The Olympic Federation of Ireland has published the shortlist for the 2026 Team Ireland Olympic Sport Awards.
A public vote will now take place ahead of the awards ceremony on November 28.
Voting will be open until November 15, with the shortlist reflecting another strong year across Irish Olympic sport, from international performances and emerging talent through to coaching, high-performance programmes, major events and community impact.
The Female Athlete of the Year category, sponsored by Allianz, brings together Lara Gillespie, Kate O’Connor, Ellen Walshe and Fiona Murtagh, while the Male Athlete of the Year shortlist features Mark English, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
There is similarly strong competition for Team of the Year, sponsored by Flogas, with Mags Cremen and Zoe Hyde, the Irish Senior Eventing Team and the Irish Men’s Hockey Team shortlisted.
The Coach of the Year contenders are Brian Sweeney, Michael O’Connor and Denise Walsh, while five of the next generation of Irish sporting talent – John Shortt, Ben Lynch, Sean Butterly, Sophia Young and Emer Heverin – have been nominated for the Sport Ireland-sponsored Rising Star award.
One category of particular interest from a sport-business perspective is the Deloitte-sponsored High Performance Programme of the Year.
Athletics, Boxing, Swimming and Golf have all made the shortlist, recognising not simply individual performances but the structures, investment, coaching and support systems sitting behind success on the international stage.
The Event of the Year category, sponsored by McKVR, also highlights Ireland’s growing strength as a host of major sporting occasions.
The Sailing World Championships in Dún Laoghaire, Rás na mBan and the Dublin Horse Show and Aga Khan Trophy Centenary have been shortlisted, three very different events with strong connections to participation, tourism, international visibility and commercial partnership.
Community impact is recognised through an award sponsored by SPAR and EUROSPAR. Ballymun Athletics Club, Monkstown Boxing Club in Belfast and James Gray of Jobstown Boxing Club are the three finalists.
Five contenders for Image of the Year, sponsored by Fiat, celebrate photographers who captured the people and moments that shaped Irish Olympic sport during 2026.
They are Sam Barnes, for an image of Kate O’Connor in the high jump; Bryan Keane of Inpho, featuring Mona McSharry at the Irish Open Swimming Championships; Tyler Miller, capturing Kristian Jubani of Crumlin Boxing Club; Lorraine O’Sullivan, for an image from the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS; and Andrew Conan, featuring sailors Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson in the 49er.
The awards have become an important annual celebration of the wider Team Ireland ecosystem, extending the focus beyond medals and results to the coaches, programmes, volunteers, clubs and events that underpin international success.
They also bring together a strong portfolio of commercial supporters, with Allianz, Flogas, Key Patent Innovations, Sport Ireland, Deloitte, McKVR, SPAR/EUROSPAR and Fiat attached to individual categories this year.
The winners will be revealed at the Team Ireland Olympic Sport Awards on November 28.
The 2026 Team Ireland Olympic Sport Awards Shortlist
Female of the Year – Allianz: Lara Gillespie; Kate O’Connor; Ellen Walshe; Fiona Murtagh.
Male of the Year – Allianz: Mark English; Rory McIlroy; Shane Lowry.
Team of the Year – Flogas: Mags Cremen & Zoe Hyde; Irish Senior Eventing Team; Irish Men’s Hockey Team.
Coach of the Year – Key Patent Innovations: Brian Sweeney; Michael O’Connor; Denise Walsh.
Rising Star – Sport Ireland: John Shortt; Ben Lynch; Sean Butterly; Sophia Young; Emer Heverin.
High Performance Programme of the Year – Deloitte: Athletics; Boxing; Swimming; Golf.
Event of the Year – McKVR: Sailing World Championships, Dún Laoghaire; Rás na mBan; Dublin Horse Show and Aga Khan Trophy Centenary.
Community Impact Award – SPAR/EUROSPAR: Ballymun Athletics Club; Monkstown Boxing Club, Belfast; James Gray, Jobstown Boxing Club.
Image of the Year – Fiat: Sam Barnes; Bryan Keane (Inpho); Tyler Miller; Lorraine O’Sullivan; Andrew Conan.
Voting is available through the Olympic Sport Awards website until November 15.
The Olympic Federation of Ireland, Allianz, Flogas and Sport Ireland are full members of the Sport for Business Community. If you would like to join them and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the daily conversation around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Olympic Federation of Ireland
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