Texaco announces sports awards winners

Nine top Irish sports stars - two of whom are joint winners of the Horse Racing award - have been chosen to receive the 2009 Texaco Sport Stars of the Year Awards.

Claiming awards for the first time are World Championship medal winner Olive Loughnane, GPA Player of the month for September Tomás Ó Sé, golfer Rory McIlroy, Kilkenny hurler Tommy Walsh and Manchester United’s John O’Shea.

Joining them among the elite list are previous winners Brian O’Driscoll (2000, 2002, 2007), WBA Super-Bantamweight World Champion Bernard Dunne (2006) and joint winners John Oxx and Mick Kinnane (1989, 1993, 1995).

The winners will be presented at a ceremony in Dublin on Thursday, November 19.

Chosen by sports editors representing print and broadcast media, north and south, the full line-up of this year's Texaco award winners are:

Olive Loughnane - Athletics

Bernard Dunne - Boxing

Tomás Ó Sé - Gaelic Football

Rory McIlroy - Golf

John Oxx & Michael Kinane - Horse Racing

Tommy Walsh - Hurling

Brian O’Driscoll - Rugby

John O’Shea - Soccer