Player and coach of the year awards go to second-placed Old Belvedere

David Joyce scoops two awards for Division 1A winners Clontarf, Mick McGrath claims top tryscorer

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt handed out nine prizes at the second annual ‘Ulster Bank League Awards’ took place on Thursday evening.

Division 1A winners Clontarf and runners-up Old Belvedere RFC dominated the ceremony, scooping four and two awards respectively.

Clontarf’s Mick McGrath took home the ‘Top tryscorer’ award, with his team-mate David Joyce bagging the ‘Top pointsscorer’ award as well as the ‘Rising Star of the Year Award’.

Old Belvedere’s Danny Riordan was named as the ‘ Player of the Year - Division 1A’, while his coach Paul Cunningham took home the ‘ Coach of the Year - Division 1A’ accolade.

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Galwegians star Jerome Harimate will bring the ‘Player of the Year - Division 2A’ trophy back to Galway with Tipperary’s Derek Corcoran of Nenagh Ormond RFC winning the ‘Player of the Year - Division 2B’.

The winners were selected from a shortlist of three, compiled by a panel of judges, including Ulster Bank rugby ambassador and former Irish backrow Alan Quinlan, along with specialist club rugby journalists, Adam Redmond, Kieran Rooney and Donn O’Sullivan.

Ulster Bank League Awards

Player of the Year - Division 1A: Danny Riordan, Old Belvedere RFC

Top tryscorer - Division 1A: Mick McGrath, Clontarf

Top points-scorer - Division 1A: David Joyce, Clontarf

Rising Star of the Year Award - Division 1A: David Joyce, Clontarf

Coach of the Year - Division 1A: Paul Cunningham, Old Belvedere

Player of the Year - Division 1B: Robert Duke, Terenure College RFC

Player of the Year - Division 2A: Jerome Harimate, Galwegians RFC

Player of the Year - Division 2B: Derek Corcoran, Nenagh Ormond RFC

Club PRO (Public Relations Officer) of the Year: Sam O'Byrne, Clontarf

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times