Picking a winner no easy task

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR:The consensus among the judges was that there were more than a few worthy names on this year's list, writes Mary Hannigan

SINCE THESE awards started up in 2004 choosing the sportswoman of the year from our list of monthly winners has rarely been an easy task.

This year, though, in light of the array of achievements by Irish women across so many sports, international and domestic, that task was never more difficult.

The impressive 2010 list includes sporting pioneers like Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin (the first Irish women to qualify for the bobsleigh at the Olympic Games); jockey Katie Walsh, who produced unforgettable moments at the Cheltenham Festival back in March; footballer Dora Gorman, who captained the under-17 team through a wonderfully successful year; Katie Taylor, Derval O'Rourke, Jessica Kürten and Madeline Perry, who continue to excel at the very highest level of their sports; three of the stars of Gaelic games, Valerie Mulcahy, Denise Masterson and Una Leacy, and three of our brightest young sporting prospects, Gráinne Murphy, Danielle McVeigh and Ciara Mageean.

So, who will succeed jockey Cathy Gannon (2004), Cork Gaelic footballer and camogie player Briege Corkery (2005), hurdler Derval O'Rourke (2006), boxer Katie Taylor (2007 and 2008) and walker Olive Loughnane (2009) as our 2010 Sportswoman of the Year?

Well, the consensus among the judges was that there were more than a few names on this year's list who would have been worthy winners of the award.

One had to be chosen, though, with the winner to be announced at a ceremony in Dublin tomorrow.

2010 Monthly winners

JANUARY

Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin (Bobsleigh).

The pair became the first Irish competitors to qualify for the women's bobsleigh at the Olympic Games. They finished 17th out of the 21 teams on their debut - after enduring late legal bids from Australia and Brazil that briefly threatened their place in the Vancouver event - successfully completing their four runs on the fastest track in the world.

FEBRUARY

Jessica Kürten (Equestrian).

The Antrim rider's consistency at the top end of her sport was demonstrated by her winning her seventh monthly award in as many years, an exceptional start to 2010, that included two World Cup qualifying series victories, putting her in the top 10 of the world rankings and making her the second ranked female showjumper on the list.

MARCH

Katie Walsh (Horse racing).

The Kildare jockey provided some of the most memorable sporting images of the year when she held off the challenge of her good friend Nina Carberry in the National Hunt Chase to register her first Cheltenham winner on Poker de Sivola. And two days later she did it again, this time on Thousand Stars in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle. She expected only to be a spectator at Cheltenham - two late call-ups, two winners.

APRIL

Dora Gorman (Soccer).

The Republic of Ireland Under-17 team, managed by Noel King and captained by Gorman (who also plays Gaelic football for Galway), had a year never to be forgotten, beating reigning champions Germany to reach the European Championships final - where they lost on penalties to Spain - before making it to the last eight of the

Under-17 World Cup in Trinidad.

MAY

Valerie Mulcahy (Gaelic football).

Since winning the first of her five All-Ireland football medals with Cork back in 2005 Mulcahy has been one of the brightest stars of the women's game, a prolific forward whose scores, more often than not, have proved decisive for her county. That was the case yet again back in May when she contributed 1-6 of Cork's 2-10 in their National League final victory over Galway, a sublime first-half goal the highlight of another outstanding performance.

JUNE

Danielle McVeigh (Golf).

A superb year for the golfer from Annalong, Co Down, her triumph at the Helen Holm Scottish Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Royal Troon leaving her as the holder of the Scottish, British (2009) and Welsh (2009) strokeplay titles, all at the same time. In June she made her Curtis Cup debut, picking up

2.5 points out of five, the highlight a 3 and 2 victory in her singles contest with US Amateur champion Jennifer Song.

JULY

Derval O'Rourke (Athletics).

Our 2006 Sportswoman of the Year became only the second Irish athlete - after fellow Cork woman Sonia O'Sullivan - to medal more than once at the European Championships when she took silver in the 100 metres hurdles. Her time of 12.65 seconds was an Irish record, enough to secure her the fourth major championship medal of her career.

AUGUST

Gráinne Murphy (Swimming) and Madeline Perry (Squash).

The Wexford teenager posted the second fastest time in the world this year to take silver in the 1,500 metres freestyle at the European Championships during the summer, before winning two bronze medals at the European Short Course Championships in Eindhoven last month.

Perry, meanwhile, had the most successful year of her professional squash career, breaking in to the top five of the world rankings for the first time after winning the prestigious Australian Open.

SEPTEMBER

Katie Taylor (Boxing).

Yet another hugely successful year for the Bray fighter, her third consecutive world title in Barbados winning her a 10th major international gold in just nine years.

Naturally enough, she was named world female boxer of the year by the International Boxing Association, the second time in her career she had received the award.

OCTOBER

Ciara Mageean (Athletics):

Another sparkling year for the Down teenager, the highlight a silver medal in the 1,500 metres at the World Junior Championships in Canada, where she was the only non-African, male or female, to medal in the middle and long-distance races. She went on to make her senior championship debut at the Commonwealth Games, where she made the 1,500 metres final, and finished seventh at last weekend's European Cross Country Championships junior race.

NOVEMBER

Denise Masterson (Gaelic football) and Una Leacy (Camogie).

The captains of this year's All-Ireland winning Gaelic football and camogie teams completed our list of monthly winners, both players winning All Star awards in November.

Masterson led Dublin to their first senior title, with a 3-16 to 0-9 victory over Tyrone, while Leacy emulated her sister Mary's achievement of captaining Wexford to All-Ireland success when they beat Galway.