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Olympic Heroes and Sports Stars honoured at UCC Sport Star Awards
Olympic medallists Paul O’Donovan and Emily Hegarty were among those honoured at the UCC Sport Star Awards on 25 April by Professor John O’Halloran, President of University College Cork.
Sponsored by the River Lee Hotel and Bank of Ireland, the UCC Sport Awards acknowledge the achievements of 19 outstanding student athletes who have excelled with their UCC clubs, external clubs and representative teams in the last twelve months.
In all, 14 present and former UCC athletes represented Ireland at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, winning four medals, Gold for Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy in the Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls, and Bronze for Emily Hegarty and graduate Aifric Keogh in the Women’s Coxless Four.
UCC recognises O’Donovan’s Olympic exploits, awarding the two-time medallist the UCC Sport Star of the Year Award.
Olympic Rowers, Emily Hegarty, Tara Hanlon, Margaret Cremem, Aoife Casey, Lydia Heaphy and Ronan Byrne also received Awards alongside Olympic Gymnast, Meg Ryan and Para-athlete, Mary FitzGerald.
Together with Munster Rugby’s John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen, Kerry football ace Diarmuid O’Connor, Ladies Gaelic Footballer Katie Quirke, and Hurling star Mark Kehoe, were also honoured at the annual Awards ceremony at the River Lee Hotel.
Basketball star Amy Dooley, was recognised after she played a key role in helping UCC Glanmire win the Champions Trophy, the Women’s Superleague and the National Senior Cup this season and helped UCC reach the intervarsity final.
Caoimhe Perdue, a key member of UCC Women’s Senior Hockey team, picked up an individual award after Captaining the Irish Junior Women’s team to a top 10 finish at the Junior World Cup in South Africa.
Christina Dring, another member of the successful hockey team, received an individual award for her exploits on the hockey and soccer fields, where she won the Lydon Cup with the University team and lines out for Cork City in the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League.
In addition to the individual accolades, UCC Women’s Senior Hockey team was presented with the Team of the Year Award, in recognition of their Munster Senior League success, and for reaching the Munster Senior Cup Final and EYLeague 2 Play-offs. The team’s coach, Graham Catchpole, received the Coach of the Year Award.
Morgan Buckley, Head of UCC Sport, said that the Awards recognise the excellence of UCC students and their coaches who have represented the University, their club, county, province and country in their chosen sport.
List of Awardees:
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Athletics |
Ruby Millet |
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Athletics |
Conor Morey |
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Paralympics |
Mary FitzGerald |
Paralympian |
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Basketball |
Amy Dooley |
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Gaelic Football |
Diarmuid O Connor |
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Gymnastics |
Meg Ryan |
Olympian |
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Hockey |
Caoimhe Purdue |
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Hockey Soccer |
Christina Dring |
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Hurling |
Mark Kehoe |
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Ladies Gaelic Football |
Katie Quirke |
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Rowing |
Paul O Donovan |
Olympic Gold Medal |
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Rowing |
Emily Hegarty |
Olympic Bronze Medal |
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Rowing |
Margaret Cremen |
Olympian |
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Rowing |
Aoife Casey |
Olympian |
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Rowing |
Lydia Heaphy |
Olympian |
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Rowing |
Ronan Byrne |
Olympian |
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Rowing |
Tara Hanlon |
Olympian |
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Rugby |
John Hodnett |
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Rugby |
Alex Kendellen |
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Team of year |
Women Senior Hockey team |
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Coach of the Year |
Graham Catchpole – Women’s Hockey Coach |