Recognition for Galway duo

Galway celebrated a unique double when Padraic Joyce and Joe Canning were named the GAA All Stars Footballer and Hurler of the Month for July.

It is the first time since the monthly awards were expanded to include both codes at the start of this decade that two players from the same county have been honoured in the same month.

Vodafone's continuing role as sponsor of the monthly awards scheme and the annual All Star awards until the end of 2009 was also confirmed last month.

Now a veteran of the football scene Padraic Joyce picked up the second monthly award of his long and illustrious career, having previously been honoured in April 2004.

It is just one of the many honours he has received in a career that began as far back as 1994 when he captained St Jarlath’s College to the All-Ireland title.

The Killererin clubman has won two All-Ireland senior football titles with Galway, three Vodafone All Star awards, A Sigerson Cup medal with Tralee IT, captained Ireland to a record International Rules victory against Australia in 2004 and was Footballer of the Year in 2001.

Now 31 he rolled back the years in July when leading Galway to victory in the Connacht final against Mayo, scoring 1-3, and orchestrating the game from centre half forward.

Joe Canning is starting out on a career of great promise and it was against Cork in July that he made the impact so many had predicted for so long when he scored a mammoth 2-12 in an extraordinary display of power and poise.

It was not sufficient to earn the spoils for Galway but it confirmed the emergence of a special talent.

A member of the famous hurling family from Portumna, he joins his brother Ollie on the monthly roll of honour. Though only 19 he has been the focus of attention since 2004 when he won the first of two All-Ireland minor titles.

He has since added an under-21 title, a Fitzgibbon Cup title with Limerick IT and two All-Ireland club titles in 2006 and this year.