Derval O'Rourke's outstanding season on the track was recognised this afternoon when she was named Irish Times /Vhi Healthcare Sportswoman of the Year.
The 26-year-old Cork sprint hurdler confirmed her status as a truly world class athlete when claiming the 60m hurdles gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow last March.
In August, O'Rourke followed up her success with a silver medal in the 100m hurdles at the European Championships in Gothenberg. A magnificent performance underlined her ability and proved her to be the most fiercely competitive Irish athlete in a long time, perhaps of all time.
O'Rourke was one of 13 sportswomen selected over the year for a monthly award (Sinéad Jennings and Niamh Ní Cheilleachair shared the June nomination), her nomination arriving back in February in the wake of her Irish record breaking time of 7.98 seconds over 60m, her first sub-eight second run.
O'Rourke picked up the award at a ceremony at the Westin Hotel this afternoon. Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science, upon congratulating the winner, commented: "Today we honour Irish sportswomen who are national and international heroes and who have represented us proudly in the international arena and will no doubt be an inspiration to young girls around the country."
The Award was launched in 2004, with each nominee a monthly winner selected by a panel of three independent judges:
Full list of nominees
Jessica Kürten(Equestrian): A brilliant start to the year, which featured seven successive international wins, lifted Kürten to second in the world rankings.
Derval O'Rourke(Athletics): - Overall winner winner.
Madeline Perry(Squash): Rose to a career high of sixth in the world rankings in the early half of the year.
Nina Carberry(Horse racing): Crowned champion amateur for the first time in April, was one of only nine finishers in the Aintree Grand National and won her first Grade One race at the Punchestown Festival.
Fiona Connery(Hockey): The Hermes defender won her 50th cap for Ireland during April's World Cup Qualifier in Rome, was named player of the tournament in the All-Ireland League play-offs, and finished the season with All-Ireland, Irish Senior Cup and Leinster League winners' medals.
Sinéad Jennings and Niamh Ní Cheilleachair(Rowing): The pair won bronze in the lightweight double sculls final at the second leg of the World Cup in Poznan, Poland, the first medal at senior international level for an Irish women's crew in an Olympic-class boat.
Joanne Cuddihy(Athletics): The Kilkenny athlete won the 200 and 400 metres double at the national championships in July and in Gothenburg became the first Irish woman to make a European 400-metre final since Maeve Kyle in 1962.
Kelly Liggan(Tennis ): Before August the top ranked Irish player had won two International Tennis Federation titles - by the end of the month she'd doubled that tally, winning ITF hard-court tournaments in Spain and Portugal.
Briege Corkery(Camogie and Gaelic Football): Our 2005 Sportswoman of the Year was up to her usual tricks again in 2006, winning the double for the second year running with Cork.
Katie Taylor(Boxing): In September the 20-year-old from Bray successfully defended her European Championship title in Poland, in October she rose to first in the world amateur rankings, and in November she topped it all by winning her lightweight final at the World Championships in India.
Claire Coughlan(Golf): The 26-year-old from Little Island in Cork survived eight rounds to tie for first at the European Tour's Final Qualifying School in Spain, securing herself full playing rights for the 2007 Women's European Tour.
Fionnuala Britton(Athletics): The Wicklow woman won silver in the under-23 race at the European Cross Country Championships in Italy, the first Irish woman to win an individual medal at the event in 12 years.