PAUL O’DONOVAN WAS named RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year last night.

The Cork man became the first Irish Olympian to win medals at three consecutive games in 2024, winning Olympic gold at the double sculls in Paris – and gold at the World Rowing Championships single sculls.

Paul O’Donovan is named RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year. He became the first Irish Olympian to win medals at three consecutive games.

📺 Watch the RTÉ Sport Awards on @RTE1and @RTEPlayer, catch live updates on https://t.co/YXqp4pbqKj pic.twitter.com/qJylBlkXsh

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 15, 2024

Róisín Ní Riain was named RTÉ Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year as 2024 saw her became a double Paralympic medallist, taking home a silver and bronze medal at this year’s games in Paris for the 100m backstroke S13 and 200m Individual Medley SM13, as well as double gold at the European Championships in the 100m back and 100m breaststroke.

Willie Mullins was revealed as the RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year as he became the first champion trainer both sides of the Irish Sea since Vincent O’Brien in 1954. 2024 also saw him achieve record breaking Grade 1s in a year including eight at Cheltenham while also picking up the Aintree Grand National with “I Am Maximus”.

Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly won this year’s Team of the Year award as the Paralympic team took home gold and silver medals in road cycling at this year’s Paris 2024 Games and are Double World Champions.

Former Irish Olympian and professional boxer Michael Carruth was inducted into the RTÉ Sport Hall of Fame. The welterweight boxer who took home a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona was honoured for his many career achievements, rounding out an exciting night for the Irish sporting community.

Declan McBennett, group head of Sport RTÉ, said: “It was a truly remarkable year and both the extent and nature of success for our remarkable athletes shows how standards simply keep rising. The success is now coming across so many disciplines and codes that 2024 will act as a catalyst for even greater feats in the years ahead as a new generation is inspired to replicate the heroic efforts witnessed across RTÉ channels this year.”

Written by Ronan Early and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.