It has been yet another remarkable year for Irish sport with our women taking centre stage in 2019. We recount the highlights and our most memorable moments of the year in this 2019 review.
Check out Part I, Part II and Part III
Top Ten Finish For Mageean At World Championships
Ciara Mageean earned a 10th place finish in the 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Mageean set a new personal best with 4:00.15, just shy of reaching the sub four-minute mark.
The Portaferry runner became the first Irish woman to reach a world 1500m final since Sonia O'Sullivan in Athens back in 1997.
Ireland Edge Five Goal Thriller In Euro 2021 Qualifier In Front Of Record Crowd
The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team edged a five-goal thriller, 3-2, in front of a record-breaking crowd at Tallaght Stadium.
An attendance of 5,328, the largest for a women's international game in Ireland, saw Vera Pauw’s side seal their second win in their UEFA EURO 2021 group.
This was new Head Coach Vera Pauw’s first game in charge.
Maguire and Meadow Earn LPGA Tour Cards
Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire earned their LPGA Tour cards for the 2020 season.
In her first full season as a professional, Maguire finished seventh overall in the Volvik Race for the LPGA cards – qualifying her for the LPGA next season. She earned two victories on the Symetra Tour.
Stephanie Meadow needed a top-10 finish at the Volunteers of America Classic to secure her place on next seasons LPGA tour.
Meadow showed incredible composure to birdie the final two holes to finish joint-sixth and cement her spot on next years tour.
(Photo Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie)
Fionnuala McCormack Qualifies for Tokyo 2020
Fionnuala McCormack finished a superb fifth at the Chicago Marathon.
McCormack crossed the line in 2:26:47 to cut almost four minutes off her personal best.
McCormacks secured automatic qualification for next year's Olympics in Tokyo and her phenomanl run moved her to number two on the Irish all-time list.
McCurley Wins Silver At European Cycling Track Championships
Shannon McCurley won silver in the scratch race at the European Track Cycling Championships in the Netherlands.
McCurley became the first Irish female track cyclist to represent Ireland at an Olympics, back in Rio 2016.
Irish Banshees Win The AFL European Championships
The Irish Banshees won the 2019 Australian Football League (AFL) European Championships in London.
Ireland beat Germany in the Grand Final on a scoreline of 13-24-102 to 0-0-0. It was a remarkable tournament from Ireland as they won five from five, keeping the opposition scoreless on every occasion.
It’s been another stellar year for Ireland in Aussie Rules, with the Banshee’s retaining their AFL Europe Euro Cup in Sweden whilst the West Clare Waves won the AFL Europe Club Champions League in Amsterdam for the second year running.
Previous
Next
Emma Dolan Places Seventh At WKF Karate World Championships
Emma Dolan competed at the WKF World Karate Junior Championships in Chile and finished a brilliant seventh.
Dolan overcame her South African opponent 8-0, before beating her Bosnian opponent 3-1. She was eventually defeated by her French opponent 1-0, who went on to take Gold.
This was the highest ever finish for an Irish female at any WKF World Championships.
Peamount United Edge Out Shelboure To Become Women's National League Champions
Peamount United were crowned Women’s National League champions after an emphatic 8-1 victory over Cork City.
Peamount held-off a late title charge by Shelbourne two seal the league by two points, winning eighteen out of their twenty-one games.
This was their first WNL title since the 2011-2012 season.
Sinead Diver Battles To Top Five Finish In New York Marathon
Mayo-born runner Sinead Diver finished a superb fifth in the New York Marathon against a world-class field.
Diver clocked a time of 2:26:23 to come home less than four minutes behind race winner Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya (2:22:38).
Diver, who now represents Australia, has almost certainly qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after a new personal best which she set in London six months ago.
Niamh McCarthy Claims Bronze Medal At World Para Athletics Championships.
Niamh McCarthy won Ireland’s first medal at the World Para Athletics Championships. McCarthy won bronze in the F41 discus final in Dubai.
McCarthy's throw of 29.7m was enough to take home a medal, with the 25-year-old producing her best effort on her fourth throw.
This medal comes as McCarthy’s third World Championships medal after also finishing third in Doha in 2015 and landing silver at London 2017.
Ireland Women's Hockey Team Qualify For Olympics After Stunning Shootout
The Irish women’s hockey team qualified for their first-ever Olympics after defeating Canada in a two-legged tie.
Ireland beat Canada in a sensational sudden-death shootout in front of a record attendance of 6,137 at Energia Park.
World Cup hero Ayeisha McFerran once again proved she is the best around as she made three vital saves when all looked lost.
Ireland’s group at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics includes 2016 Olympic champions, Great Britain, World Cup winners, the Netherlands, Olympic bronze medallists Germany, India and South Africa.
Katie Taylor Writes History Becoming A Two-Weight World Champion
Katie Taylor defeated Christina Linardatou to win the WBO super lightweight title to become a two-weight world champion in Manchester.
Taylor moved up a weight division from lightweight to super lightweight, to become only the third Irish boxer to be a two-weight world champion.
Taylor’s victory saw her unbeaten from her fifteenth professional fight.
Wexford Youths Retain FAI Cup Against League Champions
Wexford Youths defended their FAI Cup crown as they beat Women’s National League champions, Peamount United, 3-2 at the Aviva Stadium.
In a repeat of last year’s final, player of the match Lauren Kelly scored a brace whilst captain Kylie Murphy added a third to ensure Wexford Youths defended their FAI Cup crown.
Mourneabbey Win Back To Back All-Ireland Senior Club Titles
Mourneabbey (Cork) secured back-to-back All-Ireland senior club titles after a dramatic All-Ireland decider at the Gaelic Grounds.
Laura Fitzgerald scored a crucial point for the Cork side with less than 20 seconds remaining to break the hearts of broke Kilkerrin/Clonberne (Galway).
The score finished Mourneabbey 2-9 Kilkerrin/Clonberne 0-14, as Mourneabbey won the Dolores Tyrrell Memorial Cup.
Stephanie Cotter Wins Bronze As U23 Team Secure Silver At European Cross Country
It was a memorable European Cross Country Championships for Ireland.
Cork’s Stephanie Cotter was an outstanding performer as she won an individual bronze in the U23 race.
She was backed-up by her Irish teammates Eilish Flanagan (9th), Róisín Flanagan (17th), Fian Sweeney (38th), Claire Fagan (47th) and Sorcha McAllister (57th) to leave Ireland on an overall 29 points, enough to take the team to a team European Cross Country U23 silver medal.
Ireland Fight For Silver At The European Cross Country Championships.
Ireland capped off a memorable European Cross Country Championships with a silver medal in the senior women’s team event.
Fionnuala McCormack led the rankings as she came home in fourth, agonisingly close to an individual bronze medal.
Her teammates Aoibhe Richardson (17th), Ciara Mageean (20th), Mary Mulhare (35th), Una Britton (37th) and Fionnnuala Ross (47th) backed up the impressive performances to take team Ireland to 41 points and a silver medal.
McSharry Breaks Irish Senior Record On The Way To Bronze
Mona McSharry bagged a brilliant bronze medal at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Glasgow.
The 19-year-old recorded a new Irish senior record of 29.87 from lane eight in the 50m breaststroke.
Lydia Gurley Wins UCI Cycling World Cup Bronze Medal In New Zealand
Lydia Gurley pulled off one of the best results of her career, claiming a bronze medal at the UCI World Cup in New Zealand.
The Irish rider won bronze in the scratch race, which was her best result since taking a silver medal with Lydia Boylan two years ago, at the Madison race at the European track championships.
