A SOUTHSIDE sailor has been honoured at the
‘Sportswoman of the Year Awards’.
Annalise Murphy, from Rathfarnham, was declared Sportswoman of the Month for May at a gala award ceremony in the Shelbourne Hotel.
The 23-year-old, who was a gold medalist in the European Championships and is currently ranked number two in the world, was one of the winners of an Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year award.
Her achievements were recognised at the ceremony where she also received her trophy.
The captain of Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning rugby team, Fiona Coghlan, was named
‘Sportswoman of the Year 2013’ after a season in which the Irish won the Six Nations Championship for the first time.
The loose-head prop was presented with her award alongside 76-year-old former racing driver, Rosemary Smith, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her place as a pioneer in Irish sport.
Coghlan was among 14 women who were in line for the award having each won The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Month awards over the past year.
The editor of The Irish Times, Kevin O’Sullivan, said:
“Fiona’s win is a great boost for women’s rugby and participation in a game that up to a few years ago had to fight for any profile.
?
Kieran Mulvey of the Irish Sports Council paid tribute to Smith who won titles throughout the world during her racing career and added a unique splash of glamour to Irish sport.
She was also controversially among 10 racers disqualified from the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally while leading the Coupe des Dammes.
“Rosemary was one of the few Irish people of her time to get to the very top of her sport at international level,
? Mr Mulvey said.
“After her retirement from competition, her love of driving never waned and she established a driving academy where she passed on some of her know-how to help younger people stay safe on our roads.
?