CARLOW SENIOR hurlers were centre-stage yet again when they won the only Beat-Talbot Hotel south-east sport award for the county at the fourth annual function in the Talbot Hotel in Carlow on Friday.

Waterford headed the list over the eleven months of 2009 with five accolades while Kilkenny hurlers broke Wexford's run of three overall awards when scooping that prize for their fourth-in-a-row all-Ireland senior success.

Sportspeople from Waterford (5) Wexford, Tipperary, Kilkenny (3) and Carlow were in the mix.

Awards were presented to eleven monthly winners covering ladies basketball, hurling, Ireland's strongest man James Fennelly from Kilkenny and with six of the winners coming from soccer including recognition of the achievements of Irish internationals Reading's Shane Long, former Reading midfielder Conor Sinnott, Ipswich goalkeeper Brian Murphy, Reading striker Noel Hunt and under 19 international Jimmy Keohane a Kilkenny lad playing for the highly successful Wexford Youths.

Last year's team captain Mark Brennan accepted the Carlow hurlers award, earned for their retention of the Ring Cup – the only team to do so and unlikely to be repeated with the changing of the format for 2010 competition.

The Naomh Brid forward has played football for 19 years but concentrated on hurling for the last four. "I saw a big change in attitude with the hurlers last year after the Ring wins, and even before Christmas the players were enquiring about the 2010 training schedule," he added.

One of the soccer awards had a Carlow connection in that Tipperary native Shane Long's award was accepted by Ann AhernLong a cousin of the player who scored the winning goal against Liverpool in the Premiership recently; Ann explaining that her father and Shane's father were first cousins, and that Shane featured in an allIreland hurling semi-final with Tipperary in Croke Park before becoming a soccer professional.

MC once again Micheal O'Muircheartaigh opened on a jocular note when wondering - for the benefit of the Kilkenny contingent of course - if the Beat coloured balloons of red and while was an omen for a Cork McCarthy victory come September, thus spoiling a possible five in a row.

He remarked on the Irish practice of honouring sportspeople, "functions recognising people of distinction and giving the rest of us an excuse to talk about what happened and what might happen."

Gleaming on a side table were the nine cups won by Kilkenny; all hauled to the four counties of Ireland by 'minder' Denis 'Rackard' Coady who keeps a diary of their travels; Denis better known in Carlow as a former county camogie team coach, winning the Leinster championship in that season.

Micheal, who was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at the conclusion of the evening, told the tale of Kilkenny opting out of an all-Ireland senior football final in 1900. Having defeated Tipperary in the semifinal, the Banner objected and Kilkenny refused to replay. Tipperary won the final defeating Galway who qualified when Antrim did not show for the semi-final.

The Gaelic games commentator told of his pleasure in attending games, meeting players and spectators, and particularly the satisfaction of seeing a county win for the first time, recalling Offaly winning their first Leinster SH title in '80 defeating all-Ireland champions Kilkenny.

- PAUL DONAGHY