THERE'S no greater feeling than winning an All-Ireland alongside your brother and nine of your club-mates.
That’s the view of Tyrone hurler Pauric Kerr, who won the Quinn Building Products Ulster GAA Writers’ Award for September for his part in the Red Hands’ annexing of the All-Ireland Minor C Championship.
Tyrone needed two bites at the cherry against Mayo in the final. After a pulsating draw in Leitrim, the Red Hands trailed by eight points in the replay, but produced a stunning comeback, with Kerr playing a key role in the number three jersey.
“When I think of the people that have won this award before me, they are playing at the top level and that’s where every player wants to be. It’s a great honour, but really it’s a team award,” said Kerr.
The Eire Óg clubman is from sound hurling stock. His father Seán was part of the Tyrone management for a number of years and brothers Seán and Jarlath also hurl for Eire Óg and Tyrone. Jarlath played corner-back on the victorious Tyrone panel that contained 10 Carrickmore players.
“From I was knee-high, the hurl was always in the hand. The goal for any hurler is to win an All-Ireland and it’s great to do it this year. It’s a great feeling when the full-time whistle blows and the person you’re hugging is your brother,” said the 18-year-old apprentice electrician, who predicts the continued rise of Tyrone hurling.
“Hopefully the minors will be promoted to the B grade next year and, over the next couple of years at U21, we’ll get into in the B grade and give it a good rattle. Playing against teams of a higher level means that we can only get better.
“Tyrone went unbeaten in Division 3A this year and if they stick together and blend in good young players that are coming through, there could be a Christy Ring Cup in Tyrone in years to come.”
To win the UGAAWA September award, Kerr had to see off stiff opposition from the raft of club championship games that took place throughout the province. Cargin’s Michael McCann and Roslea’s Seán Quigley also impressed the writers with their performances in the Antrim and Fermanagh senior football championships.
McCann was one of a number of Cargin players who starred in their win over St Galls, a victory that ended the Belfast club’s eight-year unbeaten run in the Antrim SFC. Quigley’s Roslea side were on their way out of the Fermanagh championship when trailing Erne Gaels in the closing minutes of the semifinal, but 1-2 from the county star earned a draw to keep their three in-a-row dreams alive.
Kerr receives an engraved Belleek Living vase, training gear from O'Neill's International Sports, specially designed silver cuff links from Carlingford Design House and a deluxe medical kit bag from 3FiveTwo at Kingsbridge Private Hospital. He will also receive two tickets and overnight accommodation for the UGAAWA Annual Awards Banquet, which takes place on Friday, November 13 at the Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran.
