Boxer Billy is our Sportsman of Year

February 1992

At a gala banquet in Hotel Rosslare on Sunday night, boxer Billy Walsh was named as the People Newspapers/Hotel Rosslare Co. Wexford Sports Personality of the Year for 1991.

Before a large attendance which included sports stars from all disciplines, civic leaders, and leading business people, he was selected from a list of 15 top sports stars.

The former Irish welterweight champion was a very popular winner and he carries the best wishes of everyone as he attempts this coming weekend to avenge his recent Irish final defeat to Michael Carruth, to try book his place for the Barcelona Olympics this Summer.

Billy is regarded as one of the country’s best boxing ambassadors of recent times. A perfect gentleman at all times and one of the most popular people in Ireland in his sport, he has travelled the world to represent his country more than 50 times in a career which spans two decades.

Billy is also involved in GAA, having won a County Senior Football championship medal with Sarsfields in 1984, while he plays hurling with Faythe Harriers, reaching the Co. Senior Final with them last year.

He thanked the judges for selecting him and thanked everybody who has helped him along the way in his boxing career too, before joking that the meal served at Sunday night’s ceremony would probably be the last time he could eat for a week, since he has to lose five pounds before next Friday night’s bout!

The other monthly winners and overall Sports Personality nominees who were honoured on Sunday night were Jim Bolger (horse racing), Seamus Fitzhenry (gaelic football), Liam Dunne (hurling), Vanessa Molloy (athletics), Jeremy Spring (equestrianism), Jimmy Shannon (on behalf of Horeswood U-14 GAA teams), Martha Halpin (athletics), Warren O’Connor (horse racing), Andy Ronan (athletics), Niamh O’Connor (swimming), Ned Buggy (handball), Alice Mernagh (on behalf of Killinick Pony Club), Tomas O’Rourke (motorsport) and Nick Popplewell (rugby union).