The Federation of Irish Sport has announced the recipients of the 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards, supported by the Sport Ireland National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships recognising 36 exceptional volunteers from every county in Ireland (including four awardees from Dublin) for their unwavering dedication to sport and physical activity within their local communities.

These inspiring individuals will be honoured at a special awards ceremony on Thursday, 26 February 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown, where Minister Charlie McConalogue TD. Minister for Sport & Postal Policy will give the keynote address.

Pitch and Putt’s honoree is the renowned Tipperary player and administrator Sean Minogue (Riverdale).

In 2024 Riverdale’s Sean Minogue was confirmed patron of Pitch and Putt Ireland in recognition of his work as Honorary Auditor of Pitch and Putt Ireland in recent years in addition to Trojan work as a Pitch and Putt volunteer in countless roles at club, county and national level.

He has served with distinction on various Pitch and Putt Ireland Sub-Committees in addition to acting in a number of capacities on Tipperary County Board. He has been a loyal and unwavering administrative servant of the Riverdale club in his native Nenagh since the 1970s.

Left-hander Minogue has been a high achiever on the course for upwards of four decades.

2018 National Over-55 Intermediate grade Strokeplay champion at McDonagh (with 96 to 97 for Tullamore’s John Fleming), Sean Minogue has also finished second in the Over 55 Senior grade Strokeplay championship (at Fermoy in 2016) and in the intermediate grade (in 2017 at Cloghogue).

There’s a remarkable longevity and class about Sean Minogue’s provincial and national Inter-County record. Two Munster Inter-County wins (in 1996 and 2000) and five runners-up medals (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2015) in the famed blue and gold augment 1993 and 1995 All Ireland Inter-County successes and three runners-up gongs (1991, 2005 and 2013) with Tipperary.

That 1993 success was a Lakewood and the 1995 victory was claimed at Tralee (when he shot an incredible and vital 89 to ensure a two stroke margin over runners-up Cork). In 2025, Sean Minogue became the first player to collect overall Inter-County winners’ medals and gold at intermediate Inter-County level.  

1991 Munster Matchplay champion at Tralee (beating Tipperary colleague Noel Joyce in the final), Minogue has also finished provincial Matchplay runner-up on two occasions (in 1990 at Waterford Crystal and at Bruff in 2003). He fired 97 at Bruff to finish three shy of John O’Leary (Dunlops) in the 1991 Munster Strokeplay championship.

National Matchplay semi-finalist at Lakeside in 1989, Sean was a National Nett Inter-Club winner with Riverdale in 2019 at Lakeside and twice runner-up in the same event (in 2017 at Hillview and at Royal Meath a year later). He also holds a silver medal in the Gross Inter-Club, secured at Tullamore in 2024.

Minogue was 2024 National Mixed Foursomes runner-up with clubmate Margaret Hennessy

A multiple Tipperary county champion, Minogue represented International on the famous 1996 tour of Australia and won three points from a possible four in Ireland’s win over the hosts at Queanbeyan.

He has travelled extensively at home and abroad to pursue his undoubted passion for Pitch and Putt

Third in the 2016 British Senior Open, Minogue made no mistake in the 2018 renewal of the same event, shooting 156 to triumph by five. He was third in the 2016 Irish Senior Open at Rocklodge and also filled third spot in the 2016 Catalan Senior Open at Roc 3. 

Mr Davy Reddin, President of Pitch and Putt Ireland commented as follows, “Sean, On behalf of myself and Pitch & Putt Ireland, many many congratulations  on your award. It could not have happened to a nicer gent, well deserved. Best of luck.” 

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