Cork athletes in contention for Her Sport Awards
Stephen O’Leary
Alison Bergin, Amy O’Connor, and the Cork camogie team are among the nominees for the Her Sport Awards, which take place on 27 January at University College Dublin.
Corkonians can vote for their local sportswomen until Sunday 19 January at awards.hersport.ie.
The Her Sport Awards celebrate the achievements of Irish women in sport, and these Cork athletes have been right at the heart of some of 2023’s greatest successes.
The Cork camogie team’s momentous 2023 has been recognised with a place on the shortlist for Team of the Year. The Rebelettes claimed a record 29th O’Duffy Cup, defeating Waterford in the All-Ireland Final on a scoreline of 5-13 to 0-09.
It was a mixture of ecstasy and relief for Cork, having narrowly lost out against Galway and Kilkenny, respectively, in the 2021 and 2022 All-Ireland deciders.
Having led the team throughout the year, the 2023 final saw captain Amy O’Connor deliver an individual performance for the ages, contributing 3-7 of Cork’s tally, before the St Vincent’s club player raised the trophy herself in front of a 30,191 strong crowd.
O’Connor’s achievements have been acknowledged with a nomination for Her Sport Athlete of the Year.
The camogie team will face stiff competition for the Team of the Year Award even from within the county.
Fermoy rower Alison Bergin is in the same category, nominated with her teammate Zoe Hyde following their 4th place finish in the W2x event at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, a result that qualified the pair for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
It completed a successful stellar year for 22 year old Bergin, who also won silver in the BW1x in the U23 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Others shortlisted for Team of the Year include the Irish soccer team, following their first FIFA World Cup appearance in Australia, the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland Football Championship last year, as well as the paracycling tandem bike team of Katie George Dunleavy and Linda Kelly who won gold in the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow.
Nominated alongside Amy O’Connor for Athlete of the Year, among others, are world boxing champion Katie Taylor, Ireland and Arsenal footballer Katie McCabe, and middle-distance runner Ciara Mageean. Also included is Paralympic gold medalist, Ellen Keane.
Her Sport is also accepting nominations for their Community Award, which celebrates individuals who have had a significant sporting impact on their community.
This can include volunteers, supporters and other individuals who contribute to the Irish sporting community, from grassroots to high performance level.
People can nominate their local sporting contributors at awards.hersport.ie.
The event will be aired on TG4, with details to follow on Her Sport’s various social channels.