Equestrian Sport: Dermott Lennon, the Co Down show jumper who rode on six winning Nations Cup teams during Ireland's record-breaking 10 victories in the Samsung series, was presented with the Ireland's Horse Review equestrian sports star of the year award at the Millennium awards ball in Dublin last night, reports Grania Willis.
Gold badges of honour were also presented to three Irish riders by Michael Stone of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). One of these went to Commandant John Ledingham, who marked his retirement last year as a member of the winning Nations Cup team in Athens, alongside with Dermott Lennon.
FEI gold badges of honour also went to event riders Virginia McGrath, a member of the Irish Olympic teams at both Sydney and Atlanta, and to Eric Smiley, another double Olympian at Barcelona and Atlanta.
Neal Fearon, who won the FEI Rookie of the Year award for his performances this season, was presented with a special award by Irish Equestrian Federation (EFI) president Lewis Lowry.
Athletics: No Irish athletes were nominated for this year's Athlete of the Year award which will be announced on November 26th in Monte Carlo, reports Johnny Watterson.
Of Ireland's Sydney Track and Field competitors only Sonia O'Sullivan ended her season ranked inside the top five in the world of her category.
No Irish males ranked in the top 50 in the 100 metres, 200m or 400m with Mark Carroll showing strongest at 16th over 1,500m, 2,000m and the mile.
Tennis: Ireland's prospects of reaching the champions group in next week's European nations championship in Filophei near Athens were virtuallly wiped out yesterday with the news that Scott Barron has lost his battle to gain full fitness, reports Pat Roche.
Barron is likely to be sidelined for at least a month with a stomach muscle injury. He is not being replaced. So, the three-strong Irish team to face Greece, Malta, Slovak Republic and Yugoslavia is Peter Clarke, George McGill and Conor Niland.
Motor Sport: Richard Burns is refusing to concede that his dream of world championship glory is over despite a nightmare time in the Welsh mountains yesterday. The 29-year-old's bid for the title was almost left in tatters within a few miles of the Network Q Rally of Britain resuming in Cardiff yesterday.
Burns badly damaged his suspension after hitting a rock on the first timed stage and the Oxford-based driver finished the section with his left rear wheel poking out at an angle of 20 degrees and he had to hammer it back into shape before continuing.
Cricket: Debutant paceman Marlon Black carried out the instructions from West Indian great Wes Hall to the word yesterday, making a memorable Test debut against Australia in Brisbane.
While his team-mates crumbled around him on the second day of the opening Test at the Gabba, Black emerged from the first Test ruins with figures of 4-83, sparking a mini batting collapse by the Aussies.
Few bowlers have been forced to defend such a low total on their debut, but Black lapped up the advice from Hall. "He just told me to get some wickets, so I tried to do that," Black said.
They still trail Australia by 225 runs with three scheduled days to play.
