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UCC celebrates landmark sporting achievements at the 2026 Sports Star Awards
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University College Cork celebrated a year of outstanding sporting excellence at the 41st UCC Sports Star Awards, which took place in the River Lee Hotel on Monday 13 Arpril 2026 at an awards ceremony hosted in partnership with The River Lee Hotel, Bank of Ireland, and media partner the Irish Examiner.
The awards were formally presented by President of University College Cork, Professor John O’Halloran, recognising student‑athletes, teams, and coaches who have represented UCC with distinction at collegiate, national and international level throughout the 2025–26 season.
Special presentations were made to Ruairí O’Connor, General Manager of The River Lee Hotel, representatives from Bank of Ireland and Eoghan Cormican of the Irish Examiner, reflecting the strong and longstanding partnerships supporting high‑performance sport at UCC.
The ceremony highlighted a season defined by international excellence, including senior Irish rugby debuts, European championship medals, world‑level representation and Olympic qualification pathways, alongside historic intervarsity successes across multiple sports.
Speaking at the event, Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC, said:
“The achievements being celebrated here this evening reflect the very best of University College Cork. Our students continue to excel on the world stage while pursuing academic success, and we are immensely proud of the commitment, resilience and ambition shown by each award recipient. These athletes and teams are exceptional ambassadors for UCC.”
Morgan Buckley, Head of Sport at UCC, said the awards reflected a growing culture of high performance across the university:
“What makes these awards particularly special is the level at which so many of our athletes are now competing. From Olympic pathways and Six Nations rugby to European championships and World Cups, UCC sport continues to operate on an international platform while maintaining a strong academic focus. That balance is something we are extremely proud of.”
Among the standout honourees was Edwin Edogbo, who was named Supreme Sports Star of the Year following a season that included his senior Ireland debut during the Six Nations and a series of influential performances for Munster Rugby. International Sports Star Awards were presented to Eimear Maher (Athletics) and Eabha Curran (Hockey), whose achievements saw them compete with distinction at European and World Championship level.
Historic team success was also recognised on the night, with the UCC Ashbourne Cup camogie team named Team of the Year following their first championship victory in 23 years. Lisa Lonetti was honoured as Coach of the Year for her outstanding leadership of UCC’s Advanced Volleyball programmes. Irish hockey legend Rachael Kohler was inducted into the UCC Sports Hall of Fame, recognising an extraordinary international career and lifelong contribution to the sport. The Kieran Dowd Special Achievement Award was presented to Derek O’Gorman coach to the UCC Junior 1 Soccer Team in recognition of his longstanding dedication to the club.
2025–26 UCC SPORTS STAR AWARD RECIPIENTS
Supreme Sports Star of the Year
- Edwin Edogbo – Rugby
International Sports Star Awards
- Eimear Maher – Athletics
- Eabha Curran – Hockey
Sports Star Award Winners
- Emer Dunne – Basketball
- Méabh Murphy – Camogie
- Austin Murphy – Gaelic Football
- Robbie Walsh – Golf
- Darragh Stakelum – Hurling
- Aoife Healy – Ladies Gaelic Football / Camogie
- Shane Roche – Olympic Weightlifting
- John O’Donovan – Soccer
- Aoibhéann McGrath – Women’s Rugby
Young Sports Star of the Year
- Christopher Barrett – Rugby
Team of the Year
- UCC Ashbourne Cup Camogie Team
Coach of the Year
- Lisa Lonetti – Volleyball
Kieran Dowd Award
- Derek O Gorman - Soccer
Hall of Fame Inductee
- Rachael Kohler – Hockey