2009 TEXACO AWARDS: Nine of Ireland's outstanding sportsmen and women are recognised in the 2009 Texaco awards which are announced today. The award winners are: rugby - Brian O'Driscoll; athletics - Olive Loughnane; golf - Rory McIlroy; horseracing - John Oxxand Mick Kinane; boxing - Bernard Dunne; soccer - John O'Shea; hurlilng - Tommy Walsh; Gaelic football - Tomás Ó Sé

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL

Brian O’Driscoll and success have been synonymous since the Irish captain made a sensational Six Nations debut for his country against France in 2000 at the age of 21.

But 2009 will stand out as the best year in his illustrious career after leading his country to Grand Slam success for the first time in 61 years. His performances in the Croke Park wins over England and France were an extraordinary mixture of creativity, superb defence and bravery beyond the call of duty.

He maintained that brilliant form in the memorable victory against Wales and rounded off the Six Nations campaign by being named player of the championship. Rather than resting on his laurels, O’Driscoll returned to his province and was a key figure in Leinster’s win over Munster in the Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park. He scored a try that day, and also got on the scoresheet in the final with a cheeky drop goal that was vital in the Irish side’s European triumph.

BERNARD DUNNE

Bernard Dunne experienced the whole gamut of sporting emotions in 2009, winning and then losing a world title before his supporters at the O2 Arena in Dublin. On the March night that the Irish rugby team sealed the Grand Slam, Dunne and Ricardo Cordoba went head-to-head for the world super-bantamweight title in one of the greatest fights witnessed in Dublin.

The Dubliner took the battle to the Panamanian and had his opponent on the canvas in the third round, only to suffer the same fate twice in the fifth round when Cordoba took control.

But Dunne fought back with extraordinary determination to floor his rival three times in the 11th to secure his place as one of Ireland’s boxing greats. He subsequently surrendered his title to Thailand’s Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in September when he was knocked out in the third round.

TOMÁS Ó SÉ

The Ó Sé brothers have been at the heart of Kerry’s remarkable All-Ireland record in the last 10 years when the county has contested eight championship deciders, winning five. Although Darragh has probably edged out Marc and Tomás in terms of headlines, the younger brothers have made every bit as a big a contribution to the county’s success.

In 2009, Tomás was a key figure throughout their stuttering back-door campaign, even getting himself disciplined by manager Jack O’Connor before the victory over Antrim.

Putting that episode behind him, Ó Sé arrived at Croke Park for the quarter-final demolition of Dublin with a renewed vigour, and then played his part in overcoming Meath in the semi-final.

His display in the final against Cork was flawless and he embellished his defensive duties with two points, the second of which was a critical contribution as it came during a period when Cork were closing on Kerry.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE

Since turning 30, Olive Loughnane’s walking career has thrived. She went to the Beijing Olympics as one of the least well-known of the Irish athletics team and emerged as the best performer, coming home in seventh place despite the searing heat of the Chinese capital.

Believing that a podium finish was possible in a major championship, she promised her young daughter, Eimear, that she would bring home a medal from the World Championships in Berlin.

And she was true to her word, finishing second in the 20-kilometre walk, just 48 seconds behind the defending world champion and Olympic gold medallist Olga Kaniskine of Russia.

The superb performance moved her into the elite company of Sonia O’Sullivan, Eamonn Coghlan and Gillian O’Sullivan as the only Irish athletes to win World Championship outdoor medals.

JOHN OXX and MICK KINANE

If truly great racehorses come along once in a lifetime then Sea The Stars fitted that bill in 2009 as he emerged as an equine superstar, brilliantly guided and ridden by the John Oxx-Mick Kinane partnership. The colt went into the year with high hopes after a satisfactory opening campaign as a two-year-old, but few could have predicted the scale of the success that would be achieved on the famous tracks of Ireland, England and France.

While Oxx had the horse in prime condition for his astonishing assault on Group One races month after month, Kinane rolled back the years in his handling of the champion.

Victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket was followed by an Epsom Derby success, and then wins at York and Sandown in elite races. The Irish public saw him capture the Champion Stakes in brilliant style in September, and he capped the year with victory in Europe’s most prestigious race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

That win was a tribute to Oxx’s skill in having the horse ready six months after his first race of the year and Kinane’s skill in getting him out of trouble when he looked boxed in as the race entered the crucial final furlongs.

RORY McILROY

Being tipped to emerge as one of the world’s outstanding players carries all types of dangers, but Rory McIlroy more than delivered on all the promise and hype in 2009 when he captured his first professional event and broke through to the top-20 in the world rankings.

The 20-year-old started the year in 39th place in the world, but a win in the Dubai Desert Classic in February set up a superb year in which he played in all four majors for the first time as a professional.

His performance at the US Masters in Augusta, where he finished joint-20th, was followed by an even better display at the US Open where he was tied for 10th. Things got even better at the US PGA where he finished in a tie for third. McIlroy is now rated 18th in the world and is not out of the mix to be Europe’s leading money winner in 2009.

JOHN O’SHEA

The Manchester Utd defender wins his first Texaco award for his consistent level of performance for his club and country in 2009.

Manager Alex Ferguson has never lost faith in the Waterford-born player and has asked him to fill a multitude of roles for the club during his career at Old Trafford.

This year he was a regular in the starting line-up as United captured their third consecutive Premier League title and also won the English League Cup before being beaten in the Champions League final by Barcelona.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has also looked to the player to fill a number of positions. He has played at full back, centre half and midfield as the Irish side qualified for the World Cup play-offs.

TOMMY WALSH

Although still only 26, Tommy Walsh has already won five All-Ireland medals as well as seven All Star awards. The brilliant wing back is now considered one of the greatest defenders in the modern game, and he again underlined that rating with an outstanding season for Brian Cody’s Kilkenny team as they won the four-in-a-row against Tipperary in a pulsating All-Ireland final.

He delivered an epic display in that final and was instrumental in the Kilkenny victory. Delicate footwork allied to pin-point deliveries into attack are the mark of an exceptionally talented player, who was recognised as the Hurler of the Year in recent weeks.