World champions and a record-breakers make it a rewarding year for local sport

A world champion, a record-breaker, a promotion-winning team, and another that missed out on the main prize but collected another big enough to keep supporters happy. Oh, and there were two girls who don’t seem to know what’s like to lose.

Yes, it’s been a magnificent year for local sport. For so long Rob Kearney was the torch-bearer, and along with him for a time, a Cooley Peninsula neighbour, Paddy Keenan. Both have now tipped off to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

They haven’t, however, left a void. Far from it. Several were waiting in the wings, edging to get a place on the centre stage as the lads began to give serious thought to calling time on their stellar careers, one of them having won global recognition on the rugby pitch, the other boasting of the county’s first – and so far, only – All-Star.

Eve McCrystal and Katie-George Dunlevy were already making the headlines by the time RK and PK handed in their badges.

They are still doing it, and while there have been hints of retirement, the prospects of another Paralympic appearance might be enough to entice the six-times world champions and winners of multiple Paralympic golds to keep the partnership intact.

It was in Canada on August 14th that McCrystal and Dunlevy added to their impressive haul of world titles. While much is rightly made of the success of the country’s rowing partnerships, it’s very doubtful if any has been as successful as the one formed by these two girls.

And while the Paralympians are limbering up in Paris the year after next, Amy Broadhurst might just have stood on the podium at the Summer Olympics.

That’s if Katie Taylor’s natural successor and sometimes sparring partner has not followed the Bray boxer into the professional ring in the meantime.

No doubt there have been several knocks on the Dundalk girl’s door, the callers with chequebooks in hand. She’s been in demand since winning a World Championship gold back in May, but maybe she, too, has her eye on the amateur game’s biggest prize.

Broadhurst had been half-hoping, maybe nothing more, to make the Ireland team for the last Games, but she’d have known it was going to be difficult.

Also vying for a place at the same weight was Kellie Harrington, and when the Dublin girl got the nod and then claimed gold, there could have been no complaints from her rival.

But Broadhurst is older, wiser and better now, and might just be considering moving up in weight. In the year almost over, she has not only won a world title, but also one at European level.

And there was a victory in the Commonwealth Games as well, the light welterweight having thrown in her lot with the St Bronagh’s club in Rostrevor, county Down allowing her to compete with the Northern Ireland team.

Broadhurst is doing herself, her family, her town and her country proud. Coached by her father, Tony, she was only a year in infants’ school when she first wore a pair of boxing gloves. The intervening two decades have seen her graduate to become a magnificent ambassador for her sport and country.

There was plenty to suggest Israel Olatunde was capable of something special on the track, before he, well, produced something special.

Seen as a sprinter with potential from the day he enlisted with the Dundealgan club in Dundalk, the now-20-year-old, born in the town to Nigerian parents, put his name on a number of fast times as well as titles before leaving his teenage years.

His coach would have known Olatunde was capable of a big run, but maybe not what he came up with at this year’s European Championships in Munich. Having qualified for the final, he took his place on the starting-line beside the continent’s very best.

Winning a medal proved beyond him, but in taking sixth behind winner, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, Olatunde ran faster than any other Irishman before him, and not only that, became the first from this country to make the 100m final.

The fastest man In Ireland? Olantunde can be proud of that. And, perhaps, think about donning a green blazer and boarding a plane to France in the summer after next.

Louth GAA Year in Review: Mickey Harte brings national glory back to the Wee County

Louth GAA Year in Review: Mixed season ends on a high note for county hurlers

The Louth senior footballers had only one realistic target to aim at this year. Though they had handed back their All-Ireland crown in 2021, Dublin had lost only a little of their shine, though not going down, you’d have to say, in a blaze of glory. They hadn’t taken their semi-final beating by Mayo very well. Still, dethroning them in Leinster would be difficult.

And so it was with Louth and every other one of the Leinster contenders. But before then Mickey Harte’s Louth had promotion from Division Three to aim at. They hit the bullseye, overcoming an early glitch or two to clear the way for a return to the second tier.

There was no confrontation with Dublin in the championship. The Reds scored five goals in the defeat of Carlow but were brushed aside in the next round by Kildare, 2-22 to 0-12. And with that, their provincial aspirations were over.

Next match was an All-Ireland qualifier with Cork at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, shown live on one of those pay-per-view stations for anyone who didn’t want to journey southwards.

It didn’t make for pleasant viewing, Louth concentrating more on defending – until the last ten minutes – and Cork supporters among the few hundred at the game voicing their displeasure.

Louth lost, but with county fare giving way to club football in the middle of the summer, there was enough on the sideboard to make it a good year for the flag-bearers.

Dundalk FC hadn’t promotion to focus on, but league and Cup titles. Stephen O’Donnell, a former Oriel favourite, was in charge and had a panel that in terms of talent wouldn’t compare with any of those the other Stephen, Kenny, had at his disposal.

Many of Kenny’s students were now trading their wares with, in particular, Shamrock Rovers and Derry City. That these were the clubs that won the two major titles had Orielites asking, what if.

But there was still enough material available to O’Donnell to help him guide his ship away from the rocks, having found themselves for a time on a very turbulent sea.

Dundalk, having looked dead and buried in the fight for Europe, turned it around brilliantly, and in the end were third to Rovers on the same points as Derry.

The Cup was a disaster, hugely embarrassing, but enough was done in the league to earn a recall to the game adored by the Oriel faithful, European football.

There’s lots to look forward to in 2023 in all sports, not only the ones featured above. Good luck to all involved.