The winners of the 2023 MacNamee Awards have been confirmed by the GAA. The GAA National Communication and Media Awards are named after the late Pádraig MacNamee, former President of the GAA, Chairman of the GAA Commission (1969-1971) and member of the RTÉ authority. The GAA MacNamee Awards recognise excellence in the area of GAA communications and the winners for outstanding media coverage of the 2023 GAA season at local and national level are announced today. Included among the winners is 'The Men of '23' as Best GAA-related Radio Programme, presented and produced by Galway Bay FM Head of Sport Ollie Turner. The radio documentary looked back the success of Galway in the 1923 All-Ireland Hurling Championship and the centenary celebrations organised by Baireoiri an Gaillimhe late last year to mark the occasion of Galway's first-ever All-Ireland title in any code.
”Uachtarán CLG, Jarlath Burns, said: “From its very beginning the GAA has understood the importance of telling our story, and it explains why in our formative years so many journalists held important posts throughout the Association. As we stand here 140 years on, the GAA continues to have a great story to tell and the importance of being able to tell it and tell it well is absolutely crucial – especially in the modern world and in the modern and complex media landscape. That is why these MacNamee awards matter and why it is important to recognise and salute outstanding examples of excellence in the coverage of Gaelic games. We greatly value the exposure that is afforded to our great games and our great players, and I want to congratulate all who have been celebrated on this occasion and thank all of those media professionals who champion the coverage of Gaelic games in their outlets.”
The 7 winners of the 2023 MacNamee Awards are as follows:
2023 Best GAA Related Radio Programme – Galway Bay FM “The Men of 23” - presented by Ollie Turner. An account of how in 2023 'Báireoirí na Gallimhe' (The association
representing ex Galway Hurlers) tracked down descendants of the players who were on the team that brought the first All-Ireland Hurling title to that County 100 years previously and honoured them at an occasion in Athenry where at least one surviving member of each of their families was represented. The programme includes an excerpt from an interview with the last
surviving member Jim Power who died in 1995, aged almost 100 years.
You can hear the programme in full here.
2023 Best GAA Publication – Colm Keyes & Dermot Reilly “Chasing Sam Maguire” – The All-Ireland Football Championship 1928-1977. First things first, the standard in this section was exceptional and made picking the overall a difficult but rewarding task. In Chasing Sam Maguire, the duo of Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys have truly done the GAA some service. The scale of the task they undertook – to record in detail the story and the players who have contested every Sam Maguire All-Ireland football final since its 1928 debut was exhausting. This is recognised by the fact that they have only covered the first 50 years in this volume. The level of research required to trace the story and the stats of the seasons, the games and the players has in several instances saved information from being permanently lost – this is particularly true in the case of recording every club that the players involved represented. The novelty of placing each final
against the backdrop of major international and national headlines paints its own unique picture of the evolution of the GAA Championship.
2023 Best GAA Club Publication – Clan na Gael CLG, An Lorgain “More than a Club”. This wonderful book charts the rich history of the Lurgan Blues in easy-to-digest chapters. The author has painstakingly used archival research as well as interviews to chronicle the club’s history and story. It also showcases the links between the club and its people. The book highlights what we all love about the GAA – the fact that it is not just about sport, it is about the unique bond between family, place and club that continues through generations. Some wonderful images are dotted throughout the book to add to its charm and notably the book also includes a QR code where you can access an audio oral history of Clan na Gael CLG.
2023 Digital Impact Award – Mayo GAA Communications, led by County PRO John Walker, has won the Best Digital Impact Award with an impressive digital strategy, which has grown
Mayo GAA into one of the largest county social media footprints in the country. From this strategy, Mayo GAA's online traffic surged by 60%, fueled by PRO John Walker's passion and dedication to capturing and sharing powerful moments from matches across multiple platforms. The work in redesigning the Mayo GAA website and transforming Mayo GAA TV, with clips reaching millions of viewers, exemplifies commitment to innovation. Mayo GAA's passion and dedication have made it the leader in digital GAA storytelling and news in the county.
2023 Best Photograph – Where We All Belong by David Fitzgerald, Sportsfile. If ever one picture captured in a single frame the very essence of what it is to be a member of a GAA club, it is here in this moment in time caught beautifully by David Fitzgerald at the presentation of the Waterford SHC trophy. Ballygunner captain Stephen O’Keeffe is hugged tightly by club supporter Nicky Kennedy, as all around them, generations of club members have the joy of victory etched on their faces. County titles are nothing new to Ballygunner, but there is no sign of complacency here as the joy of being part of a club and of serving something bigger than yourself and proving club is community is all on vivid show.
2023 Best Programme GAA – Roscommon Senior Football Championship Final Programme. No strangers to winning this award, Roscommon GAA continue to set a high standard when it comes to producing excellent publications to mark the showpiece day in their club championship calendar. Informative, colourful and beautifully presented with a link maintained between the past and the present, it is an excellent memento of the big day and a credit to all involved.
2023 Provincial Media Award – Damian Dolan, Irish World “The Game of Their Lives” July 29, 1973, in Duggan Park remains a cherished day in the London GAA story. The All-Ireland SHC Quarter-Final win over Galway in Ballinasloe is still a source of inspiration. Damian Dolan's article, featuring interviews with some of the main protagonists involved, reflects on a remarkable London triumph.
The awards will be presented by GAA President Jarlath Burns at a special event in Croke Park on Friday night, November 8th.
