Texaco Sportstars Award For O’Driscoll
Brian O’Driscoll, who captained Ireland to Grand Slam glory earlier this year, has been announced as one of the Texaco Sportstars of the Year award winners for 2009.
Nine top Irish sports stars – two of whom are joint winners of the Horse Racing award – have been chosen to receive the 2009 Texaco Sportstars of the Year awards in this, the 52nd year of the event.
Chosen by sports editors representing print and broadcast media, north and south, the full line-up of this year’s Texaco award winners are:
Olive Loughnane – Athletics
Bernard Dunne – Boxing
Tomás Ó Sé – Gaelic Football
Rory McIlroy – Golf
John Oxx and Michael Kinane – Horse Racing
Tommy Walsh – Hurling
Brian O’Driscoll – Rugby
John O’Shea – Soccer
Of the nine stars who will receive awards, five are being honoured for the very first time – Olive Loughnane, Tomás Ó Sé, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Walsh and John O’Shea.
Those who have won awards on previous occasions are Bernard Dunne (2006), John Oxx (1995), Michael Kinane (1988, 1989 and 1993) and Brian O’Driscoll (2000, 2002 and 2007).
Commenting, Enda Riney, Country Chairman, Chevron (Ireland) Limited, said: “The role which sport has in the lives of Irish people and the status that Ireland enjoys in international sporting competitions are reflected in the distinguished list of sportstars chosen to receive Texaco Sportstars Awards this year.
“The success being achieved by our sporting heroes, in domestic and international events, is something of which we, as a nation, can be proud.”
The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Dublin on Thursday, November 19 at which An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD, will be the guest of honour.
Also being presented on that evening will be the Texaco Hall of Fame Award that goes to a prominent sports personality from the past and the Texaco Young Sportstar, both of whose names will be announced shortly.