Gordon Elliott (right) with the 2007 Meath Sportsperson of the Year award at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim on Monday 4th February 2008 in recognition of his feat in winning the Aintree Grand National with Silver Birch which was ridden by Robbie Power. Photo: John Quirke / www.quirke.ie

Plans taking shape for the 2020 Meath Sports Awards

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The 2020 Meath Sports Awards will be presented on Friday 12th March in a digital format due to the current Covid-19 restrictions.

This will be the 14th annual event, but due to the on-going pandemic the 2020 awards will be confined to the main presentation, the 2020 Sportsperson of the Year, the team-of-the-year and outstanding achievement awards.

The current format of the Meath Sports Awards was introduced in 2007 with the first annual banquet at the Knightsbrook Hotel and Spa, Trim on Monday 4th February 2008.

The Meath Sports Awards were inaugurated in 2007 following an initiative by the late John Cusack of the Cusack Hotel Group in conjunction with the Meath Chronicle.

The emphasis was firmly on recognising the achievements of the top Meath sportsmen and sportswomen on an annual basis.

The format since then has remained firmly on that goal with the addition of extra categories as the process evolved since the inaugural recipient, Summerhill man Gordon Elliott, scooped the first accolade at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim in 2008.

The hard-working committee planning the Meath Sports Awards at a meeting in the Newgrange Hotel, Navan included Mary Smith (left) from the Meath Chronicle, Bernadette Gray and Aoife Cusack (Cusack Hotels), Meath Chronicle sports editor Conall Collier and Mary McGuigan (Celtic Media Group). Photo: John Quirke / www.quirke.ie Photo by John Quirke

Each month, since January 2007, the members of the Meath Chronicle sports department (sports editor Conall Collier and reporters Fergal Lynch and Jimmy Geoghegan), have selected a monthly recipient.

The awards were not solely designed to honour those who have achieved sporting greatness and become household names, but also to recognise the achievements of the men and women who dedicate so much time to club and county in their chosen sports.

An Outstanding Achievement and a Hall of Fame category were added in 2008 and a young sportsperson of the year award was introduced in 2010.

The Cusack Hotel Group supported the awards annually with a broader range of sponsorship added from 2018.

Getting ready for the inaugural Meath Sports Awards on the night were MC Micheal O Muircheartaigh with Marie Cusack, (MD Cusack Hotel Group) and Meath Chronicle editor Ken Davis. Photo: John Quirke / www.quirke.ie. Photo by John Quirke

The 2020 presentation will be the 14th annual awards and for the 13th time the main trophy will be designed by noted craftsman and woodturner Seamus Cassidy.

The format for the 2020 awards has had to be altered due to the Covid-19 restrictions and apart from the main award - the 2020 Meath Sportsperson of the Year, there will also be a team-of-the-year award and two Outstanding Achievement awards.

It is anticipated that each of the four recepients will be acknowledged at the 2021 Meath Sports Awards which are provisionally scheduled for January 2022.

The overall roll of honour is listed and this week the monthly winners for the first three years (2007 - 2009) are also listed.

2007 - 2009 MONTHLY WINNERS

2007

January - Barney Allen (GAA)

February - James Foley (Motorsport)

March - Philip Carberry (Horseracing)

April - Gordon Elliott (Horseracing)

May - Trim Celtic (Soccer)

June - Kouroush Foroughi (Athletics)

July - Damien McGrane (Golf)

August - Meath GAA football selectors

September - Sean Heary (Archery)

October - Kiltale GAA selectors

November - Seneschalstown GAA selectors

December - Noel Meade (Horseracing)

2008

January - Kieran Kelly (Athletics)

February - Paul Carberry (Horseracing)

March - Nina Carberry (Horseracing)

April - Damien McGrane (Golf) and Navan RFC.

May - Denis Hurley (Rugby)

June - Johnny Murtagh (Horseracing)

July - Pat Coyle (Meath minor football manager)

August - Darren Sutherland (Boxing)

September - Rachel Eagleton (Tennis)

October - Sean Boylan (International Rules)

November - Kilmessan GAA team.

December - Moynalvey GAA team

Olympian Darren Sutherland won the 2008 Meath Sportsperson of the Year award with the trophy accepted by his parents Linda and Tony and sister Nicole Sutherlad. Photo: John Quirke / www.quirke.ie Photo by John Quirke

2009

January - Joanna Morgan (Horseracing)

February - Steven Clynch (Meath hurling)

March - Barry Geraghty (Horseracing) and Paddy Carr (GAA).

April - Brad Harris (Rugby)

May - Shane Horgan (Rugby)

June - Johnny Murtagh (Horseracing)

July - TJ Reilly (Meath hurling manager)

August - Eamonn O'Brien (Meath football manager)

September - Declan McDonogh (Horseracing)

October - Pat O'Halloran (Kildalkey hurling)

November - Andrew Ledwith (Athletics)

December - Mickey Burke (Longwood GAA)

Johnny Murtagh with the 2009 Meath Sportsperson-of-the-Year award. Photo by John Quirke

YOUNG SPORTSPERSON

Nominees - Jack Lyons (Motorsport); Kellie Allen (Equestrian); Christopher Blaney (Boxing).

The inaugural Young Sportsperson of the Year award was presented in 2009 and Jack Lyons from Kiltale was one of three nominees. He attended the event with his parents Lynne and Ger Lyons. Photo: John Quirke / www.quirke.ie Photo by John Quirke

MEATH SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR ROLL OF HONOUR

2007 - Gordon Elliott

2008 - Darren Sutherland

2009 - Johnny Murtagh

2010 - Damien McGrane

2011 - Nina Carberry

2012 - Cian O’Connor

2013 - Barry Geraghty

2014 - Devin Toner

2015 - Gary Rogers

2016 - Natalya Coyle

2017 - Robbie Power

2018 - Gordon Elliott

2019 - Gordon Elliott

2020 - to be selected

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