Former Ballycastle and Antrim legend Eddie Donnelly was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Awards at the GPA Hurling/Camogie Legends Lunch at Croke Park on Friday.
At a Gala event in Croke Park, which was attended by over 400 people, Eddie and former Cork Camogie legend Sandie Fitzgibbon were honoured for their great contribution to the game.
Also attending were members of the All Ireland winning hurling and Camogie teams of 1963, 1973, 1983. 1993, 2003 and 2013
Eddie received his award from former Antrim captain Ciaran Barr and Galway legend Joe Connolly, the man who actually nominated him for the honour.
Connolly got quite emotional as he spoke about his long friendship with Eddie and with the Donnelly family, dating back to All Ireland Club final in 1980 when his club Castlegar played Ballycastle in the decider in Navan, the Galway men winning by four points. Joe said that not only was Eddie one of the greatest hurlers he ever met, but also one the greatest men.
Eddie was choking back the tears in his acceptance speech as he told about getting the phone call to notify him about winning the award on the day he received his last session of treatment for Prostate cancer.
Thankfully the great man is in fine form and is making a weekend of it all in the Croke Park Hotel, with his family and many friends.
Eddie with RTE’s Marty Morrissey (left) and his brothers Dessie and Brian (right) Unfortunately his older brother Kevin was unable to attend.
