Síochána in May of 1980 and within a week as a recruit had won his first of six European Police Boxing titles - 1980/81/82/83/84 and 1989.

In 1989 he boxed in the WPFG in Vancouver Canada. This was the first time for him to box in the World Police and Fire Games and it would prove to be his last fight. He won the WPFG title at light middle weight and hung up the gloves.

Over his boxing career Brian represented Ireland a remarkable 52 times and currently coaches the Garda Boxing Club. He is a native of Dublin and a Garda attached to the transport section.

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