Versatile Bathrooms on board for Sportsperson of the Year awards
The 12th annual Meath Sports Awards will be presented at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim on Friday 18th January where the 2018 Sportsperson of the Year will be announced.
The sportsperson of the year award is this year sponsored by Versatile Bathrooms of Beechmount Home Park, Navan.
There are 12 monthly winners who will be the contenders for the overall award and each recipient will be interviewed by MC Evanne Ni Chuilinn who will be hosting her eight awards ceremony.
All the monthly winners will be profiled in a special pull-out section in next week's Meath Chronicle and each guest on the night will receive a special souvenir programme / brochure.
Check out the monthly winners below.
JANUARY
Gavin Cromwell continues to enhance his reputation as a top class trainer on the NH scene and also on the flat. He sent Raz De Maree to Chepstow in January 2018 for the Wesh National and the 13-year-old duly obliged in an exciting race that was rescheduled from December 2017 when Raz also made the journey. A fine achievement by the trainer who also had a winner on Arc week at Longchamp.
FEBRUARY
Trim native Harry Purcell demonstrated his talents on the ultra-competitive university track scene in the USA. Purcell, who studies in Villanova University won the Big East 400m in thrilling fashion edging out Villanova colleague Brian Faust from Georgia. The duo later combined to run the final half of the 4x400m relay which was claimed by the Villanova team.
MARCH
Gordon Elliott enjoyed a marvellous Cheltenham Festival. He retained his leading trainer’s title with eight winners over the four days, edging out his great rival Willie Mullins who finished with seven. In a great year he also won the Aintree and Irish Grand Nationals and late in the year the American equivalent and he also had success at Royal Ascot.
APRIL
Alan Kingsley will remember one day last April when his Navan team played Rainey Old Boys in Magherafelt and carved out a dramatic 16-14 victory in the Div 2B promotion play-off final. The win was partly achieved by a late Brian Haugh try and a Willie Staunton conversion and ensured Navan were promoted for the second successive season under Kingsley.
MAY
Devin Toner helped Leinster win the double - the only Irish team ever to do so. In the Champions Cup final at Bilbao Leinster beat Racing 92 (15-12) and overcame the Scarlets 40-32 in the PRO 14 final at the Aviva with Toner helping himself to a rare try. Earlier 2018 he helped Ireland win the Six Nations Grand Slam.
JUNE
Darragh Lenihan made history when he stepped onto the pitch at the Aviva Stadium to earn his first senior cap for the Republic of Ireland in a friendly international against the USA. The Dunboyne man replaced John O'Shea after 33 minutes. He played for Belvedere before signing for Blackburn in 2011 and now is a regular in the team.
JULY
Joe Treanor guided the Meath minor footballers to the Leinster MFC title. A Navan resident, he has a deep passion for Meath GAA and the provincial win against Kildare at O'Connor Park, Tullamore was followed by a sterling perfomance in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Derry before a brave display against Galway in the last four at Croke Park.
AUGUST
Eamonn Murray guided Meath ladies to the Leinster IFC title and the All-Ireland IFC final against Tyrone after his charges produced one of the finest performances by any Meath team in recent years when Meath defeated hot favourites Roscommon in the All-Ireland IFC semi-final in Dr Hyde Park.
SEPTEMBER
Emilia Dan is originally from Romania, she is now an intergral part of Dunboyne Athletic Club where her experience is highly-valued. She performed with distinction when showed the opposition a clean set of heels at the Airtricity Dublin Half Marathon winning in a time of one-hour, 24 minutes and 10 seconds, not bad going going for a 49-year-old.
OCTOBER
David Gallagher claimed his third Keegan Cup medal in three decades when he helped Dunboyne to victory against Summerhill in the Meath SFC final at Pairc Tailteann. He featured for Dunboyne in their inaugural success in 1998, he won another SFC title in 2005, all achieved in different positions – goalkeeper, centre-back and midfield.
NOVEMBER
Gary Rogers: Another great season for the Bohermeen man who helped Dundalk to the League of Ireland Premier title and the FAI Cup to complete a fine double. A remarkable career in the League of Ireland, Gary will be looking ahead to European Champions League action in 2019 and he also has a role with Andy McEntee's Meath team for 2019.
DECEMBER
Colin Keane was flying the Meath flag with distinction at the International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley where he partnered the first winner in the four-race series on the John Size-trained Special Stars. He went on take the runner-up position behind Silvestre de Sousa at the invitation-only event.
A SMALL NUMBER OF TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE FOR THIS EVENT
E: sports@meathchronicle.ie