TJ Reid and Emma Duggan winners in Gaelic Writers Awards

Derry All Star defender Chrissy McKaigue, Kilkenny marksman TJ Reid, together with All-Ireland winners Emma Duggan (Meath) and Grace Walsh (Kilkenny) have been named Football, Hurling, Ladies’ Football and Camogie Personalities of the Year at tonight’s Gaelic Writers’ Association (GWA) Awards.

The awards, in association with EirGrid, also saw four new inductees into the GWA Hall of Fame: Mary Jo Curran (Kerry), Linda Mellerick (Cork), Willie Bryan (Offaly) and Cyril Farrell (Galway).

RTE’s long-time Gaelic Games correspondent and commentator Brian Carthy was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Sligo’s Padraig McKeon was named PRO of the Year at a gala dinner in Dublin’s Iveagh Garden Hotel.

The GWA awards recognise the extraordinary contribution of players to Gaelic games in what was another enthralling year, as well as honouring the achievements of former stars in all four codes.

Beginning with an emphatic win over the 2021 All-Ireland champions Tyrone, underdogs Derry emerged as one of the surprise teams of last summer, securing their first Ulster title since 1998. They held their nerve in a dramatic provincial final against Donegal which went to extra time.

Chrissy McKaigue, tonight named Gaelic Writer’s Football Personality of the Year, was a pivotal figure in that campaign. The Slaughtneil man led by example, taking on the role of man-marking the opposition’s key forward and winning an All Star for his efforts.

In hurling, ace marksman TJ Reid is named as GWA’s Personality of the Year for 2022. Even though Ballyhale Shamrocks were beaten at the death in last year’s All-Ireland club final and Kilkenny lost to Limerick in the All-Ireland final, Reid’s standards never dropped.

He continued to torment