The memory of the late Breen Morgan is to be honoured with the announcement of a new annual player award in Down football.

At a reception to mark the launch of the award in Newry last Tuesday, Mrs Alice Morgan, widow of Breen, presented a magnificent new trophy to the Chairman of Club Down, Sean O'Neill, to be awarded on an annual basis to the Down senior footballer who, over the season, most consistently displays the attributes of courage, commitment and determination that were the hallmark of Breen in his playing days with the great Down All-Ireland teams of the 60's.

Also present at the launch were prominent members of the Annaclone club which nurtured Breen's early football career, including John Arthur Fegan who played alongside him and who will be on the selection panel for this award. Club Trustees John Mc Aleenan and Hugh Mc Givern, as well as current club manager John Farrell were also in attendance, together with Breen's daughter, Margaret.

In addition to Sean O'Neill, colleagues for the Down team of that famous era attending were Kevin O'Neill and Paddy Doherty, while Patsy Quinn represented the Down Supporters' Club, who will also have a role in the selection.

Sean O'Neill thanked Alice and the Morgan family for donating the trophy and said that Club Down would undertake to look after it and to promote the ideals it represented. Any player being nominated for this and whoever would win it would be receiving a very significant award and would indeed have to be a special player in the spirit of Breen Morgan.

The trophy, to be called the Spirit of Breen Morgan Memorial Trophy, has been welcomed by team Manger Paddy O'Rourke and County Chairman, Eamon O'Toole, and the full selection committee as well as the criteria for selection will be announced at a later date.

Issued 20th June 2004 by Sean Magee for Club Down 0284063-2643

Photographs from Hollywood Images - Newry