Ahead of the RTÉ Sport Awards, the 12 nominees for the RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year award have been named, with Aoife O'Rourke, Ben Healy, David Clifford, Fiona Murtagh, Katie McCabe, Kate O'Connor, Lara Gillespie, Orla Comerford, Rory McIlroy, Roisín Ní Riain, Sarah Healy and Troy Parrott all in the running to lift the prestigious accolade.
Joanne Cantwell, Darragh Maloney and David Gillick will present the awards ceremony from Studio 4 in RTÉ on Saturday, 20 December, with the action broadcast live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from 8.05pm.
The awards being handed out on the night in front of an audience of Irish sports stars include the RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year, the RTÉ Sport Team of the Year, the RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year and the RTÉ Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year.
Aoife O'Rourke: Two medals on World stage
Won gold at the World Championships and silver in the middleweight division at the IBA World Championships.
Ben Healy: World road race bronze medallist
Became the first Irishman to lead the Tour de France since Stephen Roche and recorded a stage win in the process. Won a bronze medal in the World Championship road race and became the first Irishman to win a medal since Sean Kelly in 1989.
David Clifford: Footballer of the Year
Became the first player to win the Footballer of the Year accolade for a third time. Top scorer in the championship with 8-62, with 8-48 coming from play. Added league, provincial and All Ireland medals to his trophy cabinet en route to winning his sixth All Star.
Fiona Murtagh: World single sculls champion
Only transitioned to single sculls this year and won World gold, European silver and filled the runner-up berth at the World Rowing Cup.
Katie McCabe: Champions League winner and 100 Ireland caps
Won the Champions League with Arsenal and made her 100th appearance for the Republic of Ireland, inspiring the team to a Nations League play-off victory over Belgium.
Kate O'Connor: Silver medallist in heptathlon at two World Championships
Claimed silver medals in the heptathlon at both the indoor and outdoor World Championships, as well as earning a gold in the event at the World University Games and a bronze at the European Indoor Championships. Also set a new Irish record of 6714 points in a stellar year.
Lara Gillespie: Gold medallist at World and European Track Championships
Won gold in the elimination race at the UCI Track World Championships in Chile, becoming Ireland's first female track cycling world champion. Also secured the European title in the same event at the European Track Championships.
Orla Comerford: Two golds at World Para Athletics Championships
Became a double gold medallist at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, winning both the T13 100m and 200m events.
Rory McIlroy: Masters champion, Players Championship winner, Irish Open champion
Enjoyed a historic year, highlighted by completing the career Grand Slam with his first win at the Masters. He secured a total of three PGA Tour wins and two DP World Tour wins, and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup team.
Roisín Ní Riain: Secured five medals at the World Para Swimming Championships
Racked up a hat-trick of silvers at the World Para Swimming Championships in the 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 400m freestyle, also bagging bronzes in the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley.
Sarah Healy: European Indoor Gold 3000m
Won a gold medal in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships, while also securing her first Diamond League victory and a place in the final of the same event at the World Athletics Championships.
Troy Parrott: Hat-trick hero of Budapest
Scored a match-winning brace against Portugal in the Republic of Ireland's crucial match at Aviva Stadium. Followed that up with a hat-trick against Hungary to secure a 3-2 win and Ireland's place in the World Cup play-offs. His feat in Budapest saw him become the first Ireland player since 2014 to score a competitive hat-trick.
