RTÉ Sports Person of the Year


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 judged to have achieved the most that year. The winner was originally chosen by a special panel of RTÉ journalists and editorial staff, but was selected by a public vote from a pre-determined shortlist in 2016. The first Irish sports award ceremony took place in 1985, and was closely modelled on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Three people have won the award multiple times: athlete Sonia O'Sullivan won the award five times, including a record three successive awards, and golfers Pádraig Harrington, with three wins, and 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 twenty-eight winners of the award. Five of these have been Northern Irish. The most recent award was made in 2019 to Shane Lowry.

Winners

YearNat.WinnerSportSporting 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.
1988

GolfFor winning the 1988 Dunhill Cup.
1989GolfFor a stunning 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.
1990FootballFor his famous penalty save from Daniel Timofte of Romania at 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.
1999FootballCaptain 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.
2001FootballSecured qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup for the Republic of Ireland national football team.
2002GolfMember of the European team that won the 2002 Ryder Cup.
2003Horse racingWinner of the Aintree Grand National on Monty's Pass.
2004Rugby unionMember 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 title as British 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 Cup
2010GolfWinner 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.
2015BoxingWon 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.
2017FootballScored 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.

By nationality

This table lists the total number of awards won by each nationality.
NationalityNumber of wins
IRL27
NIR5

2010s winners and nominees

The winner is in bold.

2010