Scór Long Service Award / Duais Fadseirbhíse: Gerard McQuaid

The name Gerard McQuaid is synonymous with Scór i gContae Mhuineacháin and indeed throughout Ulster.

Gerard hails from the Emyvale GAA club in north Monaghan and has been a participant, a tutor, an adjudicator and an organiser of Scór in Muineachán since the 1970s. Gerard was Oifigeach Cultúir, Scairbh na gCaorach for many years.

Emyvale club has had many successful years in Scór winning numerous county, provincial and two All-Ireland titles, the first in Bailéad -Ghrúpa in 1983 and the second in Rince Foirne in 2009. Gerard was a member of the All-Ireland winning Ballad Group and tutored the All-Ireland winning Céilí Dancing team. He also reached the All-Ireland final of Ceol Uirlise with fellow clubman Finian McCluskey in the eighties.

As Cultural Officer for Emyvale, Gerard has organised and tutored competitors in Rince Foirne, Rince Seit, Amhránaíocht Aonair, Bailéad-Ghrúpa, Ceol Uirlise, Aithriseoireacht and Nuachleas competitions in Spraoi Scór, Scór na nÓg and Scór na Sinsear both in Muineachán and further afield.

Gerard is a qualified Irish dancing teacher and adjudicator with An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha and has travelled widely throughout the world as an adjudicator. He is also a member of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) and toured Britain and America as a singer on Comhaltas tours. He has taken Irish dancing groups to many parts of Europe representing the Classa? centre for Irish music, song, dance, drama, and the Irish language at many major festivals.

Along with another Emyvale GAA clubman, the late Séamus McCluskey (a well-known Fear an Tí and promoter of Scór competitions in the 70s and 80s in Muineachán), Gerard brought a group of musicians, singers and dancers to Prince Edward Island, a region in Canada where many Monaghan natives had emigrated to in 1990.

Gerard has adjudicated at county, provincial and All-Ireland levels at Scór and Fleadhanna Ceoil.

Gabhaimid comhghairdeas ó chroí le Gerard, lena chlub agus lena chontae faoin duais fadseirbhíse, go mile maire sé é!