Connacht Rugby celebrated it’s 125th year at their annual awards dinner in the Galway Bay Hotel last weekend.
Over 200 people attended the event which saw awards presented to players, coaches, volunteers and referee’s across a range of categories.
The cream of Connacht’s underage talent kicked off the ceremony followed by awards for junior and senior clubs and players and was rounded off with the player’s awards.
The focal point of the evening was the induction of Billy Mulcahy into the Connacht Hall of Fame. This prestigious award has previously been presented to Brendan Guerin, Noel Mannion, Tony O’Suillivan and Ciaran Fitzgerald and recognises an extraordinary contribution to rugby within Connacht. Billy played for Connacht throughout the 1990’s representing the Province 57 times and representing Ireland A’s 6 times along with Ireland’s famous semi-final defeat to Australia in the 1993 7’s World Cup.

Full list of winners from the 2010/11 Connacht Awards Ceremony:
•    U18 youths winner Conor Fitzgibbon (Buccs) presented by Brendan Duffy of Supermacs
•    U18 Schools winner, Robbie Henshaw (Marist) Presented by Brendan Duffy of Supermacs
•    U19 winner, Shane Layden (Carrick) Presented by Brendan Duffy of Supermacs
•    U20 winner, Mark Dolan Corinthians
•    Clubman of the Year, John Martin (UCG) presented by Siobhan Burke
•    Ladies Winner, Claire Raftery
•    Referee winner, David Connolly, presented by Eric Elwood
•    Junior Club winner, Michael Murphy (Ballina) presented by Jimmy Staunton Rugbytech
•    Senior Club winner John Cleary (Galwegians) presented by Aoife O’Donohue Aer Arann
•    Club of the year winner Sligo (John Kane, President) presented by Andrew Forde Heineken
•    Young Player of the Year Andrew Browne presented by Tom Forde Bank of Ireland
•    Player of the year Michael Swift presented by Tom Forde Bank of Ireland
•    Players Player, Johnny O’Connor
•    Players young player, Andrew Browne
•    Hall of Fame Award, Billy Mulcahy

All pics (C) www.sportingoccasions.ie - Johnathan Curran

President of the Connacht Branch Jim Foy presents Billy Mulcahy with the Hall of fame award.

Connacht head coach Eric Elwood presents David Connolly with the Referee's award

Tom Ford, Bank of Ireland presents the Player of the year award to Michael Swift.

Andrew Forde, Heineken presents John Kane, President of Sligo RFC with the Club of the year award

Munster were first on the scorecard when, after 5 minutes, Simon Zebo collected a Johne Murphy chip through leaving the winger to touch down in the corner. O’Gara missed the conversion however and Connacht were soon applying pressure of their own, Ian Keatley narrowly missing a penalty on the 10 minute mark when Alan Quinlan was penalised for not rolling away.~A breakout from their own half saw Munster make it as far as the Connacht 5m line but after repelling the attack several times scrumhalf Frank Murphy used his strength to wrestle the ball from Tómas O’Leary’s hands and set out at a blistering pace down the middle of the field. His grubber ahead for Gavin Duffy bounced the wrong way and into touch but the pressure was rewarded when just 3 minutes later Connacht were awarded another penalty, Alan Quinlan again the guilty party for not rolling away at the ruck. Keatley, who is bound for Munster next season, duly slotted the points and after a dominant scrum on the halfway line, with Connacht’s Brett Wilkinson, Sean Cronin and Jamie Hagan applying huge pressure to the Munster front row who buckled, he kicked a further 3 points to Connacht into the lead with 6 minutes left in the first half. It didn’t last long though as Alan Quinlan crashed over from a rolling maul and Ronan O’Gara converted in the last minute of the first half leaving the score at the break Munster 12 Connacht 6.

The second half was a scrappy affair with moments of brilliance, Sean Cronin looped around Ian Keatley to sprint down the wing, he was stopped 3m short of the line. 5 minutes later Gavin Duffy touched down, after a superb break from Troy Nathan sucked in the defence but the try was not awarded as the touch judge brought play back for an off the ball incident. Ronan O’Gara kicked a penalty and converted a Doug Howlett try with 5 minutes to go and Paul O’Connell was sin-binned for repeated infringements. It wasn’t to be for Eric Elwood’s men however and the final score was Munster 22 Connacht 6

Connacht's Fionn Carr was awarded the Volkswagon IRUPA Try of the Season at last nights Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Rugby Awards. His try, one of 3 in the Scarlets v Connacht match in Parc Y Scarlets last September was picked ahead of Craig Gilroy and Isa Nacewa to claim the coveted prize. Leinster's Nacewa claimed the Players Player of the Year award. It was Fionn's second try that clinched the title (at around 1.10 into the clip) but watch the full video to see how close Connacht were to beating the Scarlets who were saved by a 7th minute of injury time try by Sean Lamont.

Connacht Rugby have announced the starting XV that will face Munster this Friday in Thomond Park

Eric Elwood’s men will look to bounce back from their narrow defeat at the hands of Ulster in Ravenhill 2 weeks ago. In one of their most successful seasons to date, Connacht have won 7 matches, drawn 1 and earned 6 losing bonus points to sit in 9th position with only the Inter-Provincial derby this weekend left.
The side has a blend of youth and experience with centurion’s captain Johnny O’Connor, Brett Wilkinson John Muldoon, Gavin Duffy and Mike McCarthy complimenting dynamic Academy Graduates such as Dave Nolan, Eoin Griffin and Tiernan O’Halloran.

Frank Murphy starts at scrumhalf, the former Leicester no 9 has been capped by Connacht 70 times since joining in 2008 and has scored 2 trys this season. He’s joined at outhalf by the league’s second highest points scorer Ian Keatley. Keatleys’ 2trys, 20 conversions, 55 penalties and 1 drop goal leave him just 15 points behind the Ospreys Dan Biggar in the accumulator chart. Miah Nikora and Eoin Griffin make up the centre partnership. Griffin received the man-of-the-match award following his display in Connacht’s famous victory over Samoa at The Sportsground earlier this season while the versatile Nikora scored the winning drop goal that put Connacht through to the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals last season. Fionn Carr, Brian Tuohy and Gavin Duffy, with 14 trys between them this season, make up the backline.

Connacht’s experienced front row of Wilkinson, Cronin and Hagan have all represented Ireland for the Senior XV or Wolfhounds and are backed up by one of the league’s most dynamic 2nd row partnerships. 6’4” Ireland Wolfhound Mike McCarthy and 6’6” Junior All Black Bernie Upton will power the engine of the scrum and provide plenty of options at lineout time while the athleticism of Andrew Browne, the strength of John Muldoon and the ferocious tackling and ball carrying of captain Johnny O’Connor complete the loose forwards.

Connacht XV to face Munster – Friday 6th May – 7.05pm Thomond Pk, Limerick Live on RTÉ 2

1  Brett Wilkinson
2  Sean Cronin
3  Jamie Hagan
4  Mike McCarthy
5  Bernie Upton
6  Andrew Browne
7  Johnny O’Connor (C)
8  John Muldoon
9  Frank Murphy
10 Ian Keatley
11 Fionn Carr
12 Miah Nikora
13 Eoin Griffin
14 Brian Tuohy
15 Gavin Duffy

16 Adrian Flavin
17 Ronan Loughney
18 Dylan Rogers
19 Dave Nolan
20 Mike McComish
21 Cillian Willis
22 Troy Nathan
22 Tiernan O’Halloran