Each weekend, we highlight some of the performances that light up the Irish sporting landscape.
This weekend, we celebrate success in Golf, Show Jumping, Gaelic Football, Ladies Football, Rugby, Sailing and Cycling.
This week’s Champions of the Weekend is brought to you by AIG, one of Sport for Business’s key partners and supporters of our annual 50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport, which will be published in the coming months.
Ireland Men’s Golf Team
Ireland’s amateur golfers delivered the outstanding Irish international achievement of the weekend, defeating hosts Estonia 4-3 to win the European Amateur Team Championship for the first time since 2008.
With the final tied at 3-3, Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins recovered from finding the water on the 20th hole to hole a 20-foot par putt and place all the pressure back on his opponent.
When Kevin Christopher Jegers was unable to respond, the celebrations could begin.
Matt McClean and Caolan Rafferty had secured a foursomes victory in the morning before McClean and Amateur champion Stuart Grehan won their singles matches.
Higgins then supplied the decisive moment for a team that also included John Doyle and Gavin Tiernan and was captained by Damien Coyne.
Emer Heverin and Seth Dunwoody
Belfast teenager Emer Heverin delivered a remarkable breakthrough performance at the Junior and Under-23 European Track Championships in Cottbus, becoming the junior women’s points race champion.
The 17-year-old entered the final sprint one point behind the leader but powered clear to collect the maximum ten points and secure the European title with 20 points, nine clear of silver medallist Olga Kostina.
It completed an exceptional two days for the first-year junior, who had already won silver in the women’s omnium at what was her first major championship representing Ireland.
Heverin is also the reigning Irish junior road race and time trial champion, as well as the elite national criterium champion, making her one of the most exciting young talents in Irish cycling.
Seth Dunwoody took to the track on Friday evening, making his return to track racing at these championships after over two years away. Dunwoody, recently crowned Elite Road Race National Champion at just 20 years old, has placed greater focus on road racing in recent years with his Bahrain-Victorious team.
The longer road racing experience came into play in Friday‘s Points race, with the Irish rider growing into the race throughout. A tit-for-tat affair with local favourite Tobias Muller throughout the race made for exciting watching, but ultimately Dunwoody came out on top.
Shane Sweetnam
Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz delivered one of the biggest victories of the international show jumping season by winning the €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix at the Falsterbo Horse Show in Sweden.
Sweetnam was the last rider into the arena for the second round and produced a second clear in 37.68 seconds, beating Germany’s Richard Vogel by almost a full second.
It was Sweetnam’s first CSIO5* Grand Prix victory and secured one of the most prestigious titles on the Rolex Series.
Wicklow Football
Wicklow produced one of the great Croke Park comebacks to defeat Down by 1-21 to 2-16 and lift the Tailteann Cup.
Oisín McConville’s side trailed by 2-10 to 0-4 at half-time but transformed the contest after the restart, outscoring Down by 1-17 to 0-6.
Captain and Player of the Match, Dean Healy scored the goal that brought Wicklow level before they powered on to become the first Division Four county to win the competition.
The victory also secures Wicklow a place in the 2027 Sam Maguire Championship.
Mayo Football
Mayo are back in the All-Ireland Senior Football Final following a commanding 3-23 to 0-15 victory over Louth.
The first half remained competitive, but Mayo overwhelmed their opponents after the break, dominating the Louth kick-out and repeatedly cutting through the defence.
Ryan O’Donoghue, Conor Loftus and Kobe McDonald found the net as Andy Moran’s side reached the county’s first All-Ireland final since 2021.
They will return to Croke Park on July 26th with another opportunity to end one of Irish sport’s most discussed waits.
Kerry Football
Defending champions Kerry survived a major examination from Dublin to secure their place alongside Mayo in the All-Ireland final.
Goals from Seán O’Brien and David Clifford proved decisive as Jack O’Connor’s side emerged with a 2-18 to 0-20 victory.
Dublin led during the second half and created enough chances to cause a major upset, but Kerry held their nerve and finished strongly to remain on course to retain the Sam Maguire Cup.
It will be the first All-Ireland final meeting of Kerry and Mayo since 2006.
Waterford Ladies Football
Waterford preserved their place in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship with a 0-15 to 1-8 relegation play-off victory over Tipperary in Mallow.
Tipperary’s goal left the contest finely balanced, but Waterford produced the stronger finish to secure senior status for 2027.
For Waterford, the victory brought relief and the opportunity to rebuild at the highest level. Tipperary will compete in the Intermediate Championship next season.
Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove finished ninth overall and sixth among the European crews at the 49er European Championships in Eckernförde.
The Howth and Skerries sailors began the regatta with a race victory and a second-place finish, led the standings after the opening day and remained in the European medal positions deep into the competition.
The two scheduled final races were cancelled because of insufficient wind, leaving the Irish crew ninth overall.
There was disappointment at missing the podium, but reaching the Final Series and competing at the front of an elite international fleet represented another positive step on the road towards Los Angeles 2028.
Ireland Men’s Rugby Team
Ireland made it two wins from two in the new Nations Championship with a 36-20 bonus-point victory over Japan in Newcastle, Australia.
A much-changed Irish team scored five tries through Nick Timoney, Tom O’Toole, Robbie Henshaw, Seán Jansen and Tom Stewart.
Jansen marked his first appearance with a try, while Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Bryn Ward also earned their first caps.
Japan reduced the gap to six points during the second half before Ireland pulled clear over the closing ten minutes.
Galway Under-20 Ladies Football
Galway became the first winners of the LGFA All-Ireland Under-20 Championship with a 3-11 to 1-9 victory over Donegal in Tubbercurry.
Alisha O’Malley produced the standout individual performance, scoring 2-8 of Galway’s total as they claimed the inaugural national title.
The creation of the competition is an important addition to the pathway between underage and senior inter-county football, and Galway will forever hold the distinction of being its first champions.
Rían McCrystal
Dundalk teenager Rían McCrystal won the Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland after a dramatic final stage in County Clare.
McCrystal had lost the yellow jersey by three seconds on Saturday but finished second on the final stage, collecting the time bonus needed to regain the overall lead.
Representing the Cycling Ireland national team, he finished the six-day race with the yellow jersey, the points jersey and two stage victories.
It was an impressive display of speed, consistency and resilience from one of the most exciting young riders in Irish cycling.
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