Who will win 2018 Meath Young Sportsperson of the Year award - check out the nominees

There are seven nomineess for the 2018 Meath Young Sportsperson of the Year award which this year is supported by Meath Local Sports Partnership.

The winner will be announced in the Meath Chronicle dated Saturday 12th January and the recipient will receive four tickets to the awards ceremony at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim on Friday 18th January.

This is the 10th year of this particular award and the nominees are featured.

NOMINEES

JACK CALDWELL

Jack Caldwell from Dunshaughlin won the Meath Cycling Championship last August following an exciting finish when he got the better of Tim O'Regan from Ashbourne.

Caldwell and O'Regan pulled clear of the opposition on the fourth of five laps and in third place (A1) was Craig Sweetman from the Stamullen club.

It was a good day for Caldwell as he also got his Leaving Certificate results (was happy with them).

He also explained that he took up cycling when he was a boy after his father (Dessie) gave up smoking and started out on the bike to get fit. Son Jack joined him and was soon leaving his father behind as he loved the sport and took it seriously.

The racing for the Meath title was competitive around a demanding circuit.

Caldwell and O'Regan had a good tussle during the final lap receiving great encouragement from spectators who came out to view that action around the 8.7km circuit.

JIMMY CORCORAN 

In May the Drumbaragh teenager shot to international fame when he played for the Republic of Ireland against Holland in the UEFA u-17 Championship quarter-final and became the victim of a rarely-enforced ruling.  

The sides were level 1-1 at the end or normal time and at u-17 level games go straight to a penalty shoot-out. The teams were tied at 4-4 when Corcoran produced a spectacular save from Dutch captain Daishawn Redan.

However, the young Drumbaragh man was penalised for leaving his line despite having one foot ON the line.

Czech Republic referee Zbynek Proske showed Corcoran a yellow card, his second. So Corcoran was sent off in sensational circumstances and the Kells CS transition year student had to make the long walk to the sideline.  

The game was shown live on RTE2, but very soon after the incident took place it was relayed across Europe and perhaps the world it was so unusual. Later in 2018 Corcoran moved to Preston North End to start an apprenticeship with the Championship club. 

SOPHIE FARNAN

With the help of a series of outstanding shots Sophie Farnan claimed the girls title at the Natonal Juvenile Strokeplay Championships in Fermoy in August and in the process bridged a 38-year gap for Meath Pitch & Putt. 

The Skryne club member had four shots to spare over Leinster Girls Strokeplay winner Eimear Ahern of Dublin.

Both players were level on 70 after the first 18 holes. A great following nine holes of 28 gave the Skryne girl a seven-shot lead at the three-quarter mark. 

Ahern did get to within four strokes near the end, but Farnan held on for a winning score of 130 to become the first Meath winner of this event since Denise Rusk of Clonee back in 1980.

The win also completed a memorable double as Castletown's Evan Carry claimed the National Boys Strokeplay title.

It was the first time the National Boys Strokeplay, the Boys Matchplay and Girls Strokeplay championships have all been won in the same year by players from the same county.

EVAN CARRY

Castletown youngster Evan Carry travelled to the Cork venue of Fermoy in August and won the u-16 category at the All-Ireland Juvenile Pitch & Putt Strokeplay Championships.

Not even the long journey could put Carry off his game as he showed tremendous form to win the title as it was his third successive national crown in the age group.
Carry became only the second player to achieve the three-in-a-row of National Strokeplay titles. His three crowns replicated Barry O'Neill's feat from 1997 to '99.

O'Neill represented the Waterford Crystal at the time. The Meath player had to hang on for victory to complete his three-in-a-row with his opening round of seven under par constituting a major contribution to his success - and while he had an anxious wait in the clubhouse as others sought to overtake him he stayed in front to claim the silverware. 

In winning the title the Castletown youngster completed a rare series of victories that included the national u-16 Strokeplay, the u-16 Matchplay as well as the Leinster u-16 Strokeplay and the Matchplay titles. 

MATTHEW COSTELLO

Meath minor manager Joe Treanor was blessed with so many talented individuals to choose from for his Meath minor team this year. He had an exceptional goalkeeper, tigerish defenders, giant midfielders and potent attackers. 

To cap it all and help blend all those individual talents together Treanor also had a magnificent leader in Dunshaughlin's Matthew Costello.

It also helped that Matthew also fell into the bracket of being one of the teams potent attackers, so while the Dunshaughlin player let most of his football do the talking it was his leadership skills and inspirational qualities that drove those around him to greater things.

Matthew's club mate Luke Mitchell took most of the scoring plaudits throughout the campaign, but Matthew's impact on the team was also recognised by the Allstar committee as he too picked up an award for his outstanding performances in what was a memorable campaign for Meath football.

LUKE MITCHELL

Meath's run to the All-Ireland MFC semi-final in 2018 has revived the flagging hopes and dreams of the county. 

Almost 18 years since Meath last appeared in an All-Ireland SFC final and 20 years this year since they last won one the summer of 2018 for the under-17s suggested the good times might be just around the corner and spearheading that renewed optimism was Dunshaughlin's Luke Mitchell.

 

Regularly nominated as the Electric Ireland Player of the Week during Meath's successful Leinster MFC Luke kicked eight points in the Leinster final as the young Royals defeated Kildare by 1-15 to 1-7 to claim a first provincial minor title since 2008.

After such an impressive Leinster final win Meath had to dig deep to survive a late Derry rally, but once again it was Luke who inspired Meath with a 1-6 return in the 1-15 to 1-10 win.

Unfortunately for Meath Galway proved too strong in the All-Ireland semi-final, but it wasn't through Luke's lack of trying that they fell short as he was once again the teams top scorer with 1-4 and deservedly picked up an Electric Ireland minor Allstar awards.

ORLAGH LALLY

Making little of being just 17 years old Clann na nGael's Orlagh Lally quickly established herself as one of the key players in Meath's remarkable run to the Ladies All-Ireland IFC final where they unluckily lost out to Tyrone.

A star for the county minor team Orlagh was quickly called into the senior set-up by manager Eamonn Murray and she looked very comfortable as she held a steadying role in the full-back line.

Often tasked with the job of containing the oppositions danger player Orlagh always did her job in magnificent fashion.

As the All-Ireland final was getting away from Meath Orlagh was moved into midfield and helped drag her team back into contention.
An extremely talented hurler too, she won a Meath Junior Camogie medal with Clann na nGael and could be a key figure for Meath as they bid for Leinster and All-Ireland honours in 2019.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2009 - Kellie Allen (Equestrian).
2010 - Eleanor Murray (Swimming).
2011 - Cillian O'Sullivan (GAA).
2012 - Eamon Wallace (Athletics).
2013 - Elizabeth Morland (Athletics).
2014 - Harry Purcell (Athletics).
2015 - Kevin McGrath (Athletics).
2016 - Megan Thynne (GAA).
2017 - Rachel Huijisdens (Basketball).