30th Cork Sports Awards recognise a range of talents
By Daniel O’Neill
Cork Sports Awards marked its 30th anniversary by having a trio of All-Ireland football champions to inspire student athletes.
Munster Technological University (MTU) celebrated young talent with an awards ceremony on 9 April. The awards celebrated student athletes and the wider sporting community for their achievements throughout the year and contribution to sport.
15 individual awards and three team awards were presented at the ceremony. All-Ireland football champions Colm O’Neill, Daniel Goulding, and Paul Kerrigan gave speeches sharing lessons learned and encouraging the next generation of sporting legends to strive for greatness. Some of the winners of the awards include Alex McCarthy from Ballyvolane who won an award for taekwondo, Sorcha Ní Bhruíc hailing from Victoria Road who won an award for powerlifting and rugby player Conor O’Brien from Fermoy.
Winners of the awards spanned a variety of sporting fields and included volleyball, AFL, kayaking, surfing, athletics, GAA, ladies football, motor racing and more. The awards have garnered the reputation for highlighting some of the best future talent - previous winners include Gary O’Donovan, Flobater Fares, David Kenny, Reece Ademola, Saoirse Noonan, and Saoirse McCarthy.
The awards brought together staff, students, and special guests to celebrate and reflect on everyone’s incredible achievements.
Michael Loftus, Vice President for External Affairs, MTU spoke at the event. “MTU has developed a vibrant and inclusive sports environment over an extended period of time. This environment has provided our students with outstanding opportunities to develop significant experience in teamwork, leadership, innovation, hard work, celebration of success, resilience in times of challenge, and development of lifelong friendships.
“This evening’s event is a celebration of what our students and graduates have achieved in this context and it is also a recognition of what those in the broader MTU sports community have contributed over time.”
Craig Harrington, Athletic Development Officer, added: “We are delighted to once again celebrate the resilience, passion, and teamwork that our athletes embody every day. Each year, we are impressed by the awardees' commitment to excellence in competition and academic pursuits that continue to inspire the entire MTU community. It’s an honour to recognise their achievements as we mark over three decades of sporting excellence at MTU.”