Ballybay Monaghan Ireland

Congratulations to Damien Caraher, the Ballybay Pearse Brothers recipient of the Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation Awards hosted by Monaghan County Board last week. Damien has been a major figure in Ballybay circles for over 30 years. He played with distinction for the Pearse Brothers for over 20 years winning an Owen Ward Cup in 1986 and Mick Duffy Cup the following year and he also represented the club in Scor on many occasions. He pulled on the Farney jersey at underage and senior levels. However as dynamic he was on the pitch, it will be his herculean efforts off the pitch that will be his lasting legacy. Ballybay have a clubhouse that is the envy of many organisations in the country. It is not an exaggeration to say that without Damien’s drive, determination and unfailing optimism that the clubhouse would never have been built. He was the driving force behind the plans and the building and it was his insistence that it be used on an ongoing basis that meant the Ballybay Bingo, the most successful fundraiser in the club’s history is housed in the clubhouse every Tuesday for the last 11 years. Supported by his wife Sharon and his 4 children Daniel, Shane, Gemma and Conor and his parents Franco and Maggie, it is people like Damien who make the GAA the best organisation in the world.