PETER O’MAHONY and Ciara Griffin have been handed Munster Player of the Year awards, while Donal Lenihan has been inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.
The awards were distributed at the annual Munster Rugby Awards at the University Concert Hall in Limerick.
There were 11 awards in total with O’Mahony picking up the Men’s Player of the Year gong ahead of Tadhg Beirne and Joey Carbery, after an impressive campaign.
O’Mahony has made 16 starts for the club so far this season and was instrumental in the province’s run to the Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens at the weekend, as well as the Final Series of the Guinness Pro 14.
The flanker played every minute of Ireland’s 2019 Six Nations campaign and has also been nominated for the EPCR European Player of the Year award.
Meanwhile, Griffin has been named as the Women’s Player of the Year for Munster. The Kerry native made her Munster senior debut in 2012 and captained Ireland during this year’s Six Nations championship.
Munster legend Donal Lenihan has been inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame. During his career, he made over 50 appearances for the province.
At international level, he earned 52 caps for Ireland and won two Triple Crowns and three Five Nations Championships throughout his career from 1981 to 1992.
He also captained Ireland on 17 occasions.
Other categories announced at Munster’s 2018/19 awards ceremony:
Young Player of the Year – Dan Goggin
John McCarthy Award for Greencore Munster Rugby Academy Player of the Year - Craig Casey
Referee of the Year – Rob O’Sullivan
Senior Club of the Year – Highfield RFC
Junior Club of the Year – Mallow RFC
School of the Year – Christian Brothers College, Cork
Club Youth Section of the Year – Cobh Pirates RFC
Club Mini Section of the Year – UL Bohemian RFC
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Congrats to everyone who got an award there tonight, all well deserved. Thought probably the most hotly contested one was the young player of the year award. I’d have given it to Jeremy Loughman but equally it could have been Fineen wycherly too and in the same breath you cAnt argue with goggin winning it either.
@Jim Demps: g’wan Jim Jim. We know you want an award as well: The mystic meg memorial award
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: good contribution.
@Jim Demps: Goggin looked sharp when he came on the other day, like to see more of him AND Sammy, and Bill, and Casey, and Flannery and both Wycherly’s AND the list goes on.
@thesaltyurchin: yeah I’d fully expect you’ll see plenty more of them next year. This season seems to be about sorting out the squad in terms of the players Van Graan wants and thinks are up to it and the ones who will move on. The young players he likes have seen plenty of action. It’ll be very interesting to see the academy players once it’s finalised. I know James McCarthy and Matt more are gone and I’d expect some more as well and then there will be plenty of additions.
A Cork person was definitely picking those awards…!
@Treaty Bhoy: why do you do it
Will never understand giving awards to referees?? They should all be doing the exact same job, so why pick one out and say you are doing it better. Is there any other sport that does this??
@Kyle Mac Creddin: Soccer, GAA do it. Plenty others as well.
Why not recognise referees as much as players/coaches/teams for work/successes during the season?
@Ormond: Exactly. Players are thought the same things but some perform better than other, it’s the same for referees.
@Kyle Mac Creddin: Is there a sport that doesn’t do this? If you don’t have referees, you don’t have games. Playing is the easy part, I often wonder what makes someone want to ref. They deserve the awards and recognition for excelling as much if not more than players.
Unbelievable performance from Donal L.
Congrats to all the award winners. A special congrats and thank you to Donal Lenihan, Munster’s and Ireland’s
greatest rugby performer on and off the field.
Think Goggin had a fantastic season very strong and quick in the centre. I would have had no complaint if whycherly got it as he has also been fantastic this season.
@Top Class: hopefully Wycherley has a good future ahead of him in Red, and he’s only 21. Agree he would have been a worthy winner of the award, he’s made a great impact this season.