May sports star award for Ben Shorten
Ballingeary’s feat in winning the Senior Comórtas Peile Na Gaeltachta for the very 1st time was acknowledged last week when ace forward Ben Shorten was presented with the 96FM/C103 GAA Sports Star of the Month award for May in association with the Rochestown Park Hotel.
It was even more special as it was the 1st time in 2 years that it took place as like so many events it was cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a thrilling weekend of action, Ballingeary survived 3 days of hectic activity to carve out this historic win and in the final Ben showed his class, scoring 1-6 in a thrilling contest.
Ben said he was thrilled to be honoured: “I’m really delighted to be picking up this prestigious award and I would like to thank the sponsors for this accolade.
“Equally I owe it to my colleagues and backroom team for their hard work over 3 great days, 3 very special days as it turned out.”
County Board Chairman Marc Sheehan was fulsome in his praise for Ben and the Ballingeary club: “Winning this very special championship is a wonderful achievement and I heartily congratulate them and also Ben on been honoured here today. It takes a lot of hard work to win this championship and to do so in the manner in which you did is testimony to the desire and resolve within the club.”
Mark also thanked Rochestown Park Hotel and 96FM/C103 for their continued support not only of these awards but also other aspects of the CLCG in the county.
Tom Tobin from Rochestown Park Hotel and Kieran Mc Geary from 96FM/C103 also congratulated Ben and Ballingeary on their win and wished them well for the upcoming Cork County Championship.
It was also a family double as Ben’s brother Liam was previously been honoured for his football exploits with Cork, with whom he won an All-Ireland junior medal in 2011.
Ben’s other brother Donnacha was a member of the panel and along with his mother Bernie attended the presentation lunch.
Ben was accompanied by several members of the winning team too.
Ben now joins the previous monthly winners, handball duo Donnacha O’Connor and Brendan Fleming, St Finbarr’s Sam Ryan, Ballygiblin’s Sean O’Sullivan and the representatives of St Francis College Rochestown and Beara Community School for their success in All-Ireland College’s Final.
The 2022 Gala Banquet will take place on 3 February.