Kilkenny's Billy Love the handball recipient at the 2022 President's Awards

The GAA presented recipients for Gradaim an Uachtaráin 2022 on Friday night.

The prestigious annual awards, organised with the support of AIB affords Uachtarán CLG with an opportunity to acknowledge outstanding commitment and long service across the club and county network.

The 11 awards are a cross-section of people who have shared the common theme of making an inspirational impact on their code and also their club and community.

The 11 awards are made on a provincial and code basis. As well as Gaeilge, Education and International Awards, the presentation of the annual Dermot Earley Family Award was also made.

Among the winners was Billy Love from Clogh GAA Handball Club, Co Kilkenny.

Billy has been a steward in Clogh Handball Club for nigh on 35 years. He has been involved in all aspects of club life, from serving as Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and currently PRO, to coaching young people to the highest of standards, giving them the opportunity to play at the highest level in all juvenile activity whilst helping players gain success at County, Provincial, National, and World level. Billy is also a great supporter of team events from U12/13, U14/15 and U16/17 teams in Feile na nGael, Community Games and School competitions.

Under Billy’s excellent guidance and coaching, both boys and girls, have been successful across all age groups and have won numerous County, Provincial, National and World Titles.

He is the current Development Officer with Kilkenny Handball Board and also currently holds the role of Leinster Juvenile Officer and National Feile Rep for GAA Handball.

Billy is widely associated with juvenile Handball coaching and has been at the forefront of a conveyor belt of National & International championship players from his own club and county. His favourite role in handball was and still is the development of young players in his club and he dedicates hours of his time every week training local children.

Billy’s passion for handball and his club is to be extremely admired. He will always find a way to raise money for the club and make sure our juveniles are given the best possible opportunities.

Trips to the World Handball Championships would not have been possible without him and all of his hard work fundraising for these tournaments in Winnipeg, Chicago and Edmonton; trips that many still look back upon fondly to this day.