Kilkenny duo scoop 2022 Gaelic Writers’ Awards

Kilkenny marksman TJ Reid and All-Ireland camogie winner Grace Walsh were among the winners at the Gaelic Writers Association Awards tonight.

Reid and Walsh won the Hurling and Camogie Personality gongs respectively while Chrissy McKaigue (Derry) and Emma  Duggan (Meath) took home the Football and Ladies Football Awards.

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 opposition defences, as well as maintaining his prowess as an ace free-taker.

In the autumn he returned to club duty, helping Ballyhale retain their county and provincial titles before the Kilkenny club won a record ninth All-Ireland club title last month.

Personality of the Year recipient, Kilkenny camogie player Grace Walsh at the Gaelic Writers’ Association Awards, supported by EirGrid, which took place at the Iveagh Garden Hotel in Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Grace Walsh is the GWA’s choice as Camogie Personality of the Year after a season in which Kilkenny secured the O’Duffy Cup for the second time in three years.

From the famed Tullaroan family, she was a key figure in their two pivotal games which saw Kilkenny dethrone defending champions Galway in the semi-final before beating Cork by a point in the decider.

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.

The full list of winners from the Gaelic Writers’ Association Awards for 2022, this year supported by EirGrid, is as follows:

Football Personality of the Year – Chrissy McKaigue (Derry)

Ladies Football Personality of the Year – Emma Duggan (Meath)

Hurling Personality of the Year – TJ Reid (Kilkenny)

Camogie Personality of the Year – Grace Walsh (Kilkenny)

Football Hall of Fame – Willie Bryan (Offaly) 

Ladies Football Hall of Fame – Mary Jo Curran (Kerry)

Hurling Hall of Fame – Cyril Farrell (Galway)

Camogie Hall of Fame – Linda Mellerick (Cork)

PRO of the Year – Padraig McKeon (Sligo)

Lifetime Achievement Award – Brian Carthy (RTE)