The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have achieved the most that year. The winner is originally chosen by a special panel of RTÉ journalists and editorial staff, but is selected by a public vote from a predetermined shortlist in 2016.
History The first Irish sports award ceremony took place in 1985, and was closely modelled on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Four people have won the award multiple times: athlete Sonia O'Sullivan won the award five times, including a record three successive awards, and golfer Pádraig Harrington and boxer Katie Taylor, with three wins, and golfer Rory McIlroy, who won it twice. The oldest recipient of the award is Christy O'Connor Jnr, who won in 1989 aged 41. Rory McIlroy, who first won in 2011, aged 22, is the youngest winner. Ten sporting disciplines have been represented; golf has the highest representation, with eight recipients.
Eamonn Darcy, Ronan Rafferty and Des Smyth, who won the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1988, are the only non-individual winners of the award. Counting them separately, there have been thirty-four winners of the award (from 1985 to 2024). Seven of these have been Northern Irish. The most recent award was made in 2024 to double Olympic champion rower Paul O'Donovan.
Winners
+RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award winnersYearWinnerSportSporting synopsisRef.1985BoxingDefeated Eusebio Pedroza to become World Boxing Association featherweight champion.1986CyclingHe finished on a podium in a grand tour for the first time when he finished third in the 1986 Vuelta a España.1987CyclingWinner of the 1987 Tour de France, 1987 Giro d'Italia and 1987 World Cycling Championships, becoming only the second man after Eddy Merckx to win cycling's Triple Crown.1988GolfFor winning the 1988 Dunhill Cup.1989GolfFor a "pivotal" 2 iron shot on the last hole at the Belfry which he left just 4 feet from the hole during the successful 1989 Ryder Cup.1990SoccerFor his penalty save from Daniel Timofte of Romania which propelled the Republic of Ireland to the quarter-final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup.1991Rugby unionOverall top scorer with 68 points at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.1992BoxingGold medallist in the welterweight section at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.1993AthleticsSilver medallist in the 1500m at the World Championships.1994AthleticsGold medallist in the 3000m at the European Championships.1995AthleticsGold medallist in the 5000m at the World Championships.1996SwimmingTriple Olympic gold medallist for the 400m individual medley, 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley, and bronze medallist for the 200m butterfly event.1997SnookerWinner of the 1997 World Snooker Championship.1998AthleticsDouble gold medallist at the World Cross-Country Championships and double gold medallist at the European Championships.1999SoccerCaptain of the Manchester United team that completed a treble of English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League successes.2000AthleticsOlympic silver medallist in the women's 5000m at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. This was her record fifth win in the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year.2001SoccerSecured qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup for the Republic of Ireland national soccer team.2002GolfMember of the European team that won the 2002 Ryder Cup.2003Horse racingWinning jockey of the Aintree Grand National on Monty's Pass.2004Rugby unionOut-half of the Ireland team that won the Triple Crown in the 2004 Six Nations Championship.2005HurlingAll-Ireland- winning captain with Cork and winner of a third All-Ireland medal.2006HurlingWon his fourth All-Ireland medal with Kilkenny as well as being named Hurler of the Year for a second time.2007GolfBecame the first Irishman in over sixty years to win the Open Championship.2008GolfRetained his Open Championship, thus becoming the first European to win back to back major championships.2009Rugby unionGrand Slam-winning captain and member of the Leinster team that won the 2008–09 Heineken Cup2010GolfWinner of the 2010 US Open and member of the European team that won the 2010 Ryder Cup. 2011GolfWinner of the 2011 US Open. 2012BoxingOlympic gold medallist in the women's lightweight section at the 2012 London Olympic Games. 2013Horse racing18-times champion jockey who created history in November when he rode his 4,000th winner over jumps.2014GolfWon the 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship, became the first European to win three different majors, and was a member of the European team that won the 2014 Ryder Cup. "Rory McIlroy named RTÉ Sport Sports Person of the Year". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 22 December 20142015BoxingWon the gold medal in the bantamweight division at the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships. 2016Mixed martial artsBecame the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously. 2017SoccerScored one of Ireland's most famous goals when he netted to secure a 1-0 win away to Wales, which secured a 2018 FIFA World Cup playoff spot. 2018Rugby unionWon a Six Nations Grand Slam with Ireland, a Pro14-Champions Cup double with Leinster and was named World Rugby Player of the Year.2019GolfWinner of the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club.2020BoxingSuccessfully defended her undisputed lightweight belts after defeating Delfine Persoon and Miriam Gutiérrez.2021Horse racingThe first woman to win the Grand National and the first to claim the leading rider title at the Cheltenham Festival.2022BoxingSuccessfully defended her undisputed lightweight belts after defeating Amanda Serrano in a historic fight at Madison Square Garden, and also beating Karen Carabajal.2023GymnasticsMcClenaghan won a second European title and retained the world title in the 2023 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Entered Olympic year as reigning World, European and Commonwealth Games champion in the pommel horse.2024RowingO'Donovan won a second Olympic gold medal and third Olympic Medal in a row alongside Fintan McCarthy, making him the first Irish athlete to win three consecutive Olympic medals and the most successful Irish Olympian. He also won a World title in the lightweight Single Sculls2025Rory McIlroyGolfMcIlroy became the first Irish winner of the Masters and completing the career grand slam becoming the 6th place ever to do so and first European. He also won the Irish Open, The Ryder Cup and 3 PGA Tour wins.
Gallery
By number of wins This table lists those who have won more than once (ordered by the most wins, with the earliest win acting as a tie-breaker).
Accurate up-to and including the 2025 award. +Multiple winnersWinnerNumber of winsSonia O'Sullivan 5Pádraig Harrington 3Katie Taylor 3Rory McIlroy 3
By sport This table lists the total number of awards won by the winner's sport (ordered by number of wins, with the earliest win acting as a tie-breaker). The 3 winners in 1988 (all golfers) are counted separately.
Accurate up-to and including the 2025 award. +Winners by sport Sport Number of winsGolf 12Boxing Athletics Soccer Rugby union Horse racing Cycling Hurling Swimming Snooker Mixed martial arts Gymnastics Rowing Total
By disability So far (as of the 2022 awards) all winners have been able-bodied athletes, but para athletes among the nominees have included,
Jason Smyth (Para Athletics) in 2012 to 2014, 2017 to 2019, and 2021 Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal (para cycling) in 2016, 2017 and 2024 Róisín Ní Ríain (Para Swimming) in 2024, 2025 and 2026, Ronan Grimes (Para Cycling) 2022. Orla Comerford (Para Athletics) 2025 Ellen Keane (Swimming) 2021
2010s winners and nominees The winner is in bold.
2010
Katie Taylor (boxing) Graeme McDowell (golf) Gráinne Murphy (swimming) Tony McCoy (horse racing) Lar Corbett (hurling) Paddy Barnes (boxing) Tommy Bowe (rugby union) Derval O'Rourke (athletics) Rory McIlroy (golf)
2011
Darren Clarke (golf) Michael Fennelly (hurling) Seán O'Brien (rugby union) Katie Taylor (boxing) Rory McIlroy (golf) John Joe Nevin (boxing) Kevin O'Brien (cricket) Alan Brogan (Gaelic football) Robbie Keane (soccer)
2012
Fionnuala Britton (athletics) Rob Kearney (rugby union) Karl Lacey (Gaelic football) Rory McIlroy (golf) Michael McKillop (athletics) Joseph O'Brien (horse racing) Mark Rohan (cycling) Henry Shefflin (hurling) Jason Smyth (para athletics) Katie Taylor (boxing)
2013
Robert Heffernan (athletics) Martyn Irvine (cycling) Tony Kelly (hurling) Michael Darragh MacAuley (Gaelic football) Tony McCoy (horse racing) Michael McKillop (athletics) Annalise Murphy (sailing) Joseph O'Brien (horse racing) Jason Quigley (boxing) Johnny Sexton (rugby union) Jason Smyth (para athletics)
2014
Niamh Briggs (rugby union) Seamus Coleman (soccer) Briege Corkery (camogie and ladies' Gaelic football) Mark English (athletics) Carl Frampton (boxing) Rory McIlroy (golf) Michael McKillop (athletics) James O'Donoghue (Gaelic football) Johnny Sexton (rugby union) Jason Smyth (para athletics) Richie Hogan (hurling) Katie Taylor (boxing)
2015
Michael Conlan (boxing) Leighton Aspell (horse racing) Rena Buckley (camogie) Andy Lee (boxing) Shane Lowry (golf) Jack McCaffrey (Gaelic football) Rory McIlroy (golf) Michael McKillop (athletics) Paul O'Connell (rugby union) TJ Reid (hurling) Sophie Spence (rugby union) Richie Towell (soccer) Jon Walters (soccer) Conor McGregor (MMA)
2016
Séamus Callanan (hurling) Eoghan Clifford (cycling) Katie-George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal (para cycling) Denise Gaule (camogie) Brian Fenton (Gaelic football) Carl Frampton (boxing) Daryl Horgan (soccer) Annalise Murphy (sailing) Conor McGregor (MMA) Paul O'Donovan (rowing) Jamie Heaslip (rugby union) Bríd Stack (ladies' Gaelic football)
2017
Rena Buckley (Camogie) Ryan Burnett (Boxing) Joe Canning (Hurling) Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal (para cycling) Noëlle Healy (Ladies' Gaelic Football) James McClean (Soccer) Michael McKillop (Athletics) Andy Moran (Gaelic Football) Conor Murray (Rugby) Paul O'Donovan (Rowing) Robbie Power (Horse racing) Jason Smyth (Para athletics) Katie Taylor (Boxing) Joe Ward (Boxing)
2018
Sinéad Aherne (Ladies' Gaelic Football) Thomas Barr (Athletics) Brian Fenton (Gaelic Football) Kellie Harrington (Boxing) Ellen Keane (Swimming) Cian Lynch (Hurling) Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics) Ayeisha McFerran (Hockey) Sanita Pušpure (Rowing) Davy Russell (Horse racing) Johnny Sexton (Rugby) Jason Smyth (Para athletics) Katie Taylor (Boxing)
2019
Séamus Callanan (Hurling) Stephen Cluxton (Gaelic Football) Niamh Kilkenny (Camogie) Shane Lowry (Golf) Ciara Mageean (Athletics) Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics) Denise O'Sullivan (Soccer) Sanita Pušpure (Rowing) Jason Smyth (Para athletics) Katie Taylor (Boxing)
2020s winners and nominees The winner is in bold.
2020
Sanita Pušpure (Rowing) Sam Bennett (Cycling) Katie Taylor (Boxing) Ciarán Kilkenny (Gaelic Football) Gearóid Hegarty (Hurling) Colin Keane (Horse Racing)
2021
Rachael Blackmore (Horse Racing) Kellie Harrington (Boxing) Ellen Keane (Swimming) Cian Lynch (Hurling) Leona Maguire (Golf) Jason Smyth (Para athletics) Katie Taylor (Boxing) Vikki Wall (Gaelic football)
2022
Katie Taylor (Boxing) Rachael Blackmore (Horse Racing) Amy Broadhurst (Boxing) Katie McCabe (Soccer) Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics) Rory McIlroy (Golf) Ciara Mageean (Athletics) Ronan Grimes (Para Cycling) David Clifford (Gaelic football) Josh van der Flier (Rugby)
2023
Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics) Johnny Sexton (Rugby) Katie Taylor (Boxing) Paul Townend (Horse Racing) Katie McCabe (Soccer) Aaron Gillane (Hurling) Róisín Ní Riain (Para swimming)
2024
Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics) Kellie Harrington (Boxing) Daniel Wiffen (Swimming)