KATIE TAYLOR HAS been voted Ireland’s most admired sports star for the third consecutive year, but her becoming a two-weight world champion in Manchester last month was pipped by an event slightly closer to home when Irish people were asked for their favourite sporting moment of 2019.
Shane Lowry’s Open Championship victory at Royal Portrush was selected by 30% of respondents as the year’s sporting highlight in the annual Teneo Sports’ Sponsorship Index, with Taylor’s WBO World light-welterweight title win over Christina Linardatou picking up 29% of the same vote. Taylor’s crowning at a second weight, however, was deemed to be the greater sporting achievement (21% to 14%).
There was no splitting Dublin’s five-in-a-row history makers and Ireland women’s hockey team when it came to the people’s team of the year, each receiving 25% of the public vote, while GAA (both Gaelic football and hurling) remains Ireland’s favourite sporting pursuit (19%) ahead of soccer (18%) and rugby (13%) respectively.
“After four years of rugby dominance, a GAA side climbs back to the head of the Team of the Year category for the first time in six years, where they share top spot,” said Rob Pearson, Director at Teneo, whose survey of 1,000 people imposes quotas across gender, region, age and social class so as to be nationally representative.
“GAA sides typically struggle in nationally representative bodies of research”, Pearson continued, “but the Dublin’s footballers’ history-making five-in-a-row was recognised across the country as they were voted Team of the Year alongside Ireland’s women’s hockey team, who also made history by qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This isn’t the first time that a GAA team or a women’s team has topped the poll; in fact, in 2013 Clare’s All-Ireland winning hurlers and Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning women’s rugby team also shared the accolade.
“Shane Lowry’s history-making Major win moves him into the realms of Irish sporting superstars and was voted the most memorable sporting moment of the year.
Katie Taylor’s popularity with the general public knows no bounds; every way you cut the data she is Ireland’s most admired sports star for the third year running. Katie’s continued excellence in the ring coupled with the Ireland women’s hockey side’s dramatic 2020 Olympic qualification and a record-breaking Ladies All Ireland Football and Camogie finals attendance numbers made for another very strong year for women’s sport.
It’s the fifth time in seven years that Taylor has been voted the country’s most admired sportsperson, with only Paul O’Connell and Conor McGregor interrupting her reign. McGregor, who took 16% of votes three years ago, was down to 2% when this year’s survey was conducted in November.
Ireland’s most admired sports star
- Katie Taylor — 25%
- Shane Lowry — 10%
- Johnny Sexton — 6%
- Peter O’Mahony — 5%
- Rory Best — 5%
- Paul and Gary O’Donovan — 5%
Ireland’s most memorable sporting moment of 2019
- Shane Lowy wins The Open Championship – 30%
- Katie Taylor becomes a two-weight world champion – 29%
- Róisín Upton scores the vital penalty to send Ireland’s women’s hockey team to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – 9%
- Wexford players and manager Davy Fitzgerald celebrate their Leinster title win – 6%
- Séamus Callanan scores a goal for Tipperary as they beat Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final – 5%
The greatest Irish sporting achievement of 2019
- Katie Taylor becomes a two-weight world champion – 21%
- Shane Lowry wins his first major at The Open in Portrush – 14%
- Dublin footballers win an All-Ireland five in-a-row – 11%
- Ireland’s women’s hockey team qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – 10%
- Ireland win the Under-20 Six Nations – 7%
Ireland’s team of the year for 2019
- Ireland hockey (women) – 25%
- Dublin senior football (men) – 25%
- Ireland Under-20 rugby – 16%
- Ireland rowing – 9%
- Tipperary senior hurling – 8%
Ireland’s most popular sports
- Gaelic Games 19%
- Soccer 18%
- Rugby 13%
- Swimming 5%
- Golf 4%
Event you’re most looking forward to in 2020
- Tokyo 2020 – 22%
- Euro 2020 – 17%
- Six Nations – 14%
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – 12%
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – 9%
- Ryder Cup – 6%
- Cheltenham Festival – 6%
