Rory McIlroy’s magnificent year in golf has been acknowledged with his last award of 2014, and there have been so many, after being crowned RTÉ Sport’s Sports Person of the Year. It is the second time that he’s been honoured in this fashion following on from his achievements in 2012.
He's enjoyed a phenomenal year on the fairways winning two majors, The British Open at Royal Liverpool and the US PGA Championship at Valhalla, to go with the two he's already won. In doing so he became only the third player in the history of golf – Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the others – to have won three different Majors by the age of 25.
He kick started his year by winning the European Tour's flagship even the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, won the British Open at Hoylake by two shots from Sergio Garcia and Ricky Fowler, and the US PGA at Valhalla when finishing a shot clear of Phil Mickelson. He added his first WGC tournament event when claiming the Bridgestone Invitational and also played all five sessions, winning three points, as Europe beat the USA 16 ½ - 11 ½ at Gleneagles.
The Northern Irishman won the Race to Dubai on the European Tour, topped the PGA Tour money list in America, was voted the player of the year on both sides of the Atlantic by his peers and golf writers and picked up the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award in doing so.
He also declared he would represent Ireland at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, a decision that allowed him to declutter his mind and concentrate on golf. McIlroy explained that while he didn’t grow up wanting to be an Olympic athlete, he was excited at the prospect of competing.
“I’m really happy with the decision and I can’t wait until Rio 2016 and trying to win a gold medal.”
The results
Ireland rugby coach Joe Schmidt was named RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year to go with the Philips award that he picked up recently; both honour the work he has done and the results he's achieved since taking over, in a hands-on capacity, as national coach for the 2013 autumn Test series, where Ireland came so close to a first ever win over the All Blacks.
The New Zealander guided the national side to a set of brilliant results in 2014, winning the Six Nations Championship, two summer Tests in Argentina and all three November Test matches, a momentum that he will hope to sustain in what will be World Cup year.
Ireland’s only defeat came against England at Twickenham but they memorably claimed the Six Nations in Paris when narrowly squeezing past France in a fraught finale.
Victories over South Africa, Georgia and Australia took Ireland to a joint highest ever world ranking of three, only behind the All Blacks who’ve held that position for five years and the only team to beat them this season, South Africa.
Having started 2014 by guiding Ireland to Six Nations glory, Schmidt saw his side go on to end the year unbeaten with wins over South Africa, Australia and Georgia and with a highest ever ranking of third in the world.
The RTÉ Sport Awards also paid tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest sporting legends. Brian O’Driscoll, who retired at the end of last season swapping his playing gear for a microphone with Newstalk and BT Sport, was honoured with the RTÉ/Irish Sports Council Hall of Fame Award.
He first came to prominence as a schoolboy with Blackrock College, won an Under-19 World Cup winners medal with Ireland in 1998 and then while playing for UCD went on tour with Ireland the following summer, winning the first of a world record 141 caps; 133 for Ireland and eight for the British & Irish Lions with whom he toured four times, captaining them to New Zealand in 2005.
He led Ireland to only the country’s second ever Grand Slam in 2009, is the record Irish try scorer (46) and also crossed for one of the most memorable individual efforts in recent Lions’ vintage against Australia in 2001. He won three Heineken Cups with Leinster, four Celtic/Magners/Rabo League titles and is the all-time top try scorer in the Six Nations (26) and three times a player of the tournament.
The Cork women's footballers won the public vote for Team of the Year after their incredible comeback win over Dublin in the All-Ireland final, their ninth victory in 10 years.
