Meath Chronicle Community & Sports Awards: Young Sports Person of the Year

The Meath Chronicle Community and Sports Awards in partnership with Specsavers and Bective Stud take place this Thursday (21st May) and in this week's paper we celebrate the achievements of all our wonderful nominees.

Evolving from the Meath Sports Awards that started more than 20 years ago and which has seen some of the biggest names in Irish sport recognised and honoured in their home county, the event now combines a dedicated Community section aimed at recognising so many of our unsung heroes.

Among the accolades given out at the Darnley Lodge Hotel, Athboy ceremony on Thursday, will be awards for Community volunteers, groups, carers, schools and green projects while in our Sports section, outstanding achievement, young sports star, team of the year and of course, overall sportsperson will all be honoured as will our Hall of Fame recipient.

Read all about our local heroes in our special 28-page pullout.

Here are the nominees for the Young Sportsperson of the Year Award:

Robyn makes the No 1 shirt her own

Robyn Murray

A first All-Star award and a nomination for the Golden Glove award only tell half the story of what was an incredible breakout 2025 for Meath Ladies' netminder Robyn Murray.

Several top-class saves along with her ability to commence attacks and involve herself in Meath’s build-up play ensured the Navan O’Mahony’s clubwoman played a very crucial role in the Royals journey to the Ladies All-Ireland SFC final.

There were several incredible saves made by Murray throughout the year. Her late unbelievable stop in the league against Waterford was crucial as Meath survived a comeback from the Deise. That was to be the first of many great saves in 2025 and for a while Murray was making an acrobatic stop every time Meath took to the field.

As a result, Murray quickly established herself as the best 'keeper in the country and when the nominations were announced for the 2025 All Stars, she was a warm favourite to fill the goalkeeper position.

Murray's stunning save against Dublin in the All-Ireland SFC final at Croke Park was nominated for the 2025 Golden Glove award. Her sensational fingertip stop to divert Kate Sullivan's dipping goal-bound effort over the crossbar kept Meath in a game that was slipping away from them.

Murray’s consistency between the sticks kept her in the number one jersey for Meath. In itself, that was a fantastic achievement as the second-choice goalkeeper, Monica McGuirk had been Meath’s number one for several years. In fact, for the duration of the 2025 season, it would not be unfair to suggest that Meath had the best two goalkeepers in the country within their ranks.

As the 2026 season progresses, there may be a feeling of uncertainty about future success for the Meath ladies but one thing is for certain, as long as the still young and exuberant Murray remains fit and healthy, Meath supporters don’t need to worry about the number one jersey for quite some time.

Cian Caldwell rallies to claim clean sweep

Cian Caldwell

For Meath rally driver Cian Caldwell, 2025 was a breakthrough season that firmly established him as one of the brightest young talents in Irish motorsport. Competing in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 alongside co-driver Paul McPhillips, the Kells native delivered a campaign defined by consistency, speed and championship success across multiple competitions.

Caldwell began the year in impressive fashion by winning Class 2 on the opening round of the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series at the Midland Stages Rally. The result immediately positioned him as one of the leading contenders for the championship and set the tone for a season in which he regularly challenged at the front on both gravel and tarmac surfaces.

As the season progressed, Caldwell’s maturity and reliability became key strengths. In a highly competitive Junior Rally Series, he consistently scored points while combining outright pace with disciplined driving. His performances in events such as the Tipperary Forest Rally demonstrated his growing confidence, particularly on gravel, where he emerged as one of the standout young drivers in the country.

The defining moment of Caldwell’s campaign arrived late in the season when he secured the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series title after a dramatic Fastnet Rally. The championship triumph represented a major milestone in his career and earned him valuable support from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, along with a nomination for the prestigious Billy Coleman Award.

By the end of 2025, Caldwell had completed an extraordinary clean sweep of success. He captured Class 2 honours in the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series, the Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship and the Irish Forestry Championship, underlining his versatility across different surfaces and conditions.

Across 14 rallies, he finished every event and claimed seven class victories, an exceptional achievement for a driver who only began rallying competitively in 2022.

Caldwell’s performances throughout the year transformed his reputation from promising youngster to genuine future star of Irish rallying. His combination of speed, composure and professionalism attracted widespread attention within the sport and ultimately paved the way for a move onto the European stage in 2026. By season’s end, there was a growing sense that Irish rallying had discovered another driver capable of succeeding at international level.

Bohermeen’s Lauren Duffy’s leap of faith

Lauren Duffy

For Lauren Duffy, the 2025 season represented another significant step forward in her development as one of Meath’s most promising young athletics talents. Competing primarily in the high jump for Bohermeen AC, Duffy continued to build on the momentum created by her breakthrough underage successes in previous seasons and established herself more firmly at senior level competition.

One of the highlights of Duffy’s season this year came during the Irish Senior Indoor Championships, where she produced an impressive performance to secure a share of the bronze medal in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.65 metres. Competing against some of Ireland’s leading jumpers, including established internationals, the result marked one of the strongest achievements of her career to date and demonstrated her growing consistency on the national stage.

Duffy also enjoyed success throughout the Dublin Graded League series during the summer months. Her performances regularly placed her among the leading high jump competitors in the country, and she collected valuable Grand Prix points across the season. A victory at one of the Dublin Graded meetings, where she cleared 1.60 metres, further highlighted her ability to perform consistently across a busy schedule of competitions.

Another standout moment arrived at the CSIT Championships in June, where Duffy represented Leinster and claimed victory in the women’s high jump competition with a clearance of 1.68 metres. The performance ranked among her best in recent years and underlined the progress she has continued to make technically and physically since winning national underage gold in 2023.

Throughout 2025, Duffy continued to compete regularly at both senior and underage level, gaining valuable experience against stronger opposition while maintaining her position among Ireland’s emerging high jump talents. Her earlier personal best of 1.69 metres, achieved during her memorable All-Ireland under-18 title-winning campaign, remained close within reach and appeared increasingly likely to fall as the season progressed.

For Bohermeen AC, Duffy’s performances were another source of pride in what proved to be a strong year for the club overall. By the end of 2025, she had strengthened her reputation as one of Meath athletics’ brightest young prospects and a competitor capable of challenging consistently at senior national level in the seasons ahead.