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RTÉ Sports Person of the Year

Irish sports award

Field	Value
name	RTÉ Sports Personality of the Year Award
awarded_for	Excellence in sporting achievement
presenter	RTÉ Sport
country	Ireland
year
website
holder	Paul O'Donovan (2024; rowing)
holder_label	Most recent winner

The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have achieved the most that year. The winner was originally chosen by a special panel of RTÉ journalists and editorial staff, but was selected by a public vote from a predetermined shortlist in 2016.

History

The first Irish sports award ceremony took place in 1985, and was closely modelled on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Four people have won the award multiple times: athlete Sonia O'Sullivan won the award five times, including a record three successive awards, and golfer Pádraig Harrington and boxer Katie Taylor, with three wins, and golfer Rory McIlroy, who won it twice. The oldest recipient of the award is Christy O'Connor Jnr, who won in 1989 aged 41. Rory McIlroy, who first won in 2011, aged 22, is the youngest winner. Ten sporting disciplines have been represented; golf has the highest representation, with eight recipients.

Eamonn Darcy, Ronan Rafferty and Des Smyth, who won the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1988, are the only non-individual winners of the award. Counting them separately, there have been thirty-four winners of the award (from 1985 to 2024). Seven of these have been Northern Irish. The most recent award was made in 2024 to double Olympic champion rower Paul O'Donovan.

Winners

Year	Winner	Sport

1985	Boxing	Defeated Eusebio Pedroza to become World Boxing Association featherweight champion.
1986	Cycling	He finished on a podium in a grand tour for the first time when he finished third in the 1986 Vuelta a España.
1987	Cycling	Winner of the 1987 Tour de France, 1987 Giro d'Italia and 1987 World Cycling Championships, becoming only the second man after Eddy Merckx to win cycling's Triple Crown.
1988	Golf	For winning the 1988 Dunhill Cup.
1989	Golf	For a "pivotal" 2 iron shot on the last hole at the Belfry which he left just 4 feet from the hole during the successful 1989 Ryder Cup.
1990	Soccer	For his penalty save from Daniel Timofte of Romania which propelled the Republic of Ireland to the quarter-final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
1991	Rugby union	Overall top scorer with 68 points at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
1992	Boxing	Gold medallist in the welterweight section at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
1993	Athletics	Silver medallist in the 1500m at the World Championships.
1994	Athletics	Gold medallist in the 3000m at the European Championships.
1995	Athletics	Gold medallist in the 5000m at the World Championships.
1996	Swimming	Triple Olympic gold medallist for the 400m individual medley, 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley, and bronze medallist for the 200m butterfly event.
1997	Snooker	Winner of the 1997 World Snooker Championship.
1998	Athletics	Double gold medallist at the World Cross-Country Championships and double gold medallist at the European Championships.
1999	Soccer	Captain of the Manchester United team that completed a treble of English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League successes.
2000	Athletics	Olympic silver medallist in the women's 5000m at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. This was her record fifth win in the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year.
2001	Soccer	Secured qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup for the Republic of Ireland national soccer team.
2002	Golf	Member of the European team that won the 2002 Ryder Cup.
2003	Horse racing	Winning jockey of the Aintree Grand National on Monty's Pass.
2004	Rugby union	Out-half of the Ireland team that won the Triple Crown in the 2004 Six Nations Championship.
2005	Hurling	All-Ireland- winning captain with Cork and winner of a third All-Ireland medal.
2006	Hurling	Won his fourth All-Ireland medal with Kilkenny as well as being named Hurler of the Year for a second time.
2007	Golf	Became the first Irishman in over sixty years to win the Open Championship.
2008	Golf	Retained his Open Championship, thus becoming the first European to win back to back major championships.
2009	Rugby union	Grand Slam-winning captain and member of the Leinster team that won the 2008–09 Heineken Cup
2010	Golf	Winner of the 2010 US Open and member of the European team that won the 2010 Ryder Cup.
2011	Golf	Winner of the 2011 US Open.
2012	Boxing	Olympic gold medallist in the women's lightweight section at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
2013	Horse racing	18-times champion jockey who created history in November when he rode his 4,000th winner over jumps.
2014	Golf	Won the 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship, became the first European to win three different majors, and was a member of the European team that won the 2014 Ryder Cup.
2015	Boxing	Won the gold medal in the bantamweight division at the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships.
2016	Mixed martial arts	Became the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously.
2017	Soccer	Scored one of Ireland's most famous goals when he netted to secure a 1-0 win away to Wales, which secured a 2018 FIFA World Cup playoff spot.
2018	Rugby union	Won a Six Nations Grand Slam with Ireland, a Pro14-Champions Cup double with Leinster and was named World Rugby Player of the Year.
2019	Golf	Winner of the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club.
2020	Boxing	Successfully defended her undisputed lightweight belts after defeating Delfine Persoon and Miriam Gutiérrez.
2021	Horse racing	The first woman to win the Grand National and the first to claim the leading rider title at the Cheltenham Festival.
2022	Boxing	Successfully defended her undisputed lightweight belts after defeating Amanda Serrano in a historic fight at Madison Square Garden, and also beating Karen Carabajal.
2023	Gymnastics	McClenaghan won a second European title and retained the world title in the 2023 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Entered Olympic year as reigning World, European and Commonwealth Games champion in the pommel horse.
2024	Rowing	O'Donovan won a second Olympic gold medal and third Olympic Medal in a row alongside Fintan McCarthy, making him the first Irish athlete to win three consecutive Olympic medals and the most successful Irish Olympian. He also won a World title in the lightweight Single Sculls

Gallery

File:Sean Kelly, Tour de France 2009.jpg|Seán Kelly won in 1986. File:Roche - Tour de France 1993 (cropped).jpg|Stephen Roche won in 1987. File:Christy O'Connor.JPG|Christy O'Connor Jnr won in 1989. File:Sonia osullivan 2000-2.jpg|Sonia O'Sullivan won in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998 and 2000. File:Ken Doherty PHC 2012-3.jpg|Ken Doherty won in 1997. File:Roy keane 2014.jpg|Roy Keane won in 1999. File:Mick McCarthy Wolverhampton Wanderers Manager.jpg|Mick McCarthy won in 2001. File:Ronan O'Gara 2007 (cropped).jpg|Ronan O'Gara won in 2004. File:Henry Shefflin.jpg|Henry Shefflin won in 2006. File:Brian O'Driscoll_2.jpg|Brian O'Driscoll won in 2009. File:Graeme McDowell.jpg|Graeme McDowell won in 2010. File:Rory McIlroy (9094912745).jpg|Rory McIlroy won in 2011 and 2014. File:Katie Taylor 2012 (cropped).jpg|Katie Taylor won in 2012, 2020 and 2022. File:Tony McCoy.JPG|A. P. "Tony" McCoy won in 2013. File:Michael Conlan Web Summit.jpg|Michael Conlan won in 2015. File:Conor McGregor.jpg|Conor McGregor won in 2016. File:FIFA WC-qualification 2014 - Austria vs Ireland 2013-09-10 - James McClean 01.jpg|James McClean won in 2017. File:Jonathan Sexton - 2013-09-04.jpg|Johnny Sexton won in 2018. File:Shane Lowry KLM Open 2010.JPG|Shane Lowry won in 2019. File:Rhys McClenaghan (IRL) 2022.jpg|Rhys McClenaghan won in 2023.

By number of wins

This table lists those who have won more than once (ordered by the most wins, with the earliest win acting as a tie-breaker).

Accurate up-to and including the 2022 award.

Winner	Number of wins	Sonia O'Sullivan	Pádraig Harrington	Katie Taylor	Rory McIlroy
5
3
3
3

By sport

This table lists the total number of awards won by the winner's sport (ordered by number of wins, with the earliest win acting as a tie-breaker). The 3 winners in 1988 (all golfers) are counted separately.

Accurate up-to and including the 2024 award.

Sport	Number of wins	Golf	Boxing	Athletics	Soccer	Rugby union	Horse racing	Cycling	Hurling	Swimming	Snooker	Mixed martial arts	Gymnastics	Rowing	Total

By gender

This table lists the total number of awards won by the winner's gender. There have not yet been any mixed-gender winners (unlike figure-skating couple Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean in the British equivalent). The 3 (male) winners in 1988 are counted separately.

Accurate up-to and including the 2023 award.

Gender	Number of wins	Male	Female	Mixed	Total

By disability

So far (as of the 2022 awards) all winners have been able-bodied athletes, but para athletes among the nominees have included Jason Smyth (para athletics) in 2012 to 2014, 2017 to 2019, and 2021, and Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal (para cycling) in 2016 and 2017.

2010s winners and nominees

The winner is in bold.

2010

IRL Katie Taylor (boxing)
IRL Graeme McDowell (golf)
IRL Gráinne Murphy (swimming)
IRL Tony McCoy (horse racing)
IRL Lar Corbett (hurling)
IRL Paddy Barnes (boxing)
IRL Tommy Bowe (rugby union)
IRL Derval O'Rourke (athletics)
IRL Rory McIlroy (golf)

2011

IRL Darren Clarke (golf)
IRL Michael Fennelly (hurling)
IRL Seán O'Brien (rugby union)
IRL Katie Taylor (boxing)
IRL Rory McIlroy (golf)
IRL John Joe Nevin (boxing)
IRL Kevin O'Brien (cricket)
IRL Alan Brogan (Gaelic football)
IRL Robbie Keane (soccer)

2012

IRL Fionnuala Britton (athletics)
IRL Rob Kearney (rugby union)
IRL Karl Lacey (Gaelic football)
IRL Rory McIlroy (golf)
IRL Michael McKillop (athletics)
IRL Joseph O'Brien (horse racing)
IRL Mark Rohan (cycling)
IRL Henry Shefflin (hurling)
IRL Jason Smyth (para athletics)
IRL Katie Taylor (boxing)

2013

IRL Robert Heffernan (athletics)
IRL Martyn Irvine (cycling)
IRL Tony Kelly (hurling)
IRL Michael Darragh MacAuley (Gaelic football)
IRL Tony McCoy (horse racing)
IRL Michael McKillop (athletics)
IRL Annalise Murphy (sailing)
IRL Joseph O'Brien (horse racing)
IRL Jason Quigley (boxing)
IRL Johnny Sexton (rugby union)
IRL Jason Smyth (para athletics)

2014

IRL Niamh Briggs (rugby union)
IRL Seamus Coleman (soccer)
IRL Briege Corkery (camogie and ladies' Gaelic football)
IRL Mark English (athletics)
IRL Carl Frampton (boxing)
IRL Rory McIlroy (golf)
IRL Michael McKillop (athletics)
IRL James O'Donoghue (Gaelic football)
IRL Johnny Sexton (rugby union)
IRL Jason Smyth (para athletics)
IRL Richie Hogan (hurling)
IRL Katie Taylor (boxing)

2015

IRL Michael Conlan (boxing)
IRL Leighton Aspell (horse racing)
IRL Rena Buckley (camogie)
IRL Andy Lee (boxing)
IRL Shane Lowry (golf)
IRL Jack McCaffrey (Gaelic football)
IRL Rory McIlroy (golf)
IRL Michael McKillop (athletics)
IRL Paul O'Connell (rugby union)
IRL TJ Reid (hurling)
IRL Sophie Spence (rugby union)
IRL Richie Towell (soccer)
IRL Jon Walters (soccer)
IRL Conor McGregor (MMA)

2016

IRL Séamus Callanan (hurling)
IRL Eoghan Clifford (cycling)
IRL Katie-George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal (para cycling)
IRL Denise Gaule (camogie)
IRL Brian Fenton (Gaelic football)
IRL Carl Frampton (boxing)
IRL Daryl Horgan (soccer)
IRL Annalise Murphy (sailing)
IRL Conor McGregor (MMA)
IRL Paul O'Donovan (rowing)
IRL Jamie Heaslip (rugby union)
IRL Bríd Stack (ladies' Gaelic football)

2017

IRL Rena Buckley (Camogie)
IRL Ryan Burnett (Boxing)
IRL Joe Canning (Hurling)
IRL Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal (para cycling)
IRL Noëlle Healy (Ladies' Gaelic Football)
IRL James McClean (Soccer)
IRL Michael McKillop (Athletics)
IRL Andy Moran (Gaelic Football)
IRL Conor Murray (Rugby)
IRL Paul O'Donovan (Rowing)
IRL Robbie Power (Horse racing)
IRL Jason Smyth (Para athletics)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)
IRL Joe Ward (Boxing)

2018

IRL Sinéad Aherne (Ladies' Gaelic Football)
IRL Thomas Barr (Athletics)
IRL Brian Fenton (Gaelic Football)
IRL Kellie Harrington (Boxing)
IRL Ellen Keane (Swimming)
IRL Cian Lynch (Hurling)
IRL Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
IRL Ayeisha McFerran (Hockey)
IRL Sanita Pušpure (Rowing)
IRL Davy Russell (Horse racing)
IRL Johnny Sexton (Rugby)
IRL Jason Smyth (Para athletics)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)

2019

IRL Séamus Callanan (Hurling)
IRL Stephen Cluxton (Gaelic Football)
IRL Niamh Kilkenny (Camogie)
IRL Shane Lowry (Golf)
IRL Ciara Mageean (Athletics)
IRL Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
IRL Denise O'Sullivan (Soccer)
IRL Sanita Pušpure (Rowing)
IRL Jason Smyth (Para athletics)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)

2020s winners and nominees

The winner is in bold.

2020

IRL Sanita Pušpure (Rowing)
IRL Sam Bennett (Cycling)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)
IRL Ciarán Kilkenny (Gaelic Football)
IRL Gearóid Hegarty (Hurling)
IRL Colin Keane (Horse Racing)

2021

IRL Rachael Blackmore (Horse Racing)
IRL Kellie Harrington (Boxing)
IRL Ellen Keane (Swimming)
IRL Cian Lynch (Hurling)
IRL Leona Maguire (Golf)
IRL Jason Smyth (Para athletics)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)
IRL Vikki Wall (Ladies' Gaelic football)

2022

IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)
IRL Rachael Blackmore (Horse Racing)
IRL Amy Broadhurst (Boxing)
IRL Katie McCabe (Ladies' soccer)
IRL Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
IRL Rory McIlroy (Golf)
IRL Ciara Mageean (Athletics)
IRL Ronan Grimes (Para athletics)
IRL David Clifford (Gaelic football)
IRL Josh van der Flier (Rugby)

2023

IRL Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
IRL Johnny Sexton (Rugby)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)
IRL Paul Townend (Horse Racing)
IRL Katie McCabe (Ladies' soccer)
IRL Aaron Gillane (Hurling)
IRL Róisín Ní Riain (Para swimming)

2024

IRL Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
IRL Kellie Harrington (Boxing)
IRL Daniel Wiffen (Swimming)
IRL Ciara Mageean (Athletics)
IRL Shane O'Donnell (Hurling)
IRL Katie-George Dunlevy (Para Cycling)
IRL Katie Taylor (Boxing)
IRL Paul Townend (Horse Racing)
IRL Anthony Cacace (Boxing)
IRL Paul O'Donovan (rowing)
IRL Rhasidat Adeleke (Athletics)
IRL Róisín Ní Riain (Para swimming)

Young Sportsperson of the Year

2017

Gina Akpe-Moses (Athletics)
David Clifford (Gaelic Football)
Mona McSharry (Swimming)

2018

Rhasidat Adeleke (Athletics)
David Clifford (Gaelic Football)
Niamh Coyne (Swimming)
Sean Crean (Karate)
Lara Gillespie (Cycling)
Kyle Hayes (Hurling)
Sarah Healy (Athletics)
Sommer Lecky (Athletics)
Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
Daina Moorehouse (Boxing)
Donnacha O'Brien (Horse Racing)
Nicole Turner (Para Swimming)
Derbhla Rooney (Boxing)

2019

Rhasidat Adeleke (Athletics)
Craig Casey (Rugby)
Aaron Connolly (Soccer)
Niamh Fay (Boxing)
Lara Gillespie (Cycling)
Sarah Healy (Athletics)
Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics)
Mona McSharry (Swimming)
Adrian Mullen (Hurling)
Kate O'Connor (Athletics)
Nicole Turner (Para Swimming)

2020

Aaron Hill (Snooker)
Katelynn Phelan (Boxing)
Keane Barry (Darts)
Oisin Mullin (Gaelic Football)
Oisin O'Callaghan (Mountain Biking)

2021

Amy Hunter (Cricket)
Emma Duggan (Ladies' Gaelic football)
Gavin Bazunu (Soccer)
Lara Gillespie (Cycling)
Nicole Turner (Para Swimming)
Rhasidat Adeleke (Athletics)

2022

Rhasidat Adeleke (Athletics)
James Culhane (Rugby)
Eve McMahon (Sailing)
Israel Olatunde (Athletics)
Lisa O'Rourke (Boxing)

2023

Brian Gleeson (Rugby)
Elizabeth Ndudi (Athletics)
Nick Griggs (Athletics)
Eve McMahon (Sailing)
Evan Ferguson (Soccer)
Roisin Ní Ríain (Para Swimming)

2024

Lucy Benezet Minns (Cycling)
Kyla Doyle (Boxing)
Oisin Joyce (Athletics)
Eve McMahon (Sailing)
Adam Olanyian (Boxing)
Roisin Ní Ríain (Para Swimming)

References

(16 December 2021). "Every winner of RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year since 1985". RTÉ.
(14 June 2007). "Sport: Sonia wins RTÉ Sports Award". RTÉ Sport.
(14 June 2007). "McCarthy wins top RTÉ Sporting Award". RTÉ Sport.
(14 June 2007). "Harrington wins RTÉ award". RTÉ Sport.
(14 June 2007). "Geraghty scoops major sports award". RTÉ Sport.
(14 June 2007). "O'Gara named Sports Personality of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(14 June 2007). "Shefflin named RTÉ Sports Person of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(26 December 2007). "Harrington named RTÉ Sports Person of Year". RTÉ Sport.
(5 February 2010). "Rugby stars dominate RTÉ Awards". RTÉ Sport.
(22 December 2010). "McDowell named Sportsperson of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(19 December 2011). "McIlroy, Leinster and Trap win RTÉ awards". RTÉ Sport.
(24 December 2012). "Katie Taylor named RTÉ Sports Person of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(22 December 2013). "Tony McCoy crowned RTÉ Sports Person of the Year". Irish Independent.
[http://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2014/1219/668027-rte-sport-awards/ "Rory McIlroy named RTÉ Sport Sports Person of the Year"]. RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 22 December 2014
(19 December 2015). "Michael Conlan named RTÉ Sport Person of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(18 December 2016). "McGregor crowned RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(16 December 2017). "Ireland star James McClean wins RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". Irish Independent.
(15 December 2018). "Johnny Sexton named RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year after sensational 2018". Irish Independent.
(14 December 2019). "Shane Lowry is RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2019". RTÉ.
(28 January 2021). "Katie Taylor is RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2020". RTÉ Sport.
(19 December 2021). "Rachael Blackmore claims RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year award". [[RTÉ Sport]].
(18 December 2022). "Recap: RTE Sports Awards 2022". RTÉ Sport.
(15 December 2010). "Shortlist for RTÉ awards named". The Irish Times.
(8 December 2011). "RTÉ Sports Awards shortlist revealed". RTÉ Sport.
(19 December 2012). "Nominees for RTÉ Sports Awards". RTÉ Sport.
(19 December 2013). "RTÉ Sports Awards 2013". RTÉ Sport.
(8 December 2014). "RTÉ Sports Awards 2014". RTÉ Sport.
(12 December 2015). "The nominees for the 2015 RTÉ Sports Awards have been announced". The 42.
(3 December 2016). "The nominees for the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year award have been revealed". The 42.
(17 December 2016). "Conor McGregor crowned 2016 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year". The 42.
(16 December 2017). "Ireland star James McClean wins RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". Irish Independent.
(15 December 2018). "RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year to be announced tonight". RTÉ Sport.
(15 December 2018). "Johnny Sexton is the RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". RTÉ Sport.
(8 December 2019). "2019 RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year shortlist revealed". RTÉ Sport.
(14 December 2019). "Shane Lowry is RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2019". RTÉ Sport.
(21 January 2021). "Katie Taylor and Sam Bennett among nominees for 2020 RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". The 42.
(21 January 2021). "Sportsperson of the Year: Contenders revealed for 2020 RTE Sport award". RTÉ Sport.
(29 January 2020). "Katie Taylor named RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year for 2020". The 42.
(14 December 2021). "Choose your RTÉ Sportsperson the Year". [[RTÉ Sport]].
(19 December 2021). "Rachael Blackmore crowned RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". The42.ie.
Cox, James. (19 December 2021). "Rachael Blackmore named RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year". BreakingNews.ie.
(10 December 2022). "RTÉ Sport Awards Sportsperson of the Year nominees revealed". RTÉ News.
Doggett, Eamon. (18 December 2022). "RTE Sport Awards 2022 recap and winners as Katie Taylor scoops top gong".
(12 December 2023). "RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year nominees revealed". RTÉ News.
(16 December 2023). "Rhys McClenaghan wins RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year award". RTÉ News.

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