Cream of Irish sport rises to the top

2011 TEXACO AWARDS:There are six first-time winners in the 54th Texaco awards announced today. The annual awards, among the most coveted accolades in Irish sport, reflect outstanding achievements across eight sports in 2011

GOLF: DARREN CLARKE:AFTER his pillar-to-post win at the US Open in June, Rory McIlroy travelled to Sandwich in July with realistic expectations of adding to his reputation as the most talented player to emerge in a generation.

Few would have bet that Darren Clarke, 21 years older than McIlroy, would finally deliver on a lifetime’s ambition by winning the British Open only months after threatening to quit the game because of poor form.

The 42-year-old, who was making his 54th appearance in a Major, withstood both the weather and all challengers to eventually seal victory by three shots.

Only dropped shots at the last two holes prevented Clarke from becoming the sixth player in the championship history to shoot four rounds in the 60s.

BOXING: JOHN JOE NEVIN:

REFLECTING on his World Championship semi-final defeat to Luke Campbell in Azerbaijan, in October, John Joe Nevin said, “this game can be cruel”.

After Campbell had won the first round by a point, the Mullingar-born 22-year-old took the second by a similar margin. But when the final round was scored 4-4, the British boxer won on a countback. It was a decision that shocked Nevin and trainer Billy Walsh. And while Nevin was devastated, there was consolation in the fact he had become the first Irishman to win two World Championship medals.

More importantly, he had also qualified to take his place in the London Olympics. Earlier this year John Joe’s dream of securing a third European Championship medal in four years was dashed in Ankara.

Holder of gold and silver from 2008 and 2009, he was adjudged to have lost 13-12 to a Russian opponent – an outcome disputed by IABA director of boxing, Dominic O’Rourke, who was convinced the Irishman should have won the bout.

CRICKET: KEVIN O'BRIEN:EARLY last March, Kevin O'Brien wrote his way into sporting history when he scored the fastest century in World Cup history as Ireland beat England in Bangalore to create one of the great shocks of the 2011 tournament.

After England massed 328 runs in the 50-overs encounter, Ireland’s hopes of winning seemed remote.

Those forlorn hopes seemed to be buried when the Irish team lost their opening five wickets for only 111 runs.

Then O’Brien – whose father Brendan won 52 caps for Ireland – came to the crease and proceeded to knock the English bowlers all over the ground.

He hit six sixes and 13 fours in a mesmeric 50-ball century.

Not alone did O’Brien set a world record for the fastest century, he also guided Ireland to victory over a shell-shocked England.

His outstanding performance led to a contract with Gloucestershire and he subsequently repeated his Bangalore heroics when he hit a 44-ball century for his new team against Middlesex in a T20 match.

HURLING: MICHAEL FENNELLY:

AS Henry Shefflin, Eoin Larkin and Tommy Walsh were picking up Texaco awards during Kilkenny’s dominance of championship hurling in recent years, Michael Fennelly was struggling to establish himself in the senior team after collecting a minor and two under-21 All-Ireland medals between 2003 and 2006.

But the Ballyhale Shamrocks’ man has since blossomed into a hugely-influential midfielder for his county.

Whereas his scoring contribution up to last year in the championship was six points from 13 appearances, this year alone he contributed a goal (in the final) and five points, all from play – all the result of his off-the-ball running, physical intensity, incredible stamina and relentless work rate.

Despite very strong challenges from Pádraic Maher from Tipperary and countyman Tommy Walsh, the 26-year-old bank official was without doubt the outstanding hurler of the year.

He joins the celebrated list of Kilkenny hurlers who have dominated recent All-Ireland finals.

RUGBY: SEÁN O'BRIEN: FOR a player who only won his first international cap in 2009, Seán O'Brien's rise to the top level of rugby has been very swift. Although part of the Ireland under-20 Grand Slam-winning team of 2007, O'Brien has only really come to prominence for Leinster and Ireland in 2010 and 2011.

The rampaging ball carrier has been exceptional for both Leinster and Ireland this year, a view endorsed by being named ERC European Player of the Year.

That reward came after a hugely demanding campaign for the province as they progressed to the Heineken Cup final where they staged one of the competition’s greatest comebacks to stun Northampton.

O’Brien’s display was pivotal in that victory and he then went on to play against Australia, Russia, Italy and Wales at the World Cup where he adapted very well to the unfamiliar role of openside flanker and was named as the IRB’s Player of Pool C award.

GAELIC FOOTBALL: ALAN BROGAN

: FOR a family immersed in Gaelic football, it was fitting that Alan should follow in the footsteps of his brother, Bernard, by picking up a Texaco award for a series of brilliant displays for All-Ireland champions Dublin.

His consistency throughout the championship campaign was pivotal in Dublin winning the All-Ireland title for the first time since 1995.

Although Bernard was Dublin’s top scorer throughout 2011, it was Alan’s tireless workrate that stood out at the end of the campaign. In fact, he was named man of the match in all three Leinster championship encounters.

His playmaking role in Pat Gilroy’s team became crucial and nothing illustrated that better than his display against Kerry in the September final.

As well as scoring two points he also provided the vital final pass for Kevin McManamon’s goal that changed the game.

HORSE RACING: WILLIE MULLINS: EVEN by his own high standards, 2011 stands out as a remarkable year for Willie Mullins. The Carlow-based trainer dominated the National Hunt scene, winning the leading trainer award at both Cheltenham and Punchestown.

The Cheltenham award was particularly poignant for Mullins who paid an emotional tribute to his father, Paddy, who had passed away five months previously, after watching Hurricane Fly win the Champion Hurdle.

That Champion Hurdle success was one of four winners Mullins saddled at the festival. He went three better at Punchestown the following month when his seven winners included a great one-two with Quevaga and Mourad in the Ladbroke World Series Hurdle.

He completed a remarkable treble of Champion Hurdle successes when Thousand Stars captured the French race to add to his English and Irish victories.

SOCCER: RICHARD DUNNE:IF Richard Dunne's reputation as the heartbeat of the Irish team needed underlining, it came in September when the central defender delivered one of the bravest and, ultimately, most important performances in his long career.

The Aston Villa player almost single-handedly defied a 90-minute siege by Russia to earn the Republic of Ireland a crucial draw in Moscow in the battle to qualify for the Euro 2012 finals.

The 32-year-old has always been recognised as player who made up for any flaws in his game with an honesty, integrity and bravery that is all-too rare in modern day football.

The bravery shown that night in Moscow was on a par with Paul McGrath’s memorable display for Ireland against Italy during the 1-0 victory in New Jersey in the 1994 World Cup.

In all of the matches Dunne played in the Irish jersey in 2011, the team only conceded two goals, a measure of his leadership and his abilty to marshal his fellow defenders.