Echo Women in Sport Awards for top trio

Three brilliant Cork athletes were recognised recently at The Echo Women in Sport Awards at the Cork Airport Hotel, the associate sponsors.

Eimear Scally, Meg Ryan, and Lorna Bateman were the judging panel’s picks for their excellence in the second quarter of 2019.

All three were first-time winners of the prestigious scheme, which is now in its 13th year.

Scally is a playmaker supreme for both the Cork Ladies footballers and Éire Óg, having evolved from being a deadly scoring threat off the bench to a roaming forward who makes the rest of the front six tick.

The Rebels were surprise winners of the league this spring as they blooded a host of new players, while they blitzed Kerry and Waterford in the Munster series.

At just 17, Meg Ryan is one of the youngest recipients of the Echo award, and also has the honour of being the first gymnast to be selected.

The Douglas native has long been a star on home soil as well as representing Ireland at the European Youth Olympics two years ago.

Though still a teenager, she is now the senior champion, and is one of the leading lights of the thriving Douglas Gymnastics Club.

Hockey ace Lorna Bateman stepped up to the plate for Harlequins when they captured the Irish Senior Cup in the most dramatic style possible.

Trailing by two goals, ’Quins rallied to senior the decider to a shoot-out and Bateman stepped in between the posts to ensure the club won the crown for just the second time.

Importantly, it gave her the bragging rights at home, as her father Ivan, himself a former international goalkeeper, never pocketed a Senior Cup medal during his career.

The three winners were joined by their family and friends at the reception last week hosted by the Cork Airport Hotel.

General manager Diarmuid Vaughan and Aaron Mansworth, managing director of the Trigon Hotel Group, generously made a presentation of a gift to each recipient from the hotel as sponsors.

The trio can surely look forward to much future success, and we will be following their careers with interest.