The nominees for RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year have been announced, featuring a cast of spellbinding achievements over the past twelve months.
Golf’s Grand Slam, the UEFA Women’s Champions League, World Champions in Rowing, Boxing, Para Athletics and Cycling, World Medals in Athletics and Para Swimming, David Clifford and Troy Parrott will all be celebrated on the night of Saturday 20 December, live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at the earlier time of 8.05 pm.
Joanne Cantwell, Darragh Maloney and David Gillick will steer us through a year to remember in front of a live audience of Irish sports stars.
The eight women and four men nominated for the RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year, will be joined by those to be shortlisted next week for the RTÉ Sport Team of the Year, RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year and RTÉ Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year.
RTÉ SPORT SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR 2025 NOMINEES
Aoife O’Rourke: 75Kg World Champion Boxing
Won Gold at the World Championships and silver in the middleweight division at the IBA Championships.
Ben Healy: World Road Race Bronze Medallist, first world medal in 30 years
First Irishman to lead the tour since Stephen Roche with a stage win to boot. Won a bronze medal at the World Championship road race and the first Irish man to win a medal since Sean Kelly in 1989.
David Clifford: Footballer of the Year
A first ever footballer to win the Footballer of the year for a third time. Top scorer in the Championship with 8-62 and 8-48 from play. A sixth All Star. Plus, League, Munster and All Ireland medals.
Fiona Murtagh: World Single Sculls Champion
Only transitioned to single sculls this year and won World gold, European Silver as well as a silver at the World Rowing Cup.
Katie McCabe: Champions League Winner and 100 caps
Won the Champions League with Arsenal, made her 100th appearance for Ireland an inspired her country to a Nations League play-off victory over Belgium.
Kate O’Connor: World Silver Medallist, Indoor and Outdoor
Silver medal in the World Heptathlon, setting a new Irish National Record (6,714 points). Silver medal in the Pentathlon at the World Indoors. Bronze medal in the Pentathlon at the European Indoors.
Lara Gillespie: Euro Track Cycling Gold – World Gold
In October 2025, Gillespie won the gold medal in the elimination race at the UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile, becoming Ireland’s first-ever female track cycling World Champion. in February 2025, she secured the European title in the same event at the UEC European Track Championships.
Orla Comerford: World Para Gold x 2
Became a double gold medallist at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, winning both the T13 100m and 200m events.
Rory McIlroy: Masters Champion, Players Champion, Irish Open Champion
He had an historic year, highlighted by completing the career Grand Slam with his first-ever win at the US Masters. He secured a total of three PGA Tour wins and two DP World Tour wins, and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup team.
Roisín Ní Riain: 3-time medallist at the World Para Swimming Championships
A hat-trick of silvers at the World Para Swimming Championships by claiming silver in the 100m back stroke and 100m breaststroke as well as the 400m free style and two further bronze medals in the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley.
Sarah Healy: European Indoor Gold 3000m
She won a gold medal in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships, securing her first Diamond League victory, and reaching the final of the World Athletics Championships.
Troy Parrott: Hat-trick Hero of Budapest
Scored a match-winning brace against Portugal in November 2025. Followed this with a hat-trick against Hungary to secure Ireland’s place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs. Became the first Irish player since 2014 to score a competitive hat-trick.
Image Credit: RTÉ Sport
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