Stephanie Roche for lifting Women’s soccer to previously undreamt of heights of public consciousness and Triathlete Aileen Reid whose comeback from injury saw her finish eighth in the World ranking are the last two names in the mix for the Irish Times / Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year award.
The winner will now be selected from between them and the previous Sportswomen of the month and unveiled at the tradition celebration lunch in Dublin on Friday, December 19th. They will be succeeding Fiona Coghlan (above) who won last year’s event and is among the nominees again in 2014.
The others to be shortlisted are:
- January: Michelle Fahy as MVP in the wonderful National League Final in Basketball
- February: Niamh Briggs for her starring role in the first Women’s Rugby international to be played at the Aviva Stadium.
- March: Sarah Greene, Captain of the UCD Hockey team after a spectacular season of success.
- April: Savannah McCarthy for her part in helping Ireland reach the European Championship U19 finals in soccer
- May: Sanita Puspure for her performances at the European Rowing Championships
- June: Katie Taylor’s sixth European Title and Stephanie Meadow‘s third place finish at the US Open saw a dual award granted.
- July: Chloe Mustaki as Captain of that same U19 team that reached the semi final of the European U19 Championships in Soccer
- August: Fiona Coghlan marking her achievement and that of her team mates at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in France
- September: Another Double header as Cork pair Anna Geary and Briege Corkery were rewarded for the county’s All Ireland double in Camogie and Football.
- October: Maria McCambridge who completed a personal best time in the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon at the age of 39 and now has her sights on Rio.
It has been a spectacular year for Women’s sport here on and off the field with Continental Tyres and Aon joining Liberty Insurance as major multinational brands throwing their heavyweight support behind the belated but inevitable surge towards genuine parity of esteem.
The 15 Women named above are in the vanguard of all those who see sport as something for them and not the preserve of the men that have traditionally dominated the headlines.
