The Irish Times/Mitsubishi Sportswoman of the Year Awards: We have our 12 monthly Irish Times/Mitsubishi Electric Sports Woman award winners for 2005, now it's time to narrow it down to one for the overall award.

A foul task it was too. Comparing and contrasting professional and amateur, national and international, team and individual sportswomen is nigh on impossible, but teeth had to be gritted and votes had to be cast - the winner will be announced at a ceremony in Dublin on Friday.

These are the contenders.

January

Carmel Kissane (Basketball)

The Listowel woman, having only returned to action at Christmas after breaking her ankle playing for the Republic of Ireland soccer team, inspired Killester to success in the National Basketball Cup final.

February

Jolene Byrne (Athletics)

The American-born runner won her first Irish title at the National Cross Country Championships, holding off the challenge of Olympian Marie McCambridge, one of several fine runs in the early part of the year, amongst them her fifth-place finish at the Grand Challenge International Cross Country Event in Belfast.

March

Nina Carberry (Horse Racing)

A memorable year for the young jockey, but the highlight was becoming the first woman rider since 1987 to win a professional race at the Cheltenham Festival - and only the fourth ever. She triumphed on the 20 to 1 outsider Dabiroun in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

April

Madeline Perry (Squash)

The Banbridge professional, now ranked at 11th in the world, led Ireland to bronze at the European Team Championships in Amsterdam. Included in Perry's four victories at the event were defeats of the French and Scottish number ones.

May

Katie Taylor (Boxing)

The Bray teenager became the first Irish woman to win a gold medal at the European Championships when she beat Finland's Eva Walstrom in Norway - having defeated the title holder, Turkey's Gulsum Tatar, en route to the final. Taylor also won the FAI Under-19 Player of the Year award and played for Peamount United in the FAI Senior Cup Final at Lansdowne Road.

June

Jenny Burke (Hockey)

In November the second most capped player in Irish hockey (161 caps) announced her international retirement, but 2005 proved to be a fitting climax to her senior career. In August, Burke was vice captain of the Irish team that equalled its best ever finish (fifth) at the European Championships, but she won her award for her KT Cup performances in Korea, the highlight her display in Ireland's draw with heavyweights China.

July

Eileen O'Keeffe (Athletics)

The Kilkenny athlete underlined her remarkable progress in hammer throwing when she broke the Irish record on three successive weekends. Soon after taking up the event, just over five years ago, O'Keeffe threw her first Irish record, 57.17 metres, but by the end of July she had taken it to 69.36 at the Dublin International in Santry, where she also retained her discus title.

August

Niamh Fahey (Gaelic football)

Another sporting all-rounder, the Galway teenager is an Irish soccer international who, just as she was in 2004, was one of the three nominees for the FAI's Under-19 Player of the Year award. Fahey, though, caught our eye when she scored 2-6 in Galway's All-Ireland football win over their old rivals Mayo. She also captained Galway's minors to the All-Ireland football title.

September

Briege Corkery (Camogie)

Still only 18, but Corkery will struggle to cap the dazzling sporting year she's had. Along with three other dual players, she made history by winning senior All-Ireland camogie and football medals with Cork. Her switch to midfield changed the course of the camogie final.

October

Jessica Kürten (Equestrian)

The Antrim-born rider was honoured for her achievement of becoming the first Irish woman to break into the International Equestrian Federation's top 10, rising to sixth in the world rankings - and at the Las Vegas Invitational she was placed in all six of the classes.

November

Nicole Morgan (Surfing)

The 22-year-old from Bundoran took time off from college in the hope that 12 months of full-time surfing would take her to a higher level in her sport. Her aim was to finish in the top four of the British championships, but she had to settle for . . . first.

December

Jessica Kürten (Equestrian)

With another string of fine performances on her debut at the Olympia Christmas Show in London, she only missed out on winning the Grand Prix on the final night by two-tenths of a second.