The Dan McAreavey Trophy is awarded annually to the SDLP Party member who has made a  significant contribution to the Party. The winner is announced just before the Party Leader’s speech.

This year it was a joint award……..honouring an Individual and a Branch.

I was sitting at the back of the Conference Hall………and as it emerged that the individual award was “a man from Mid Ulster”…….there was an audible whisper “its Fergus!”. And yes it was Fergus Quinn. An extremely popular winner because he represents what the SDLP is all about. If you really want to understand the SDLP………..its not about Alasdair, Dolores, Alex, Patsy and Conall………..it is about Fergus. Fergus (from Maghera)is a member of the Sperrin Branch. I first met him at a SDLP Youth Quiz in Belfast in March this year. He had travelled up from Mid Ulster with a team to support the Youth Group. As I was leaving Lavery’s Bar, he came up and said “You’re Fitzjames Horse……..I just want to tell you that youre doing a great job on the blogging”.

I have to be honest here. That meant a lot to me because I was wondering who actually reads this stuff. And somehow Fergus made me feel that I was getting thru to REAL people in the REAL SDLP. I am grateful for that.

And he is a deserved winner of the Dan McAreavey Trophy.