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Sports Star Awards 2024-2025
UCC Sports Star Awards 2024-2025
- Sixteen recipients were honoured with UCC Sport Star Awards, with Olympic rower Margaret Cremen receiving the prestigious Supreme Sports Star of the Year title.
- Mark Mulcahy, coach of UCC Hockey’s Division 2 team, was named Coach of the Year, while UCC Rugby Club’s senior seconds claimed Team of the Year after their 2024 Munster Junior Cup victory.
- David Holmes was recognized with the Kieran Dowd Special Achievement Award for his exceptional dedication to Judo and sport at UCC.
The 40th UCC Sports Star Awards took place last night at The River Lee Hotel, celebrating the remarkable achievements of UCC athletes and teams. Sponsored by The River Lee Hotel in association with the Bank of Ireland, the gala dinner honoured 16 outstanding athletes and coaches, representing one of the most competitive fields in recent years.
Olympic rower Margaret Cremen was named Supreme Sports Star of the Year following an incredible 2024 season. She secured a silver medal in the LW1x at the European Championships and, alongside Aoife Casey, finished fifth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Archery is honoured for the first time at these awards with Beau Poydence having an excellent year for the club setting records week in week out in his barebow discipline.
President of UCC, Professor Stephen Byrne opened the ceremony and said that “sport is a key cornerstone of the student in UCC it provides a tremendous outlet for our students to engage and build a strong community which enhances there are commitment to research and learning we are very proud of our students and how they represent UCC and their iconic skull and crossbones brand in many different places we are incredibly proud of these young people their coaches their parents and their communities and this has been a fantastic opportunity to celebrate another season of success our coaches of the year”.
UCC Head of Sport, Morgan Buckley, expressed his gratitude to the athletes, coaches, and volunteers who contribute to UCC’s thriving sports community. “With over 400 volunteers supporting 7,000 participants across 45 clubs, UCC sport continues to grow and excel. This year, our teams and athletes have achieved outstanding success at local, regional, national, and international levels. Balancing their studies with their commitment to sport is no small feat, and what they have accomplished on all fronts is truly remarkable.”
UCC Bank of Ireland Manager, Eamon Corcoran, expressed his pride in supporting UCC sport and the awards, stating, “Bank of Ireland is delighted to be involved with UCC sport, reflecting our commitment to supporting and developing young people while fostering the next generation of athletes and sports participants.”
Ruari O’Connor, General Manager of The River Lee Hotel, expressed his pride in supporting UCC sport, stating, “We are delighted to be part of this celebration, recognizing a talented generation of young athletes who show incredible dedication and commitment to their sport.”
UCC alumnus Moss Finn was honoured for his outstanding contributions to Rugby. Finn, a former UCC Rugby player, earned 14 caps for Ireland and has remained an active member of the club.
Team of the Year was awarded to UCC Rugby Club’s senior seconds (also known as the Junior 1’s), who, under the guidance of coaches Julian Kahn, Mark Poland, & team manager Anthony Coole, embarked on an incredible journey to claim the Munster Junior Cup for the first time in 45 years.
The New Young Athlete of the Year award went to Daryl Cuff, who has excelled on the international stage, representing Ireland at the FIBA U20 European Basketball Championships and is a member of the UCC Demons Superleague squad who won the Superleague, were beaten cup finalists & are in the Superleague Play-Offs.
Full List of Sports Star Awardees
- Athletics: Katie Bergin
- Archery: Beau Poydence
- GAA: Aoife Healy, Eoin Downey
- Hockey: Micaela Sanderson
- Olympic Weightlifting: Shane Roche
- Rugby: Peter Hyland
- Women’s Soccer: Aoibhin Donnelly
New/Young Athlete of the Year
- Basketball: Daryl Cuff
International Representation Award
- Rowing: Adam Murphy
- Rugby: Michael Foy
Supreme Sports Star Award
- Rowing: Margaret Cremen
Coach of the Year
- Hockey: Mark Mulcahy
Team of the Year
- UCC Rugby Club Junior Team – Winners of the Munster Junior Cup 2024
Kieran Dowd Special Achievement Award
- David Holmes – Judo Club Coach
Hall of Fame Inductees
- Moss Finn – Rugby