Trying to pick an Irish Sportwoman of the year is a tough job and we’ve been wracking our brains here at Her Towers to see who to put on our final list.
From football and camogie achievements to sailing and horse-riding, Irish women have been giving people across the country a lot to talk about this year.
We found it pretty difficult, but in the end we narrowed it down to a final fifteen.
Now, it’s your turn to have your say….cast your vote below. Voting closes at midday on Monday, December 22nd, and the winner will be announced on Christmas Eve.
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Fiona Coghlan
The now-retired Irish rugby captain had a blistering year this year captaining Ireland to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals. The Irish team overcame New Zealand en route to the semis in what was truly a historic victory. Fiona also led the team to a Six Nations Grand Slam last year.
Briege Corkery
The double All-Ireland winning ladies football and camogie star Cork’s Briege Corkery has been one of the outstanding players of the 2014 season. Corkery earned her eighth All-Star at this year’s LGFA All-Star awards. She also scooped a camogie All-Star for her role in Cork’s All-Ireland win.
Katie Taylor
With a fifth world championship under her belt, boxer Katie Taylor has proved time and time again why she is one of the leading lights in women’s sport. With a phenomenal win in Korea in November, Katie was flying the tricolour high once more.
Stephanie Meadow
The 22-year-old landed a third place finish at this year’s US Women’s Open played at Pinehurst, ending on a final round of 69. This was an exceptional feat for the talented young golfer – particularly as it marked her professional debut.
Gráinne Dwyer
The Team Montenotte basketball star was named as the Most Valuable Player following her performance in the Superleague National Cup final. She is part of the squad who helped Ireland to qualify for the European Olympics and holds the honour of making a bit of history this year as being part of the first Irish basketball team to qualify for the Olympics since 1948.
Sanita Puspure
The talented rower represented Ireland in London 2012 but made headlines nationwide this year when she scooped bronze at the Women’s Single Sculls final at the European Rowing Championships in Serbia.
Geraldine McLaughlin
The Termon ladies football captain scored a phenomenal 3-8 in the Tesco All-Ireland Club Senior football final on November 30th, to secure the title for her club after what was a truly inspirational performance. The talented forward had scored a whopping 22 goals and 27 points previous to the final in the championship this year.
Aisling Daly
The mixed martial artist put Ireland on the world map in terms of women’s UFC fighting this year. Although she suffered a third-round defeat in the last eight, the Dubliner has carefully carved a new way for women’s sport in Ireland.
Ireland’s Under 19 squad
A team nomination this time around, the Irish under 19 soccer squad had the country behind them this year when they qualified for the European Championships for the first time. Pitted in a tough group which included Sweden, Spain and England, the Irish ladies topped their group with impressive wins only bowing out in the semi-final to the Netherlands in what was a superb debut in the competition.
Annalise Murphy
The 24-year-old sailor has qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio following an impressive display at the World Championships in Santander in Spain earlier this year. The talented sailor had a tough fight in Spain but fought back well to qualify for Rio. The Rathfarnham native also competed for Ireland in London 2012.
Orla Barry
The discus thrower secured silver in this year’s Paralympic Athletics European Championship. She had a best throw of 28.13m. The Cork native claimed the silver in the F57 discus adding this to her world silver 2013 and her gold from the Euros 2012. All eyes are now on the 2015 World Championships in Doha.
Lisa and Leona Maguire
Cavan golfing sensations Lisa and Leona Maguire (17) have not only showed their skill on the fairways in 2014, but also followed their dream to the USA after securing 600 and 615 points respectively in their Leaving Certificate this year. The pair were awarded scholarships in Duke University, North Carolina to continue their golfing dreams. Since arriving, the pair have helped the university to a fourth spot in top colleges nationally.
Stephanie Roche
She’s the girl with that goal and now the former Peamount United player has earned herself a spot in the final top three players in the world – along with James Rodriguez and Robin Van Persie – and will go forward in the hopes of securing the FIFA’s Puskas Goal of The Year award. Stephanie has truly put Irish sport on the international map with that stunning goal.
Nina Carberry
The talented Irish jockey has had yet another successful year with wins at Punchestown, Navan, Leopardstown, Fairyhouse and Cork (to name but a few) all under her belt. She was also well-placed in a number of other major races during the year and remains as the one to watch. The champion jockey, who has won Cheltenham festival races and the Irish Grand National, has secured more than twenty wins this year.
Cliona Palmer
The talented young athlete (17) from Kerry Stars Special Olympics Club was juggling studying for her school exams along with training for the 2014 European Games this year. Cliona travelled from Killarney for training in Dublin with a lot of commitment and hard work from both herself and her family. Cliona put in some great performances at the Games in Belgium and came home with a gold and a silver medal in the shot putt and the 100 metre run respectively.
