Next Sunday evening, December 15th at 9:30 pm, the RTÉ Sport Awards 2024 will air live on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player. Hosted by Joanne Cantwell, Darragh Maloney, and Jacqui Hurley from Studio 4 in RTÉ, the event will celebrate Irish sporting excellence in front of an audience filled with the nation’s top athletes. Awards to be presented include Sportsperson of the Year, Team of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Young Sportsperson of the Year. This year’s nominees for the prestigious Sportsperson of the Year award are listed below.
RHYS McCLENAGHAN
The reigning RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year, followed up a brilliant 2023 with an even better 2024. Rhys became the first ever Irish Gymnast to medal at an Olympic Games, picking up Pommel Horse Gold and banishing the heartbreak he suffered in Tokyo three years earlier.
KELLIE HARRINGTON
Kellie Harrington became Ireland’s first ever individual back-to-back Olympic champion at Paris 2024 adding Gold to the Gold she picked up in Tokyo 2020.
DANIEL WIFFEN
If 2023 was his breakout year, 2024 was the year in which Daniel Wiffen arrived. Double World Gold was followed up with an Olympic Gold and Bronze and an 800m freestyle Olympic record.
CIARA MAGEEAN
Ciara won bronze in 2016, silver in 2022 and in 2024, achieved a lifelong dream, winning Gold in the 1500m at the European Championships.
SHANE O’DONNELL
The star Clare forward hurler earned the title of GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year and The Sunday Game Hurler of the Year 2024.
PAUL O’DONOVAN
After a successful Paris 2024, Paul became the first Irish Olympian to win medals at three consecutive games, winning Olympic Gold at the double sculls – and Gold at the World Rowing Championships single sculls.
KATIE GEORGE DUNLEVY
In 2024, Ireland’s most successful female Paralympic athlete brought home a Gold and two Silvers, bringing her Paralympic medal haul to eight across three games. She also picked double World Gold on the Road this year.
KATIE TAYLOR
The Bray boxer is the undisputed World Super-lightweight Champion. This year she defended her status as undisputed world light-welterweight champion following a unanimous decision victory over Amanda Serrano in Texas.
PAUL TOWNEND
The second jockey in history and the first since 1930 to win the Champion Hurdle, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National.
ANTHONY CACACE
The boxer beat Joe Cordina to take the IBF World title belt and become Ireland’s first Super-featherweight Champion.
RHASIDAT ADELEKE
After a breakout year, Rhasidat won Gold at the European Championships as part of the Mixed relay team, individual silver in the 400m and silver in the women’s 4 x 400m as well as breaking a whole host of national records and becoming Irish Athlete of the Year.
RÓISÍN NÍ RIAIN
After making her Paralympic debut in Tokyo 2020, Róisín became a double medallist, taking home a Silver & Bronze Medal at this year’s Games in Paris for the 100m Backstroke S13 and 200m Individual Medley SM13, as well as Double Gold at the European Championships in the 100m back and 100m breaststroke.