Sports awards: This time there was no arguing - the winner being obvious as much as unanimous. If Hook, Walsh, et al were on the judging panel they'd probably have worked out how to give it to a man, but there was simply no denying Derval O'Rourke The Irish Times/Vhi Healthcare Sportswoman of the Year award.
The only disappointment at yesterday's presentation in Dublin's Westin Hotel was that O'Rourke wasn't there to collect her award in person. She'd a good excuse though, currently training in Portugal towards her major goal of 2007 - the World Championships in Osaka, Japan next August.
Proof of O'Rourke's unwavering determination is that she's not prepared to rest on her laurels, which last year included the World Indoor title over the 60 metre hurdles, and the silver medal at the European Championships over the 100 metre hurdles.
They also happened to be the two main athletics events of 2006, and for that reason alone the Cork athlete was both the obvious and unanimous winner.
There were, however, plenty of high achievers among the other monthly award winners, any one of whom could have won the outright award in any other year. These included Cork footballer and camogie player Briege Corkery, who took the title last year, and who survived a car breakdown in Tipperary to make the awards on time.
O'Rourke's coach, Jim Kilty, also just about made the event on time, having flown in from Portugal that morning, and as the architect of her success over the past year fittingly accepted the award on her behalf.
"To be honest I think Derval is the hard taskmaster in this team," he said, "but I am very honoured to accept the award on her behalf. She made sure I congratulate all the other award winners, and we're all hoping it will be another big year for Derval in 2007.
"When she won the gold medal in Moscow everyone was telling me she'd have to follow it up. She did that in Gothenburg at the Europeans, and now she'll have to follow that up again. It's getting more difficult all the time but training has been going very well and we are very excited again about the new season."
O'Rourke did join the awards by a phone link, admitting that "women's sport in Ireland has come on a lot over the past year".
Irish athletics in particular hadn't enjoyed such global success since the days of Sonia O'Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan, and there were two other monthly awards to back-up O'Rourke's success. Joanne Cuddihy was also present to accept her award for her breakthrough season over 400 metres, although recent European under-23 silver cross country medallist Fionnula Britton - like O'Rourke - had a good excuse for not being there as she's competing today in the big international cross country event in Edinburgh.
In total there were 11 sports represented: athletics, camogie and Gaelic football, equestrian sport, golf, hockey, horse racing, rowing, squash, tennis and boxing. Three other award winners weren't able to make it as they too have training or competitive matters to attend to - including show-jumper Jessica Kürten competing in Dubai; squash player Madeline Perry in the US; and tennis player Kelly Liggan in Australia.
Still that didn't take from what has turned into one of the most important sporting awards dates on the Irish calendar. Boxer Katie Taylor, who also won World and European medals, is both young enough and determined enough to win the outright award in the years ahead, as suggested by RTÉ's Greg Allen - who spoke on behalf of fellow judges Mary Hannigan (The Irish Times) and Lindie Naughton .
"These awards are just three years old," he said, "but I can safely say this has been the best year by far. That's not to demean the previous two years, but this has been an utterly stellar year for women's sport in Ireland."
January- Jessica Kurten (Show jumping)
February- Derval O'Rourke (Athletics)
March- Madeleine Perry (Squash)
April- Nina Carberry (Horse Racing)
May- Fiona Connery (Hockey)
June- Sinead Jennings and Niamh Ní Cheilleachair (Rowing)
July- Joanne Cuddihy (Athletics)
August- Kelly Liggan (Tennis)
September- Briege Corkery (Camogie/Football)
October- Katie Taylor (Boxing)
November- Claire Coughlan (Golf)
December- Fionnula Britton (Athletics)
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