Golfing starlet McMickan receives sports award

THE November winner in the Westmeath Independent/Hodson Bay Hotel Sports Awards is promising young golfer Charlie McMickan. The 15-year-old, from Coosan, Athlone, receives the award for his fantastic progress in the sport of golf throughout 2011, culminating in his call-up to the renowned Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) 2011/12 Development Squad at Under-16 level. McMickan recently had his first training session with the under-16 squad, and during each training get-together with the rest of the squad, spends two days of intensive training at the NUI's base in Carton House in Maynooth, Co. Kildare.Later in the year, the Irish under-16 squad will take part in tournaments in England and Holland, and McMickan - also the reigning Leinster Close Championship winner - will hope to be involved in those tournaments. The Coosan native has enjoyed a very productive year. As well as winning the Leinster Close Championship, he finished second in the Irish Boys Championship in August, and second in the Connacht Close Boys Championships. A student at Marist College, Charlie also finished top of the Connacht Under-15 Order of Merit for the year. McMickan is a member of Athlone Golf Club and has already shown major signs that a highly successful and exciting career in golf could lie in store. A real sporting all rounder, Charlie plays Gaelic football for Athlone GAA club and rugby for Buccaneers. He is a member of the Marist's junior rugby squad and he was also a member of the ADSL Kennedy Cup squad last year. Charlie also fulfils the role of caddy for another talented local golfer, Kelan McDonagh from Drum. Charlie's sister Jessica has represented Ireland in hockey at underage level and she is a previous winner of a Westmeath Independent/Hodson Bay Hotel sports award. Along with 11 other monthly award winners, Charlie's achievement will be honoured when the 2011 Westmeath Independent/Hodson Bay Hotel Award ceremony takes place at the Hodson Bay Hotel on Friday, January 27.