WATCH: Ladies Manager of the Year Garry Smyth Derrygonnelly

THE inaugaral winner of our new Ladies Football Manager of the Year category award is Garry Smyth of Derrygonnelly, having led his native club to a fantastic Ulster Intermediate Championship triumph.

They won a first ever Division One league title, their maiden Fermanagh Intermediate Championship and the Ulster Intermediate title.

Overseeing their magical season was club native Garry Smyth, who kept the team motivated and hungry during a gruelling run of fixtures where they played 14 games in 16 weeks, ultimately bowing out in the last four of the race for the All-Ireland Intermediate title.

His daughters Bronagh and Eimear played a major part in their success, and the modest Smyth repeatedly praised the collective effort of his squad in his post-match interviews. He also said that he hopes their at their historic season will inspire the younger girls in the club to push on to senior level.

“I would certainly hope that that is one of the things that would flow from the run that we’ve had this year,” said Smyth.

“Ladies football throughout the county is well placed and the more teams that are performing well, the higher the profile that the game gets locally within the county.

“It is all about playing games and you are hoping then that if you perform especially well, in enough games, that you will be in the hunt at the end of any year for silverware.”

Picking up merit awards on the evening was legendary Donaghmoyne manager Francie Coleman, who was inducted into our Hall of Fame back in January 2017 and is still managing the team to success.

Castleblayney duo Paddy McNally and Barry Hanratty also won a merit award after leading their team to the Ulster Junior Championship title.