Katie Taylor wrapped up a second great title defence in the last three months after the Bray boxer held on to her crown as The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year Award.
The 22-year-old defended her world lightweight title in China in November, coming home from Ningbo City with the boxer of the tournament award.
Her performances during 2008 also saw her named as the International Boxing Association (AIBA) female boxer of the year at a presentation ceremony in Moscow last month.
And this afternoon, Taylor saw off strong competition from the other monthly winners to pick up her second Sportswoman of the Year title at a lunch in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.
“It's a great honour to receive this award, not just once but twice and to share the stage with these women who have worked and trained so hard this year,” said Taylor. “I am very grateful for this acknowledgement.”
Mary Peters received the first ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for winning the pentathlon gold medal in Munich in 1972 and securing her place in Olympic history.
"I was astounded when I first heard I had won this award. It has been 36 years since my success in sport and I can't believe I am the first recipient of this award,” said Peters.
Other high achievers commended at the awards included Olive Loughnane, the Cork woman who knocked 93 seconds off her personal best to finish seventh in the 20 kilometre walk at the Beijing Olympics and Nina Carberry who had another memorable visit to Cheltenham, winning the Cross Country Chase for the second successive year.
Leona and Lisa Maguire, 13-year-old twins from Co Cavan, shared the stage for making it an all-Maguire affair in the final of the Irish Close at Westport.
Emma Davis was recognised for becoming the first Irish athlete to qualify for the Olympic triathlon when she finished 15th in a field of 79 at the World Championships in Vancouver.
Sligo runner Mary Cullen was acknowledged for returning to form after a stress fracture (that ended her hopes for Beijing) and for finishing fourth in the European Cross-Country Championships in Brussels last month.
Other previous winners were Derval O'Rourke in 2006 and Gaelic football's Briege Corkery in 2005.