RTÉ Sport have named the individuals and the teams shortlisted for next Sunday’s RTÉ Sport Awards with 12 in contention for the individual awards and nine for the team of the year.
Meanwhile over in Britain, the six candidates for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year have also been named.
RTÉ SPORT SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR 2024 NOMINEES
RHYS McCLENAGHAN
The reigning RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year, followed up a brilliant 2023 with an even better 2024. Rhys became the first ever Irish Gymnast to medal at an Olympic Games, picking up Pommel Horse Gold and banishing the heartbreak he suffered in Tokyo three years earlier.
KELLIE HARRINGTON
Kellie Harrington became Ireland’s first ever individual back-to-back Olympic champion at Paris 2024 adding Gold to the Gold she picked up in Tokyo 2020.
DANIEL WIFFEN
If 2023 was his breakout year, 2024 was the year in which Daniel Wiffen arrived. Double World Gold was followed up with an Olympic Gold and Bronze and an 800m freestyle Olympic record.
CIARA MAGEEAN
Ciara won bronze in 2016, silver in 2022 and in 2024, achieved a lifelong dream, winning Gold in the 1500m at the European Championships.
SHANE O’DONNELL
The star Clare forward hurler earned the title of GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year and The Sunday Game Hurler of the Year 2024.
PAUL O’DONOVAN
After a successful Paris 2024, Paul became the first Irish Olympian to win medals at three consecutive games, winning Olympic Gold at the double sculls – and Gold at the World Rowing Championships single sculls.
KATIE GEORGE DUNLEVY
In 2024, Ireland’s most successful female Paralympic athlete brought home a Gold and two Silvers, bringing her Paralympic medal haul to eight across three games. She also picked double World Gold on the Road this year.
KATIE TAYLOR
The Bray boxer is the undisputed World Super-lightweight Champion. This year she defended her status as undisputed world light-welterweight champion following a unanimous decision victory over Amanda Serrano in Texas.
PAUL TOWNEND
The second jockey in history and the first since 1930 to win the Champion Hurdle, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National.
ANTHONY CACACE
The boxer beat Joe Cordina to take the IBF World title belt and become Ireland’s first Super-featherweight Champion.
RHASIDAT ADELEKE
After a breakout year, Rhasidat won Gold at the European Championships as part of the Mixed relay team, individual silver in the 400m and silver in the women’s 4 x 400m as well as breaking a whole host of national records and becoming Irish Athlete of the Year.
RÓISÍN NÍ RIAIN
After making her Paralympic debut in Tokyo 2020, Róisín became a double medallist, taking home a Silver & Bronze Medal at this year’s Games in Paris for the 100m Backstroke S13 and 200m Individual Medley SM13, as well as Double Gold at the European Championships in the 100m back and 100m breaststroke.
RTÉ SPORT TEAM OF THE YEAR 2024 NOMINEES
CLARE HURLING
The Clare Hurling team became All-Ireland Champions this year with their win over Kilkenny, earning a fifth title for the Banner County and first since 2013.
ARMAGH FOOTBALL
The Armagh Football team took home the county’s second All-Ireland Senior Football honours following their win over Galway this year.
KERRY FOOTBALL
The Kerry Senior Ladies’ Football team became All-Ireland Champions this year with their win over Galway, ending a 31-year wait for the title to return to The Kingdom.
CORK CAMOGIE
The Cork Camogie team defeated Galway in the All-Ireland final to win back-to-back senior titles for the county.
SHELBOURNE FC
In 2024, Shelbourne became SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Men’s Premier Division Champions for the first time in 18 years.
IRISH MEN’S RUGBY TEAM
The Irish Men’s Rugby team retained their Six Nations title this year.
IRELAND MEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT DOUBLE SCULLS
The duo comprising of Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy retained their Olympic title at this year’s Games in Paris.
KATIE GEORGE DUNLEVY & LINDA KELLY
The Paralympic team took home Gold and Silver medals in Road Cycling at this year’s Paris 2024 Games and are Double World Champions.
IRELAND 4X400M MIXED RELAY TEAM
The team comprising of Rhasidat Adeleke, Sharlene Mawdsley, Christopher O’Donnell and Thomas Barr earned Gold at this year’s European Championships in Rome.
The RTÉ show will take place on Sunday, December 15th, with the winner of the individual award selected by a panel of RTÉ personnel.
Meanwhile over in Britain A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Footballer Jude Bellingham, runner Keely Hodgkinson, darts player Luke Littler, cricketer Joe Root, Para-cyclist Sarah Storey and triathlete Alex Yee are the nominees.
Voting will take place for this during the show on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer on Tuesday, 17 December.
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
These awards are a great way to look back on the year gone and what a year it has been with the Olympic and Paralympic Games and so much more. There will always be eyebrows raised over some omissions and the absence of the Women’s 4×400 metre relay team is this year’s ‘really’ omission.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The RTÉ Awards will be broadcast live from Montrose next Sunday evening, December 15th.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
