The RTE Sportsperson of the Year award has torn the nation apart in recent days and weeks. RTE announced the shortlist a couple of weeks ago, and this caused much wailing of tears and gnashing of teeth in newspaper columns. Eamon Dunphy claimed it was "shameful and daft" to include Conor McGregor over Robbie Brady, Eamon Sweeney complained of the inclusion of one but not both of the O'Donovan brothers, while Paul Kimmage decided to savage the whole enterprise, calling it a "complete joke".
I don't know who put this list together. It is a complete joke. A lot of these lists are a joke but this is Oscar of joke lists. From RTÉ, which is no surprise, because they don't have a clue out there.
I really think that they should be made stand up and explain this because it's actually quite extraordinary.
Ryle Nugent's defence upgraded the farrago to the status of 'saga'.
Well the awards took place tonight, and with Paul Kimmage presumably not sitting at home and not drinking cans of Heineken, Conor McGregor was confirmed as the winner of this year's Sportsperson of the Year, finally nailing down that long-held aim of two belts, shares in the company and earning the respect of Ray D'Arcy viewers.
On a more serious note, 2016 was quite the year for McGregor: he became the first man to hold to belts at different weight classes in the history of the UFC, along with bouncing back from his first UFC defeat to outlast Nate Diaz in a grimly compelling welterweight bout. Oh, and he also tweeted his retirement and sent a lot of people into meltdown.
McGregor succeeds Michael Conlan, who won the award last year.
