THE top players in polocrosse were recognised at the recent Irish Polocrosse Association annual awards night which took place at the Ashdown Park Hotel in Wexford, the gala event attracting more than 120 guests to celebrate the 2019 season.

Polocrosse arrived in Ireland in the 1960s and since then has grown to include clubs based in Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin, Limerick and Northern Ireland, and awards organised by Wicklow Bay Polocrosse Club were presented to the best among four grades in each of three team positions from the three-aside tournament season.

Ireland won the European Championship Challenge Tour final in France last August, beating England on a score of 20 goals to nine.

“We are after coming through a good year for polocrosse,” said IPA Vice-Chairman Tom O’Malley, who presented the awards. “We are looking forward to next year and plenty of good polocrosse.”

The awards sponsored by Glanbia, Connolly Red Mills, Powerscourt Golf Club, Gardner Grain and Lookout Equestrian included presenting the Best Overall Junior Player Ellah Stokes of the Carrickmines club while the best horse was Ted.

The D Grade Number 1 position winner was Bill Lawlor, Number 2 Mark Whelan and Number 3 John Dwyer, and the best horse was Slim. The C Grade Number 1 winner was Jack Ellis, Number 2, Jill Murphy and Number 3 Neil Bleakley while the best horse was Paj.

The B Grade Number 1 position winner was Theo Boland, Number 2 Cathy Mathews, Number 3 Cillian Boland and the best horse was Stella. The A Grade Number 1 was Debbie Harris, Number 2 Eoin O’Donnell and Number 3 Dara Mangan, while the best horse was Bo.

The annual Ivor and David Young Perpetual Cup Special Merit Award went to Hilary Barnes of the Wicklow Bay Club for more than 20 years of voluntary service to the promotion of polocrosse.

“It was great to see everyone in polocrosse together,” said the evening’s MC Ben D’Arcy. “I would like to thank all our sponsors for making the night possible and for everyone who was at the awards night, thank you.”