Stars sparkle at th
SHARP suits and glitzy dresses were all the rage last Saturday as Drogheda’s top sportsmen and women packed into the Westcourt Hotel for the 30th Drogheda Independent/Coca-Cola Sports Awards.
Once again the guests were treated to a lavish dinner before the main business of the night, directed by former Sunday Game presenter and MC for the night Michael Lyster.
All 12 monthly winners received their awards, while Oliver Plunketts stalwart Tomas O hEochaidh was the latest inductee of the prestigious Hall of Fame.
Ardee CC’s All-Ireland winning GAA stars collected the team of the year prize, beating off some hot competition in the process.
The battle for the two main awards was just as fierce, but in the end Boyne RFC’s rising international star Karl Martin was crowned Young Sport Star of the Year and the overall prize of Drogheda Independent Coca-Cola Sport Star of the Year went to another teenage sensation, golfer Dylan Keating.
But as Michael Lyster was at pains to point out, all of the nominees were winners and first up to stage to collect his monthly award was Newfoundwell soccer star Stephen Murphy, who was named NEFL Player of the Season.
The 2017/’18 NEFL champions were also nominated in the team of the year category after enjoying a marvellous season.
‘We won four trophies overall, the reserves won two and we won two,’ Stephen revealed. ‘We only lost two games the whole season and it was disappointing to go out of the FAI Junior Cup on a technicality, but overall it was a very good year. We’re just getting back into pre-season now and we’ll go at it again.’
Ruarcan O Gibne doesn’t have to worry about pre-season as middle-distance running is a pretty much a four-season pursuit for the Boyne AC athlete.
‘I’ve been running for about eight years and it’s a sport that takes up a lot of time,’ he revealed. ‘I’d like to thank my coaches and family, they really helped out during the year.’
The Irish U-19 800m champion is heading to college this year and Michael Lyster was very impressed, if not a bit dubious, that Ruarcan sees university life as a chance to pack in more training and concentrate on his athletics!
Sticking with running, DDAC athlete Mary Leech was up next and she revealed that the awards were a bit of a family affair in her household as her mother was on the Laytown Bettystown golf team nominated for the team of the year award.
Competing as a Master, Mary captured a European silver medal in the M40 1500m and it came as a big surprise, even to herself.
‘I wasn’t expecting to medal,