Excellence in 10 sprts in 2005 is recognised in the 48th Texaco awards, which are announced today. For the first time in over 30 years, cricket wins an accolade, while eight of the 10 are first-time winners. The awards will be presented by the Taoiseach at a banquet next week.
GAELIC FOOTBALL/Stephen O'Neill: Few players will ever repeat the consistency displayed by O'Neill during Tyrone's epic march to this year's All-Ireland title. In Ulster competition, he notched up some remarkable tallies, including 10 points in the drawn final against Armagh and 2-6 in the All-Ireland qualifier against Monaghan. He scored 1-9 in the two meetings with Dublin, 1-4 against Armagh and four points in the final victory over Kerry. In all, he scored 5-50 during the summer.
GOLF/Padraig Harrington: Although the year was overshadowed by the death of his father, Harrington managed to become the first Irishman to win twice on the US PGA Tour. In March, he held his nerve to beat Vijay Singh in a play-off for the Honda Classic in Florida, having shot 63 in his final round. And Harrington made it two wins on US soil when he holed a 65-foot putt on the last green for an eagle three and a one-shot victory in the Westchester Classic in New York in June.
CRICKET/Ed Joyce: Joyce is the first cricket winner of a Texaco award in over 30 years. The 26-year-old Middlesex batsman, now on the verge of making it into an England Test squad after becoming eligible for selection in July, enjoyed a remarkable year for his county and country. As well as being one of the top run-scorers in county cricket, the Dubliner played a key role in Ireland's qualification for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. Joyce averaged over 75 runs per innings in five games for Ireland in June's ICC Trophy. He is currently touring with the England A side in India.
SOCCER/Damien Richardson: In taking Cork City last weekend to their first league title in 12 years, Richardson managed to attain the one medal that up to then eluded him as a player and manager. In going through the 33-match campaign with only three defeats, his team displayed all the characteristics of champions and now have the chance of a double when they meet Drogheda in the FA Cup final. His young side also made inroads in Europe, reaching the first round of the Uefa Cup by overcoming Djurgardens and Erkanas.
ATHLETICS/David Gillick: No matter what happens in the rest of his career, Gillick will never forget his first trip to Madrid last March for the European Indoor Championships. The Dundrum 400-metre runner won the gold by beating local hero David Canal with relative ease. His sudden rise to stardom is down to the old-fashioned combination of hard work and sound coaching under Jim Kidd and Lucy Moore. A back injury ruled him out of the best part of the outdoor season, but Gillick is already eyeing next summer's European championships in Gothenburg.
HURLING/Jerry O'Connor: A pivotal figure in Cork's successful defence of their All-Ireland title, O'Connor is now a strong candidate to captain the side when they go for the three-in- a-row next year. Twin brother of team-mate Ben, Jerry reserved his best performances of 2005 for the latter stages of the championship. The Newtownshandrum player and Tom Kenny got the upper hand in midfield in the epic semi-final with Clare - O'Connor going on to score the winning point. And, in the final, he capped a marvellous display with two points.
RUGBY/Trevor Brennan: Brennan rounded off another great season at the highest level of club rugby in Europe by winning his second European Cup medal with Toulouse in May. Despite being a virtual ever-present in Europe's premier side for three years, the 32-year-old has not enjoyed similar success at international level, with calls for his inclusion in the Irish squad being constantly ignored. A key figure in the Toulouse lineout in the 18-12 win over Stade Français in the final at Murrayfield.
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL/Valerie Mulcahy: Mulcahy may be only 22, but she has won every major honour in the sport. The corner forward's natural ability was recognised with an All Star last year, but it was her scoring exploits that stood out in 2005. Her influence in Cork's All-Ireland final success was huge. She claimed 1-5, scoring a penalty in the last 10 minutes which effectively ended Galway's challenge. Earlier in the season, she ran up 2-2 in the league final win over Galway.
HORSE RACING/Kieren Fallon: In his first full season with Coolmore, Fallon delivered a Guineas double for Aidan O'Brien when Virginia Waters and Footstepsinthesand prevailed at Newmarket in May. He also captured his first Irish Derby on Hurricane Run at the Curragh. And he partnered Hurricane Run to success in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October, the day he scored a Group One treble.
