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Kellie Harrington has been named as the 2024 Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year.
The announcement was greeted by a standing ovation from a room full of her peers and Kellie nailed her acceptance speech like she nailed her back to back Olympic Gold medals.
“To all the women of Ireland, in sport and beyond, keep on encouraging young boys, young girls, everyone. Win, lose or draw, just keep on doing what you are doing… because it’s great!”
Katie George Dunlevy, Linda Kelly and Eve McCrystal won the Team of the Year Award to equal acclaim.
A very, very special day and a privilege as ever to be a part of it.
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Today will be the last day before the Christmas break for many and what has become a traditional book end to the year, the Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year Awards will bring many together at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin this lunchtime.
There is special vibrancy to this year’s Award as it marks the 20th anniversary of its being held.
Sonia O’Sullivan and Cora Staunton were among the monthly winners who gathered back in 2024 and there have been 147 to join them down the years.
Each of the winners from the past 12 months will be recognised and feted today with one being named as the Sportswoman of the Year, an accolade given last year to Katie McCabe, five times before that to Katie Taylor, twice to Briege Corkery as well as to Amy Broadhurst, Rachael Blackmore, Sanita Puspure, Kellie Harrington, Jessica Harrington, Annalise Murphy, Rena Buckley, Fiona Coghlan, Nina Carberry, Grainne Murphy, Derval O’Rourke, and Cathy Gannon.
This year’s winner will come from a roll call of the monthly winners that is testament to the strength and depth of the Sportswomen that have lit up the sporting world once more in 2024.
December 2023 – Fionnuala McCormack
January 2024 – Lucy Mulhall
February 2024 – Mona McSharry
March 2024 – Rachael Blackmore
April 2024 – Róisín Ní Ríaian
May 2024 – Rhasidat Adeleke
June 2024 – Ciara Mageean
July 2024 – Kellie Harrington
August 2024 – Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh
September 2024 – Katie George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly
October 2024 – Lara Gillespie
November 2024 – Katie Taylor
The winner will be deserving coming from that exalted company and it will be a pleasure to rise and salue them when they are named later on today.
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
It is a time of year to celebrate the winners and there are so many. That is a testament to the hard work put in by so many women over these past 20 years and before, and by men in supporting them.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
We will update this story later today when the winner is announced.
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