Ten unforgettable sporting moments from 2014
These were just some of the sporting memories we will take with us from 2014 - what do you think? What would you add to our list?
Tipperary and Kilkenny faced off on September 7 in the All-Ireland final. The contest ended honours even, but for many observers it will go down in GAA history as one of the all-time great games of hurling.
Check out the highlights -
Kilkenny went on to win the replay but before they did RTE Sport asked these GAA fans if the draw was the best game ever. Do you agree with their answers?
We could not choose between talking about the Ireland win or Brian O’Driscoll’s retirement because in the emotion of the day one was bound up in the other.
Brian wanted to leave his beloved green jersey on a high point and every rugby fan in the country wanted the team to do it for BOD - and they did.
O’Driscoll announced himself to the rugby world with a stunning hat-trick of tries in Paris in 2000, so it was fitting that 14 years later he was back there, leaving Ireland after winning his second Six Nations title.
Brian said his emotional farewells and there wasn’t a dry eye in the stadium, or in pubs around the country.
Man City lifted the Premier League trophy in May, but Liverpool were the most talked about side of the season.
Spearheaded by a rampant Luis Suarez, for a while in March and April Liverpool seemed unstoppable, going on a run of wins that left them in touching distance of the title they had never won.
And then Chelsea went to Anfield, and Steven Gerrard slipped.
It is of course totally unfair to blame one moment in a 38-game season for the outcome and it was inevitable that Liverpool’s winning run would end sometime before the end of the season.
But, when the story of the Premier League 13/14 is being reviewed, it will always go back to the slip.
Rory McIlroy had an awe-inspiring 2014. Two major wins, including the Open, and a crucial role in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in Gleneagles in September made McIlroy golfer of the year.
Broken engagements and court cases made for a more challenging time in his personal life, but on the course Rory is currently untouchable.
ICYMI: Rory McIlroy is our No. 1 Player to Watch in 2015. http://t.co/9DwdgQoZ5j pic.twitter.com/cenXReeFMv
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 31, 2014
World Cup 2014 was the footballing extravaganza we all expected and the tournament in Brazil gave us plenty of memorable moments. And some to forget, we could happily live the rest of our lives without hearing another ‘Suarez bite’ joke.
But of all the shocks and stories of the tournament, nothing could match the game on July 8, when Germany obliterated the hosts 7-1.
Brazilians cried, and the internet damn near melted.
Whoever designed the FIFA World Cup logo saw this result coming... #Facepalm #WorldCup2014 #BrazilvsGermany pic.twitter.com/upvTTZbX6Z
— Qjacker (@Qjacker) July 8, 2014
Poor Brazil, they can't even go home
— Kyah Simon (@KyahSimon) July 8, 2014
"Thank god, we have a replay." That was Marty Morrissey's verdict after the first fantastic match between Kerry and Mayo, and we can see why.
All the talk in the build-up to the replay was about it being played in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick as GAA purists objected to the match being played anywhere but Croke Park.
But all that was forgotten on that unforgettable Saturday evening by the Shannon, as Kerry and Mayo delivered another exhibition of open, entertaining football.
It was only a pity that there had to be a winner, but Mayo fans could make the journey home with their heads held high, after two performances against Kerry that marked them as a team to watch.
Kerry of course, went on to win the All-Ireland.
This incredible goal was actually scored in 2013, but it was in November this year we found out that Ireland’s Stephanie Roche had been nominated for the Puskas Award for goal of the year, rubbing shoulders with World Cup stars Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez.
Even better news followed, when she made it to the final three!
If you have a spare minute, why not vote again (because of course you’ve voted already!) and help Steph win the ultimate prize.
In August the country’s attention turned to France where the Ireland women’s rugby team did us proud, topping their group and beating world champions New Zealand in the process.
AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! Our women are bloody brilliant! Ireland have beaten the world champions don't you know! #WRWC2014
— breakingnews.ie (@breakingnewsie) August 5, 2014
England put a stop to their campaign at the semi-final stage, but there was no shame in being beaten by the eventual tournament winners and a final four finish was a fantastic achievement for Niamh Briggs and her team-mates.
Katie Taylor came home from the World Boxing Championships in Korea with an incredible fifth successive gold medal.
The softly-spoken Bray woman may feel RTÉ do not give her and her sport the attention she and it deserves, but as far as Irish sports fans are concerned she is a national treasure.
Congratulations Katie Taylor! Crowned Sportswoman of the Year 2014 http://t.co/aLqa8miLnj pic.twitter.com/9uaRU7nIZ6
— breakingnews.ie (@breakingnewsie) December 19, 2014
Again proving that you don’t have to play on the world stage to score incredible goals - Doug Minihane captured this brilliant image of Colin Healy’s acrobatic strike for Cork City in August.
Healy’s goal helped Cork City to the brink of the League title, but they were pipped at the post by Dundalk.
Check out fan footage of the incredible overhead goal -
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