A very enjoyable Awards Night was held on Friday last in Cullen's The Hill. As always, club President Eddie Forde did a great job as Master of Ceremonies introducing the various awards winners with his carefully researched citations. It was great night and Danielle Byrne entertained the big crowd with some lovely singing. Congratulations to all the Award Winners especially Hall of Fame Winner, Larry O'Brien (see profile below).
PHOTO: 2014 AWARD WINNERS: Back (Left to right): Clubman of the Year: Ger Doyle, Hall of Fame: Larry O'Brien, Chairman: James Doyle, Intermediate Player of Year: Con Murphy, Minor Player of Year: Andrew Byrne, Front: Junior Player of Year: Dale McNamara, Juvenile Clubperson of the year: Carrie Keating, Young Player Player of Year: Adam Byrne.
Congrats to all the award winners (See more photos in Photo Gallery)
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Profile of Larry O'Brien (Hall of Fame winner 2014)
Big Larry from Liscolman first came to prominence in the early seventies when his impressive physique and high fielding ability made him an automatic choice at midfield for club and county.
He captained the Clonmore Minor team in 1975 and was one of the stars of the U-21 team that reached the County Finals in 1976 and 1978. Along with Frank Donnelly, Larry formed a formidable midfield partnership on the team that won the 1980 Intermediate Championship and the 1981 SFL Div Two Final. Larry went on to captain the Senior team in 1982 and 86.
The Clonmore History published in 1980 contained the following Pen Picture: Larry O'Brien: Sales Representative, Age 22, Height 6-3, Weight 14-0, Single, Brilliant in the air, famous for his "dummy solo". Club Footballer of the Year 1980.
Larry was a regular on the county team for a number of years and starred against Meath in the 1986 Leinster Championship Quarter Final when Carlow were unlucky to lose by 1-15 to 1-12 to a Meath team that won the Leinster title in 1986 and the All-Ireland in 87.
Having also excelled at rugby and played in the Towns Cup with Tullow, Larry relished the physical exchanges and although a gentleman off the pitch he was uncompromising and fearless on it. He was the ideal midfielder – tall and athletic with a great leap and a mightly pair of hands. He had the engine to get up and down the field and could turn a game by his sheer determination to win high ball around midfield. During his career he was highly respected as one of the best midfielders in the county, and held his own against greats like Paddy Quirke and Tommy Dwyer.
Larry emigrated to New York during the last big recession of the late eighties and went into the bar trade with Carlow county teammates Lar Molloy (Rathvilly) and Kevin Madden (Eire Og) before returning in recent years to run the family farm at Liscolman. While Stateside, Larry won a New York Senior Football Championship with Donegal.
A thorough gentleman and an exceptional footballer, Larry O'Brien is very deserving of the Clonmore Hall of Fame Award.
