Indo’s awards gave right results
■ How gratifying it was to any fairminded sports fan when the results of the Irish Independent Sportstar 2017 became known on Thursday. Here, a sense of who deserved what prevailed, unlike the RTÉ sports awards of recent weeks.
However, the national RTÉ vote brought in some bizarre results with recipients in the various categories taking the honours, some might say undeservedly so.
True, James McClean gave us something to cheer about, although the end result was that we failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Cian O’Connor and Co did us proud in show-jumping, likewise Mona McSharry in swimming, but all these pale in comparison to events here at home.
We had a true result in the Irish Independent poll, when Aidan O’Brien, he of the 28 Grade One horse races, deservedly took the accolade of Sportstar of the Year. Exciting Dublin GAA player Con O’Callaghan was a clear and popular winner of the Young Sportstar of the Year, and how we look forward to seeing him in action in the years ahead. It was a toss-up between the Galway hurlers and the Dublin footballers for Team of the Year, with the ‘Dubs’ shading it in the finish, although it could have gone either way.
What a moment of hurling magic in Croke Park from Joe Canning, with that wonder point struck with power and accuracy from out under the shadows of the Cusack Stand. Well done Joe, no one deserved an All-Ireland medal more than you did after many years of trying – now a true legend in hurling folklore.
Last, but not least, the Hall of Fame recipient, Sonia O’Sullivan, brought glory and honour to our country with her multiple successes at home and abroad. Nice to see a woman, and a good one at that, being recognised for her achievements of yesteryear.
The public vote on sporting events is somewhat like an opinion poll for our political parties, sometimes they can be far off the mark as evidenced by the recent RTÉ poll. Happy Christmas all sports fans, and here’s to a bumper year in sport in 2018. Jamesie Murphy Co Kilkenny