Cumann na Sean Gael

Nine Cappawhite GAA stalwarts have been recipients of a Sean Gael Award, honoured for their contribution to the GAA over the years.

2018

John Kelly

John Kelly has had a distinguished GAA career, winning many honours at club and county level. Following juvenile honours in 1962, he won a county minor and under-21 double with Cappawhite in 1965. He won a Cork county senior hurling medal with UCC in 1970.

He was a county minor for three years, captaining the side in 1966. He won an All-Ireland under-21 medal in 1967. He was on the county senior team from 1969-1975, winning All-Ireland honours in 1971. His other honours include three Oireachtas medals, two Railway Cup medals, and he was senior selector in 1977 and again in 1984 and 1985. John was chairman of the Cappawhite club from 1981 to 1984 and, during his tenure, the club won the Tipperary Club of the Year award.

He also served as club president from 1985-1988. He authored the club history in 1989. His outstanding contribution the the GAA in club and county will be long remembered.

2016

Francis Grisewood

2015

Anne Holmes

Cappawhite GAA Club is proud to nominate Anne Holmes as a worthy recipient of the Sean Gael Award for 2015.

Anne was the first serving female officer of Cappawhite GAA Club. She came in as treasurer in 1993 and took over as secretary two years later. She remained in that position for ten years and, after taking a break for a number of years came back in as treasurer two years ago.

Anne is a person of the highest integrity and has demonstrated a professional and diligent approach to her administrative duties. Anne is also a long serving member of the Lotto Committee which raises vital funds for both the club and the Community Centre.

We thank Anne for her contribution to the club and we look forward to her continued participation for many years to come.

2014

Tom Joe McGrath

Tom Joe McGrath joined the Cappawhite club in 1954. HIs first honour with the club was a West Junior Hurling title in 1957. In that year, Tom Joe also hurled for the Tipperary junior team. He was part of the Cappawhite team that joined forces with Solohead & Glengar in 1957 to play senior hurling as St. Nicholas. They were successful in capturing the West Senior Hurling Championship. Cappwhite joined with Éire Óg in 1961 to form St. Vincent’s and repeated the success of 1957 by winning the West title. Tom won a senior title with Cappawhite in 1962.

Tom Joe was privileged to be part of the Cappawhite Club Committee for many years and was part of the committee that purchased the land where the hurling field now sits. The development of the field was for the most part done by volunteers of whom Tom Joe was a willing member. He sold tickets for a raffle for greyhound pups all over the country at this time.

Tom Joe also served as treasurer of the club and also as selector on many Cappawhite teams over the years. He is a regular attendee at west and county games and is looking forward to a big win for Cappawhite in 2015.

2012

Paul McCarthy

Paul McCarthy was born in Limerick Street, Cappawhite. He has a long and distinguished involvement with Cappawhite GAA Club.

In 1944 he was a played on the juvenile team which won the inaugural west juvenile hurling competition. A goalkeeper of note, he made his senior debut for the club in 1949. He played with New Irelands in Dublin in 1950. He worked in London from 1951 to 1956. On his return he won a west junior championship in 1957. He played on the Tipperary junior team in the Munster championship in 1958. He was captain of the St Vincent’s combination that won the west senior title in 1961. The following year he was on the team which won Cappawhite’s first senior divisional title.

He served as club PRO during the eighties.

As the oldest member of the team, which recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of winning Cappawhite’s first senior west title, he is a worthy recipient of the Sean Gael Award.

2008

Jerry Creedon

Jerry Creedon, a native of Kilnamartyr, Macroom, came to Cappawhite in the seventies as the local Garda Sergeant. While stationed in Kildare he won a senior county football medal with Newbridge Sarsfields. Together with some Tipperary and Cork men, they formed a hurling club in Newbridge in 1956. He also played football in Cavan and played for Moyne/Templetuohy in the Mid Tipperary senior football final in 1966.

He was chairman of Bórd na nÓg in Cappawhite and was organiser of Scór Sinsear in the parish. The fruits of his work saw the re-emergence of Comhaltas in the parish. He is a West representative on the county draw committee since the draw commenced.

He became manager of the senior hurling team in 1983. Under his guidance the team won three senior West titles in a row and in 1987 the team finally made the breakthrough and won the historic county final. Gerry is still very active as a club committee member.

2007

Joe O’ Carroll

A pillar of the GAA in Cappawhite, Joe has held officerships at all levels, being chairman of the club in 1972, ’73 and ’78, and he served as club secretary in 1975 and ’76.

As a player, he won a west junior hurling medal in 1961.

He organised Scór in the parish in the seventies and was a member of the Recreation Centre Committee which was responsible for the purchase of the new GAA grounds in Cappawhite. Joe was supervisor of the National Manpower Scheme which built the dressing room at the grounds.

He was a member of the Tipperary County Board in 1976 and was a county under 21 hurling selector in 1976 and ’77.

A community man and great supporter of Gaelic, the club and the parish call.

2004

John Treacy

John Treacy remembers going to Tipperary in 1928 at the age of twelve years to see Tipperary defeat Kerry in the Munster Football Championship, the last time this happened. He was also in Killarney to witness Tipperary’s victory over Kerry in the All-Ireland Final.

He admits to have been a limited hurler, completely over-shadowed by his talented brothers, Willie, Tom and Packy. From an early age he got involved in administration and his CV is full of positions held in his club, where he was chairman and treasurer, as well as club selector. He was also involved in the purchase of the field, going guarantor in the bank for money. From an early age he was a delegate in the West Board, where he is currently an Honorary Life President, but where at different times he was vice-chairman, on the board of appeal and on the finance committee.

He was West representative on the County Board for a number of years, and also served on the County Appeals Board. He is still a frequenter of matches and missed his first county final in years because of pneumonia.

2003

Willie Walsh

In a lifetime of dedication to the GAA, he played hurling with Clonpet, Glengar and Cappawhite winning a West Minor hurling medal with Glengar in 1935.

In later times he was groundsman for Cappawhite GAA Club. Willie also acted as umpire at various times for Paddy Russell, Eamonn Browne, Tom Walsh and Richie Barry, and on occasion in the company of this wife Betty for John Moloney.