An 11-person shortlist has been announced for the 2019 RTÉ Young Sportsperson of the Year award.
The shortlist was compiled by senior RTÉ staff. They will also choose this year's winner. To be considered, individuals had to be a teenager on January 1st, 2019.
The winner will be announced at the broadcaster's awards ceremony which is being shown live on RTÉ One this Saturday night.
RTÉ Young Sportsperson of the Year 2019 nominees
RHASIDAT ADELEKE
Rhasidat Adeleke won double gold in the 100m and 200m at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. These were the 16-year-olds fifth and sixth championship medals of her short athletics career.
CRAIG CASEY
The highly rated scrum-half was one of the standout performers in Ireland’s heroic Under 20 Grand Slam win, the nation’s first since 2007. He was also named Munsters Academy Player of the Year before moving up to the provinces senior squad.
AARON CONNOLLY
The 19-year-old striker made his first start for Premier League team Brighton & Hove Albion against Tottenham in October, scoring two goals in a 3-0 win. He made his international senior debut for the Republic of Ireland a week later as a substitute against Georgia, making his first start against Switzerland four days later.
NIAMH FAY
Bantamweight boxer Niamh Fay was crowned European Youth champion at the European Youth Boxing Championships in Bulgaria. Dubliner Fay won four fights en route to gold in Sofia.
LARA GILLESPIE
Lara Gillespie won bronze in the Individual Pursuit at the UCI Junior Track World Championships in Germany. The Wicklow teenager set a new Junior National Record during qualification. Earlier in the season, Gillespie took silver medals in the individual pursuit, scratch race, and points race in the Junior European Championships.
SARAH HEALY
Healy won the silver medal at the European Under-20 Championships in Sweden over 1,500m, and seven days later won her first senior title in convincing style at the National Championships. The 18 year-old from Blackrock AC also competed in her first Diamond League meeting in Birmingham, where she clocked a new personal best of 4:40.72 for the mile.
RHYS McCLENAGHAN
Rhys McClenaghan created history this year as he became the first Irish gymnast to medal at the World Championships, claiming a bronze medal in the pommel horse. He also booked a place at the 2020 Olympic Games by qualifying for the final earlier in the week.
MONA McSHARRY
19-year-old McSharry won a bronze medal in the final of the women’s 50 metres breaststroke on the opening day of the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Glasgow, setting a new Irish record on the way.
ADRIAN MULLEN
Adrian Mullen enjoyed a stellar debut season and established himself as one of the most important players in the Kilkenny attack. The ‘Young Hurler of the Year’ also won All-Ireland club honours with Ballyhale Shamrocks in March before being crowned ‘Club Player of the Year’.
KATE O’CONNOR
The 18-year-old from the Dundalk won the heptathlon silver medal at the European Under-20 Athletics Championships in Sweden, securing Ireland’s first-ever international heptathlon medal. Her total of 6,093 points also smashing the existing Irish senior record.
NICOLE TURNER
17-year-old Portarlington native Nicole Turner showed incredible resolve as she powered through the final ten metres to move from fifth to third and claim the bronze medal at the World Para Swimming Championships in London.
