Tipperary sports stars of the year chosen for Annerville awards

A European boxing champion from Clonmel heads the list of sports stars who have been chosen for this year's Annerville awards.

Ellie Mai Gartland wrote herself into the record books when she won a gold medal at the European Junior Championships in Anapa, Russia.

It was the crowning glory of a year during which the Leaving Cert student was unbeaten in all 18 of her fights at home and abroad, and won two Irish titles.

Ellie Mai (pictured above) is joined in the honours list by Tipperary amateur sports stars who enjoyed a successful year across a whole range of disciplines at home and abroad. They include Katie Morrissey, who won the Irish U-18 Junior tennis championship at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin. 

She was also the number one female player on the Munster team that won the interprovincial series for the first time since 1973.

Jason Forde was one of the few shining lights in a disappointing year for Tipperary hurling, and he received the county's only All Star nomination.

However the Tipperary U-21 hurlers fared much better and their manager, Liam Cahill, has been honoured with the Sean Lyons Sports Executive award, having guided the team to All-Ireland glory.

That success seemed a very remote possibility when Tipp suffered a heavy defeat by Cork in the Munster Final. 

However Liam Cahill's team regrouped and gained revenge on The Rebels in the All-Ireland Final. 

In Gaelic football, award winner Alan Campbell (pictured above, left) was captain of the Moyle Rovers team that regained the County Senior Championship after a nine-year absence when they beat Ardfinnan in the final.

Cait Devane finished as top scorer in the All-Ireland camogie championship with a tally of 4-46 to her name. The county's only All Star, she was instrumental in Tipperary’s bid for Munster and All-Ireland glory, and it was the first time since 2010 and 2009 that they reached the Munster final and All-Ireland semi-finals respectively.

James Cleary was on the Irish Senior team that won the European pitch and putt championship, while Nenagh handballer Sinead Meagher collected World and All-Ireland titles in the course of a never to-be-forgotten year.

Christopher Higgins of St. Michael's was captain of the Irish Junior soccer team that qualified for the European Quadrangular tournament.

His talent was also recognised on a national scale when he received the FAI's Irish Junior International Player of the Year award.

In ladies football, Aishling Moloney got 2018 off to a perfect start when she captained Dublin City University to All-Ireland success, edging out UL to be crowned champions for the first time since 2011. 

She scored a late point to secure the title and finished the day with a personal tally of seven points. Aishling was also on the Tipperary team that defeated Cavan in the Division 2 Ladies Gaelic Football Association National League Final and was again named as Player of the Match.  

She received her third Player of the Match award of the year when her club Cahir retained their Senior County title in September, defeating Templemore.

Carrick-on-Suir athlete Miriam Daly (pictured above) flew the flag for Ireland in the women’s 400 metres hurdles race at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

She was also selected to represent Ireland at the European Youth Track and Field Championships in Hungary in the 400 metres hurdles and the medley relay.

During 2018 she won the National Indoor 400 metres title and the Irish Senior Schools 400 metres hurdles title, as well as breaking the Irish junior (U-20) record in the four-by-four relay.

She also produced a brilliant performance at the National Senior Track and Field Championships to win the silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles. 

The Knocknagow Award, which each year is presented to a sportsperson of the past, has gone to Michael 'Babs' Keating, a legendary figure of Tipperary hurling and football.

He won All-Ireland hurling medals in 1964 and 1971 and in the course of his career won four Munster titles and two National Leagues.

His fellow Ardfinnan man Pete Savage, who has given a lifetime of service to Gaelic football in his home parish and in the county, has been selected for the Jimmy Cooney Lifetime Achievement award.

Elsewhere sailor Aisling Keller(pictured above), an Olympic Games hopeful, won the Irish Laser Radial championship to earn her back-to-back Annerville awards.

And brothers Tom and Max Wachman, who starred on Ireland's two successful underage Nations Cup teams in showjumping, as well as competing well at the European championships, have also been honoured. 

The award winners will be presented with their Annerville awards - which are sponsored by Bulmers - by the members of the Tipperary United Sports Panel at the Panel's awards ceremony, which will be held at the Clonmel Park Hotel on Saturday night, January 26.

The full list of award winners is - 

Athletics - Miriam Daly, Carrick-on-Suir. 

Boxing - Ellie Mai Gartland, Clonmel.

Camogie - Cait Devane, Clonoulty/Rossmore. 

Equestrian - Max and Tom Wachman, Cashel.  

Gaelic Football - Alan Campbell, Moyle Rovers.

Handball -Sinead Meagher, Nenagh.

Hurling - Jason Forde, Silvermines. 

Ladies Football - Aishling Moloney, Cahir.

Pitch and Putt - James Cleary, Clonmel.

Sailing - Aisling Keller, Nenagh.

Soccer- Christopher Higgins, St. Michael's, Tipperary town.

Sean Lyons Sports Executive - Liam Cahill, Ballingarry. 

Tennis - Katie Morrissey, Cashel.

Jimmy Cooney Lifetime Achievement - Pete Savage, Ardfinnan.

Knocknagow - Michael 'Babs' Keating, Ardfinnan.   

For more Tipperary sport read https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/sport/351903/killenaule-beat-ballingarry-in-south-tipperary-u-21-a-hurling-championship-final.html