The countdown is on for the RTÉ Sports Awards 2025 with a number of Paralympians included among the nominees. The ceremony, which will be broadcast live from Studio 4 on Saturday 20 December at 8:05pm, brings together some of the country’s most exceptional athletes to celebrate an unforgettable year of achievements across Irish sport.
This year’s shortlist reflects a wide spectrum of standout performances on the world stage, with Para athletes Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly, Orla Comerford and Róisín Ní Riain included among the nominees following remarkable medal winning seasons.
Orla Comerford – Double World Champion
Orla Comerford produced two of the defining Irish performances of the year at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, where she won gold in both the T13 100m and 200m.
Róisín Ní Riain – Five-Medal World Championship Campaign
Róisín Ní Riain delivered another standout championship series at the World Para Swimming Championships, where she claimed five medals across a demanding programme. Her success sees her nominated for both RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year and Young Sportsperson of the Year.
Her results included:
-
Silver – 100m Backstroke
-
Silver – 100m Breaststroke
-
Silver – 400m Freestyle
-
Bronze – 100m Butterfly
-
Bronze – 200m Individual Medley
Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly – Reigning World Champions
The reigning RTÉ Sport Team of the Year won two gold medals at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Ronse, Belgium in the road race and Time Trial.
Full List of Nominees for the RTÉ Sports Awards
The 2025 RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year nominees are:
-
Aoife O’Rourke – 75kg World Champion Boxing
-
Ben Healy – World Road Race Bronze Medallist
-
David Clifford – Footballer of the Year
-
Fiona Murtagh – World Single Sculls Champion
-
Katie McCabe – Champions League Winner, 100 Caps
-
Kate O’Connor – World Heptathlon & Pentathlon Medallist
-
Lara Gillespie – European and World Track Cycling Champion
-
Orla Comerford – Double World Para Athletics Gold Medallist
-
Rory McIlroy – Masters, Players & Irish Open Champion
-
Róisín Ní Riain – Triple Silver and Double Bronze World Para Swimming Medallist
-
Sarah Healy – European Indoor 3000m Champion
-
Troy Parrott – Hat-trick Hero of Budapest
The 2025 RTÉ Sport Team of the Year nominees are:
- Athlone Town – Soccer
- Dublin – Ladies Football
- Galway – Camogie
- Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly – Para Cycling
- Kerry – Gaelic Football
- Shamrock Rovers – Football
- Tipperary – Hurling
The 2025 RTÉ Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year nominees are:
- Alex Dunne – Formula 2 Race Winner
- Conor Kelly – European U20 400m Champion
- John Shortt – World Junior Gold Medalist
- Michael Noonan – Shamrock Rovers star
- Patsy Joyce – World Bronze Medalist
- Róisín Ní Riain – Triple Silver and Double Bronze World Para Swimming Medallist
- Sean Butterly – World Junior Gold Medalist
The RTÉ Sports Awards will be broadcast live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
