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Katie Taylorat the Shelbourne Hotel earlier. INPHO/Cathal Noonan

Katie Taylor named Sportswoman of the Year

Olympic gold medallist awarded for her ‘exceptional sporting achievements’ in 2012.

KATIE TAYLOR WAS today named The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council ‘Sportswoman of the Year 2012’ for her exceptional sporting achievements throughout the year.

Following an outstanding year for Irish women in sport, Taylor was presented with her award by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny at an awards ceremony in Dublin.

The Bray–born lightweight boxer won the Sportswoman of the Month award in May after securing her fourth consecutive World title, beating Russian Southpaw Sofya Ochigava 11-7 in a tense technical final in Qinhuangdao, northern China.

Taylor then represented Ireland in the London 2012 Olympic Games, where she won the country’s only gold medal.

After her win, Taylor said: “I’m honoured and delighted to be named the Sportswoman of the Year. This has been an amazing year for me and for Irish women in sport and I would like to congratulate all the finalists in their respective fields who have excelled at major sporting events such as the 2012 London Olympics, the All Ireland Finals and The Grand National.”

Speaking at the event, Enda Kenny said: “Irish sportswomen have excelled both nationally and internationally.  Today we recognise their enormous achievements in a range of sports – from boxing and swimming to sailing and rugby.  Their success is a result of unstinting commitment, dedication, training and hard work.

Irish Olympic athlete and hockey player Maeve Kyle was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1956, Kyle competed in the 100m and 200m in the Melbourne Olympics and subsequently in the Rome Olympics (1960) and Tokyo Olympics (1964) where she reached the semi-finals of both the 400m and 800m.

She had a very successful career in Hockey, gaining 58 Irish caps as well as representing three of the four Irish provinces (Leinster, Munster and Ulster) at different stages of her career. She was named in the World All Star team in 1953 and 1959.

Other sportswomen acknowledged at the awards were Fiona Coghlan, Audrey O’Flynn, Stephanie Meadow, Ursula Jacobs, Rena Buckley and Sycerika McMahon who won after breaking nine Irish Records at the European Short Course Championships in France and winning a total of eight national titles at the Irish Short Course Swimming Championships in Lisburn.

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23 Comments
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    Mute Robert Mangan
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    Dec 20th 2012, 4:06 PM

    Ill never forget those nights i got out of bed to watch her box on tv in a lodge i was working in down in New South Wales and the nerves i felt.
    Even though i was on the other side of the world i felt like i was there and woke up everyone screaming at the tv.
    Highlight of my year she deserves everything she gets.

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    Mute Sean Browne
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    Dec 20th 2012, 4:13 PM

    Irish person of the decade what a role model to everybody

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    Mute John Deane
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    Dec 20th 2012, 4:28 PM

    Sean

    irish Person of the decade? What are you on?

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    Mute Cornelius Crow
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    Dec 20th 2012, 5:12 PM

    Who would be sports person of the decade? Anyone?

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    Mute Les Rock
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    Dec 20th 2012, 5:29 PM

    my guess is shefflin

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    Mute Brian Costigan
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    Dec 20th 2012, 6:52 PM

    Zinadine Kilbane.

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    Mute Noddy Mooney
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    Dec 20th 2012, 6:55 PM

    Padraig Harrington for me.

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    Mute Tracy Carolan
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    Dec 20th 2012, 4:39 PM

    Well deserved

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    Mute Eggfuel
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    Dec 20th 2012, 4:24 PM

    so impressed with Irish boxing and the people who have supported and poured their hearts into it despite the dead hand of Irish govt support for anything that isn’t GAA….

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    Mute jrbmc
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    Dec 20th 2012, 6:21 PM

    Irish Sportswoman of the year! Surly it should be Sportsperson of the year !

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    Mute Colin Murray
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    Dec 20th 2012, 5:13 PM

    She is amazing, but whenever I hear her on the radio, I have to switch her off.

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    Mute Gus Whearity
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    Dec 20th 2012, 5:03 PM

    I’m just glad that we still live in a society that, despite all this political correctness and “things aren’t how they used to be” stuff, we can still put two women in a ring, make them fight and put it on TV for everyone to watch.

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    Mute Irish Red
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    Dec 20th 2012, 5:13 PM

    I think we should put you in there with Katy.

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    Mute Jane O'Sullivan
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    Dec 20th 2012, 6:06 PM

    I second that Irish Red.

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    Mute Seany Mc Donagh
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    Dec 20th 2012, 7:24 PM

    I’d gladly get me head knocked off by her. She’s deadly

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    Mute Les Rock
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    Dec 20th 2012, 4:11 PM

    I was on a plane to the u.k. when the final was on. Kind of glad cos my nerves would’ve been shot.

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    Mute Joseph C. Halpin
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    Dec 20th 2012, 9:39 PM

    drico must be sports person of the decade. no question.

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    Mute Billy Dempsey
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    Dec 20th 2012, 9:17 PM

    katie just showed that if you follow your dreams they do come true

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    Mute Paul Murphy
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    Dec 20th 2012, 6:15 PM

    Fair play to her.
    Anybody know the other female sports woman that were in the running?

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    Mute Les Rock
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    Dec 20th 2012, 7:04 PM

    The Britton girl, fantastic achievement this year.

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    Mute Brian Osborne
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    Dec 20th 2012, 7:13 PM

    Very early in the decade as yet. Maybe 2020 will be the right time for that

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    Mute gudfella75
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    Dec 20th 2012, 6:44 PM

    Thank God.

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    Mute Alex Olsen
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    Dec 21st 2012, 1:44 PM

    no it just shows you haven’t a clue what your talking about

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