2012 Donegal GFC NY award winners: Seamus Smith, Campbell-Houlihan Award; Annie O'Donnell, Damian Meehan Award; and Liam Deane, Young Player of they Year, with Donegal NY Chairman Laurence McGrath at the Club's annual banquet.
Keelan McLaughlin receives the "Club Person of the Year" award from Donegal GFC NY Chairman Laurence McGrath at the 2012 Club banquet.
Chairman Laurence McGrath and Raffle Chair Jimmy McGonagle look on as 2012 Damian Meehan Award winner Annie O'Donnell draws the winning raffle ticket at the 2012 Donegal NY Football Banquet.
Former Donegal Football Club NY Chairman & 2012 Donegal Association of NY "Man of the Year", Jimmy McGonagle and Team Manager Pat McGill hard at work at Donegal GFC NY annual banquet.
Former Donegal NY Manager Donal Gallagher, Chairman Laurence McGrath, and championship-winning Junior Manager James McFadden at the 2012 Donegal GFC NY banquet.

Donegal NY Chairman Laurence McGrath presents Michelle Comar with a special award for her hard work in support of the Club and the annual banquet.

This year’s banquet honored members with several awards.

The Donegal Club created the Damian Meehan Memorial Award to honor the short life of a great friend and player, a young family man of compassion, humor, wisdom and proud son of Donegal, who was taken from us in the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

The 2012 recipient of this award is Annie O’Donnell. Born in Letterkenny, Annie now lives in Leonia NJ. She was introduced to the Donegal Football Club NY by then President Phil Brennan and, after coming to New York, met and married Charley O’Donnell, one of the outstanding players at the time. A member since 1979, Annie has held several posts in the Club and for decades has made an invaluable contribution to the Club’s success.

The Campbell-Houlihan Award this year went to Seamus Smith, former manager of the NY GAA Team and well known as a GAA games commentator/announcer at Gaelic Park. Born in Bailieborough, Co. Cavan, Seamus came to NY in 1982 and began playing for Donegal NY. From 1984 to 2004 he was omnipresent as a player and club officer and supporter. In 2009 he opened Moriarty’s Restaurant and Pub on McLean Avenue, the heart of the Yonkers/Woodlawn Irish community.

The Club also honored Player of the Year, Brian Sweeney and Young Player of the Year, Liam Deane.
The Club Person of the Year is always a surprise at the event. Keelan McLaughlin is a Donegal native and sponsor of the team (his company name, Cranna Electric, graces the Club’s jerseys).

The special award was given to his "Gal Friday", Michelle Comar, for all her hard work on the Journal.

The banquet itself was, as usual, packed with people and a great success in all respects.