Waterford was well represented at the 2014 South-East Sports Star Awards Night which took place at the 4 star Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Golf Resort in Tullow, Co. Carlow on Saturday January 31st.
The awards celebrated the region's top sporting achievements of 2014 and consisted of 11 monthly winners who won a public vote when pitched against nominees from the other four counties of the South-East. One wild-card entry was also selected from all of the nominations put forward throughout the year. The awards are a collaboration between Beat 102-103 and the Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Golf Resort.
Each monthly winner was presented with a specially commissioned award on the night. Special guest MC, RTÉ Rugby Pundit Brent Pope announced Waterford Athlete Thomas Barr as the overall winner of the 2014 South-East Sports Star of the Year award.
Two Waterford winners received a monthly award with one of them, athlete Thomas Barr, taking the coveted overall accolade:
Thomas Barr was lost for words when he was announced the winner "I'm genuinely in shock. I didn't expect my name to be called out at all. This year has been the best year of my life so far. I just want to say thank you for all the support I've received all year. This is an absolute shock."
Waterford was represented by Thomas Barr and Dylan Moran who each won a monthly award:
A bright young athlete from the region to excel in 2014, Thomas Barr made headlines across Ireland when he defeated reigning 400m hurdle World Champion Jehue Gordon at the Morton Games. He also broke an 18 year long record by setting a new Irish 400m hurdles record.
It's not often we can say the South East is home to a world champion, but that's now the case after Dylan Moran was victorious in his IKF World Kickboxing title bout in Birmingham last October. The win was a culmination of years of training for the Waterford man and was fully deserving of the award.
Beat 102-103 CEO Gabrielle Cummins said "The calibre of nominees from the south east this year was exceptional. It was a very difficult choice for the judges. Thomas Barr is an outstanding athlete who's had a fantastic year. We were delighted to collaborate with the Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Golf Resort for the occasion and are thrilled to announce our continuing partnership with them for the 2015 awards next year."
Mount Wolsely Hotel Spa and Golf Resort hosted the events for the second year running, Sales Manager Sheena McCanny, commented that "the hotel is delighted to work with BEAT in bringing the best Sports Stars in the South East together to celebrate their amazing achievements. Each of the monthly winners represent their individual sports at an elite level and will no doubt achieve great success in the coming years.
The partnership between Mount Wolseley Hotel and BEAT is a positive and successful one and we look forward to another year of celebrating great Sport Stars. Sheena stated that Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is proud to support local sports people."
