Echo Women in Sport awards: Cork boxer Linda Desmond lands top prize
Linda Desmond, Echo Sportswoman of the Year with Karen O'Donoghue, managing director Irish Examiner/The Echo, and Grainne McGuinness, The Echo editor, at The Echo Women in Sport awards in The Metropole. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
THE Echo Sportswoman of the Year for 2023 Linda Desmond paid tribute to the support from her family, club and Cork boxing community after being honoured in the Metropole Hotel on Thursday night.
The Rylane BC ace was selected as the 17th winner of the prestigious awards scheme for landing a historic senior and elite boxing double last winter.
The 21-year-old was up against some of the most gifted Leeside sportspeople across a variety of disciplines for the top prize and was selected for her commitment, honesty and skill in the ring and attitude outside of it.
"A lot of work has gone on in the clubs and out on the roads and just a load of people supporting me and picking me up whenever I was falling down," she explained to MC Valerie Wheeler.
"It was mad. I was only meant to be going in doing the seniors to see how it goes. And then to go into the elites and actually win it... mad."
She has already seen the impact her recent triumph had on the club, with a number of young females eager to follow in her footsteps.
"We have a good few young girls coming on now because I was the only one for a good while. It's good to see."
Her family influenced her decision to join Rylane Boxing Club, as she followed her brothers' lead and, as she joked, outlasted them.
"My eldest brother used to box and he started to take my other two brothers out and I wanted to go too.
The Outstanding Achievement prize went to Christ King fifth-year student Aideen Mullins, after the gifted Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer collected medals across the board in 2023. Under her coach at Siam Warriors Martin Horgan, the 17-year-old shone at home and abroad and last weekend added a silver medal in Thailand.
Ladies football stalwart Marian Crowley has given a lifetime of service to St Val's Ladies Football Club as well as the Cork LGFA and deservedly entered the Echo Women in Sport Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to our Hall of Fame 2023 Award recipient Marian Crowley 🏆#echosportawards pic.twitter.com/qPS4Xyvzzk
— EchoLive.ie (@echolivecork) February 8, 2024
She is the current Cork chairperson but has held every role in recent years and been instrumental behind the scenes in club and inter-county success.
Guest speaker was sports journalist, disability rights activist and solicitor in training Joanne O'Riordan, who passionately explained the part media and fans have in developing women's sport.
"Events like this one are about acknowledging the hard work and dedication the winners put it and about family and loved ones who support them. You're kind of stuck in a cycle, looking ahead to the next event, the next match, the next race... it's about creating a space for women to thrive, connect together, get inspiration from other sports and drive their sport on.
"It's about driving the sport forward while talking about the stats and the athletes themselves. The likes of kickboxing tonight and women's hockey being put in the spotlight purely for the achievements, not just the idea of saying 'isn't she great'."
- Deirbhile Nic A Bháird (Rugby).
- Saoirse McCarthy (camogie).
- Claire O’Sullivan (basketball).
- Mairéad O’Mahony (Transplant Games).
- Doireann O’Sullivan (ladies football).
- Isabel Kidney (swimming).
- Sophie O’Sullivan (athletics).
- Amy O’Connor (camogie).
- Margaret Cremin and Aoife Casey (rowing).
- Clare Mullins (camogie).
- Linda Desmond (boxing).
- Orlaith Roche (ladies football).
- Jessica Scannell.
- Briege Corkery.
- Olive Loughnane.
- Derval O’Rourke.
- Juliet Murphy.
- Orla Barry.
- Christina Desmond.
- Denise O’Sullivan.
- Lizzie Lee.
- Rena Buckley.
- Saoirse Noonan.
- Sanita Puspure.
- Christina Desmond.
- Sanita Puspure.
- Emily Hegarty
- Amy O’Connor.
- Linda Desmond.
App?
