O'Driscoll tops Texaco awards
Wednesday November 04 2009
IRELAND's Grand Slam-winning rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll heads a list of nine sports stars who will receive the 2009 Texaco Sportstars of the Year Awards.
O'Driscoll, who also helped Leinster to their first Heineken Cup triumph last May, will be receiving his fourth award, to go with the ones he picked up in 2000, '02 and again in 2007.
Five of the recipients will be first-time winners. These include Rory McIlroy, who is currently attempting to become Europe's No 1 player at the tender age of 20.
Race walker Olive Loughnane, who claimed the silver medal at the World Championships in Berlin earlier this year, picks up her first gong, along with Kerry All-Ireland-winning footballer Tomás Ó Sé, Kilkenny hurler Tommy Walsh and Manchester United footballer John O'Shea.
The awards are chosen by sports editors representing print and broadcast media, north and south.
Along with O'Driscoll, other winners this year who have been honoured before include former world champion boxer Bernard Dunne (2006), horse trainer John Oxx (1995) and jockey Michael Kinane (1988, 1989 and 1993), the last two having trained and ridden wonderhorse Sea The Stars to unrivalled glory this summer.
Enda Riney, chairman of Chevron (Ireland) Limited said, "The role which sport has in the lives of Irish people is reflected in the list of sportstars chosen to receive Texaco Sportstars Awards this year. The success being achieved by our sporting heroes is something of which we as a nation can be proud."
The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Dublin on Thursday, November 19, at which An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen will be guest of honour. Also being presented on that evening will be the Texaco Hall of Fame Award that goes to a prominent sports personality from the past and the Texaco Young Sportstar, both of whose names will be announced shortly.
Athletics: Olive Loughnane
Boxing: Bernard Dunne
Gaelic Football: Tomás Ó Sé
Golf: Rory McIlroy
Horse Racing: John Oxx and Michael Kinane
Hurling: Tommy Walsh
Rugby: Brian O'Driscoll
Soccer: John O'Shea
