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Rachael Blackmore celebrates Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

Rachael Blackmore crowned RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year

Gavin Bazunu, Dominic Casey, and Paralympic greats Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal were the other big winners this evening.

RACHAEL BLACKMORE HAS been crowned RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year for 2021, following a year which saw the Tipperary jockey achieve a series of historic firsts on the racetrack. 

In March, Blackmore became the first woman to be named leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival after bringing six winners home, including success with Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle, an achievement which saw her become the first woman to win Cheltenham’s headline event.

A month later Blackmore achieved more history in becoming the first woman to win the Grand National, steering home Minella Times at Aintree.

The 32-year-old came out on top of an eight-person shortlist, which included six women.

The other nominees were Kellie Harrington, Ellen Keane, Cian Lynch, Leona Maguire, Jason Smyth, Katie Taylor and Vikki Wall.

Watch Rachael Blackmore – A Grand Year on RTÉ One on 29 December at 9.25pm 

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was named Young Sportsperson of the year after a breakout season between the sticks for Stephen Kenny’s side, highlights of which included saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty away to Portugal and an extraordinary save in Luxembourg.

The42′s Paul Fennessy charted the 19-year-old’s rise in a Read earlier today.

Ireland’s lightweight rowing head coach Dominic Casey was named Manager of the Year after steering his fellow Skibbereen men Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy to dominance at both the European Championships and the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo Paralympians Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal were voted Team of the Year, meanwhile, after their best ever Games at which the tandem para-cycling stars won two golds and a silver. Dunlevy and McCrystal pushed their British equivalents all the way at the velodrome in the B 3,000m individual pursuit. On the roads of Mount Fuji, they retained the time trial title they won in Rio five years ago, before completing their triple medal haul in the B road race at the Fuji International Speedway.

Also this evening, double World cross country champion, Olympic silver medallist and soon-to-be-retiring Sport Ireland chief executive John Treacy was inducted to the RTÉ Sport Hall of Fame.

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    Mute David Knight
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    Dec 18th 2021, 11:52 PM

    A worthy winner, well done Rachel!

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    Mute Stuart James
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    Dec 18th 2021, 11:51 PM

    In a sport where we’ve just seen misogynistic behaviour to the fore it’s ironic that one of the leading jump jockeys in Ireland or England is a woman, well done Rachel Blackmore..

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Dec 18th 2021, 11:57 PM

    This made my year. Her’s were by far the most outstanding achievements of all the nominees this year. Well done Rachael!!

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:19 AM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: “by far the most outstanding”. I think Kellie Harrington’s Olympic gold medal, getting into the ring 1:1 to take a potential hammering with no help from beast or machine, probably puts her firmly in the picture.

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    Mute This time its personable!
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:30 AM

    @GrumpyAulFella: great achievement to win a gold medal obviously, but if you’re going to bring in the help of beast or machine, then Rachel Blackmore excelled in a sport where there is no male/female differentiation (for the most part), won a grand national and was top rider at Cheltenham to go along with a champion hurdle, in previous years if Ruby, AP or BG had done that they’d be close to winning this. It’s some achievement. The fact she’s the first female to do so is just an additional part to it. This doesn’t take away from the fantastic efforts of all the nominees etc. But she’s a worthy winner, bringing in the need for beast or machine is a small bit petty, perhaps you didn’t mean it that way, and apologies if you didn’t.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:33 AM

    @GrumpyAulFella: The Cheltenham Festival is 161 years old, the Champion Hurdle 94 years old and the Grand National is 182 years old. No woman had ever won any of them and she won them all in one year while competing against men and getting pasted off the ground at 40mph multiple times a week with half a tonne of horse coming down with her. In 2021..Rachael first, the rest nowhere!

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    Mute Leonard Barry
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:40 AM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: A deserving winner yes but using the term “by the far the most outstanding” is disrespectful to the great achievements of the other nominees for sports person of the year.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:42 AM

    @Leonard Barry: that’s my point. Harrington stepped into the ring, a relative unknown and beat the best in the world in a competition that only comes around every 4 years. Bravery and skill beyond comparison. Bit of respect required.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:43 AM

    @Leonard Barry: Far from it. All worthy nominees however when put in context what she achieved this year was unprecedented and for generations deemed impossible.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:51 AM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: it was, but that same opportunity comes around every year not once every 4 years. That’s what makes Olympic golds so precious. But yes, all worthy nominees for sure.

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    Mute Samuel Karl Toland
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    Dec 19th 2021, 2:51 AM

    @This time its personable!: did the horse not win the grand national more so than the jockey… I don’t think a jockey is as worthy as Katie Taylor or many more athletes here

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Dec 19th 2021, 8:54 AM

    @Samuel Karl Toland: I’d say their success is as hard earned as any athlete, more so than many. https://www.balls.ie/amp/uncategorized/incredible-graphic-detailing-ruby-walshs-injuries-116921

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    Mute This time its personable!
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    Dec 19th 2021, 8:57 AM

    @Samuel Karl Toland: meh, you’re just making a point for the sake of it, at least grumpy auld fella was articulate and knew what he was talking about and had an opinion, you don’t even know the names of the people involved sonny!!!

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    Mute Tom kenny
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    Dec 19th 2021, 9:19 AM

    @This time its personable!: game set and match.

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    Mute Brendan Godley
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    Dec 18th 2021, 11:59 PM

    Well deserved

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    Mute ✨Barbara Christopher
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:13 AM

    So well deserved. Congratulations Rachel Blackmore.

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    Mute Peter Daly
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:06 AM

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️RACHEL BLACKMORE⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    RTÉ SPORTS STAR 2021

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    Mute Mary N. Cooke
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:04 AM

    Yes!!!!

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    Mute Baronvoncass
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    Dec 18th 2021, 11:55 PM

    Well done.. A well deserving winner. Hopefully gender Equalisation is not a factor in future years. Why can’t there be a a male and female winner

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    Mute Pat Mangan
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:11 AM

    @Baronvoncass: Why make that point when the Female winner just announced is NOT from a Female-only sport? She excelled in her sport against all opponents. Well done to Rachel.

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    Mute James Fox
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    Dec 19th 2021, 2:08 AM

    @Pat Mangan: exactly. That’s why she’s a worthy winner. Nothing against the other women but they competed against the best women in their chosen sport. Rachel Blackmore competed against the best men and women in her sport. There could only be one winner then

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    Mute John Kenny
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:46 AM

    Never watch this show, really as it can be a real GAA fest of slap on the back muck. But this year has been a breath of fresh air with amazing young talent coming through at all levels and sports.
    Male and female athletes all doing exceptionally well.
    Super to see all John Tracy get an award especially following his efforts over the years have come to fruition with these array of stars coming to the fore. Well done to all, especially all nominated and winners.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:57 AM

    @John Kenny: I agree, it was very entertaining.

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    Mute Tony Mcgrath
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    Dec 19th 2021, 10:35 AM

    @John Kenny: never watch this show and then describe all shows over the years athletics fan and no mention of the drugs

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    Mute John Kenny
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    Dec 19th 2021, 6:15 PM

    @Tony Mcgrath: ?

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    Mute Seán Ryan
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:47 AM

    And the horse gets no mention kellie Harrington or the rowing lads!

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    Mute IrishG26
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    Dec 19th 2021, 8:42 AM

    Huge congrats Rachel! Well deserved winner. Looking back 2021 was such a fantastic year for females in sport with so many amazing and inspirational moments.

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    Mute Munster1
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    Dec 18th 2021, 11:51 PM

    Cian Lynth

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    Mute Pat O'Leary
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:59 AM

    Proper order!!

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    Mute Seán Ryan
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    Dec 19th 2021, 2:06 AM

    Should have not have won…what about the horse?

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Dec 19th 2021, 9:32 AM

    @Seán Ryan: He just tweeted that he’s delighted for her!

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    Mute Nigel o'Neill
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    Dec 19th 2021, 6:56 AM

    Well deserved

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    Mute Bernard Mc Donnell
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    Dec 19th 2021, 12:53 AM

    Savage, to win that race when she fell, more savage.

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    Mute CAMILA REMONA
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    Dec 19th 2021, 1:49 AM

    Really? Surely meath winning an all Ireland is more impressive ;) jk obs well done to all nominatees, personally I’d hate to be the one to choose a winner

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    Mute Mark O'Driscoll
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    Dec 19th 2021, 1:16 PM

    Absolutely deserved, Congratulations. And at the same time what about Katie Taylor? In truth they both deserve it so one was always going to be hard-done-by.

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Dec 19th 2021, 11:44 PM

    Take nothing away from Rachel one of the best jump jockeys of her time but seriously…..What a load of bollix this thing is! Sports personality mehole

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