Katie McCabe named Sportswoman of the Year 

The Ireland and Arsenal star is the 20th winner of the Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year award.

Republic of Ireland's Katie McCabe celebrates scoring their side's fifth goal of the game and completing her hat-trick during the UEFA Women's Nations League Group B1 match at Tallaght Stadium, Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

IRELAND and Arsenal star Katie McCabe is the 20th winner of the Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year award.

In a year in which they came agonisingly close but took home no major international medals, Irish sportswomen still continued to make considerable and ever-rising marks on the world stage and McCabe faced stiff competition from the likes of record-breaking track stars Rhasidat Adeleke and Ciara Mageean (both fourth at World Championships) and Katie Taylor, a previous five-time SWOTY winner whose comeback victory over Chantelle Cameron in last month’s thrilling world super lightweight title rematch, was arguably the greatest of her storied career.

The judges plumped for the Tallaght native for her totemic contribution as a player and leader for both club and country on what has been a momentous year for women’s Association Football in Ireland and she is the first soccer player to win the overall award.

The Republic of Ireland star accepted the award by video link as she is currently abroad on holidays during the WSL’s short Christmas break and she acknowledged the significance of it.

“It’s an absolute honour to be even mentioned among so many inspirational Irish sportswomen so this award really, really means a lot,” McCabe said.

“Sorry I couldn’t be with you but I’m actually on a break for the first time in God knows how long. I’d like to thank my teammates for club and country and all the staff who have helped me along the way. I wouldn’t be here without them.” 

McCabe was at the forefront of all of Ireland’s historic moments in 2023 when she franked herself as a global superstar in her sport.

She led the Girls in Green out against Australia before almost 76,000 fans in their first ever World Cup appearance in Sydney and scored the country’s first (and only) goal at that level with her memorable inswinger from a corner against Canada.

Even when Ireland bowed out without a win she was in the thick of World Cup action, including her verbal exchange with manager Vera Pauw about the need to make substitutions in their final nil-all draw with Nigeria.

Since then she has continued to rack up memorable international performances and stunning goals, including a hat-trick against Albania in October and that screamer with her weaker right foot in their 6-1 defeat of Northern Ireland earlier this month.

She has proven herself not just a scorer of bangers, providing some jaw-dropping assists and her trademark leadership throughout Ireland’s unbeaten run in the Nations League under new manager Eileen Gleeson.

That included a record crowd of 35,944 in the Aviva Stadium, described as the first time Ireland’s women played there which is not technically incorrect.

Ireland’s women drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland in a friendly in Lansdowne Road in 1999 (May 25) but that was a shortened exhibition game and part of a so-called ‘Peace International’ double-header.

The judges also took into account McCabe’s exceptional form for the Gunners over the past year and the club, which she joined in 2015, reportedly refused a six-figure offer for her from arch-rivals Chelsea last January.

She made history in 2023 as the first Irishwoman included on FIFA’s Ballon d’Or shortlist and though Arsenal went out at the semi-final stage, she was the only one of the non-finalists included in the Champions League Team of the Year.

Her goal against Manchester City last April was also selected as the 2023 Women’s Super League Goal of the Year and she was her club’s 2023 Player of The Year.

Her father Gary and sisters Vanessa and Ella accepted the award and said it was the first time in eight years that she has not made it home for Christmas, a reflection of her particularly long season.

Fiona Coughlan, who led Ireland to their first Triple Crown 10 years ago and their equally historic 2014 World Cup defeat of New Zealand, was the recipient of the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award, joining a list that already includes legends like Sonia O’Sullivan, Catherina McKiernan, Rosemary Smith and Ann and Angela Downey.

The Irish SWOTY awards were started in 2004 when the inaugural winner was flat jockey Cathy Gannon and since then the level of the contenders’ achievements has risen exponentially. Past winners include gaelic stars like Rena Buckley and Briege Corkery (2015), athletes Derval O’Rourke (2006) and Olive Loughnane (2009), jockey Nina Carberry (2011), sailing’s Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy (2016), world rowing champion Sanita Puspure (2019) and boxers like Katie Taylor (her first in 2007, her fifth in 2020) Kellie Harrington (2018) and last year’s winner Amy Broadhurst.