John McGrath and Liam Cahill among Tipperary sports stars chosen for Annerville awards

John McGrath and Liam Cahill head the list of sportspeople who have been chosen by the Tipperary United Sports Panel for the annual Annerville awards.

Each year the awards, sponsored by Bulmers, are presented to the Tipperary amateur sports stars of the year.

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill guided the county to its first All-Ireland senior hurling title in six years. One of the stars of that success was John McGrath, the Hurler of the Year, who scored a phenomenal seven goals and 16 points from play throughout the championship campaign. 

The other award winners include Mairead Eviston, who won Tipperary’s only Camogie All-Star in 2025, and Sean O’Connor, who was a leading light in the Clonmel Commercials team that won a record 22nd county senior football title.

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Clonmel's Kaysie Joyce, who won her seventh Irish boxing title in a row; world darts champion Aidan O’Hara and European showjumping champion Alice Wachman are also among those honoured.

Golfer Arthur Pierse is the choice for the Knocknagow Award, which is presented to an outstanding sportsperson of the past. Widely acknowledged as Tipperary’s greatest-ever golfer, he excelled at the very highest levels, both nationally and internationally.

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The Jimmy Cooney Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to John Flynn, who is “Mr Athletics” in Moyne AC. The Special Achievement award goes to Darragh Stakelum from Thurles, who won the British Golf Open for blind and visually impaired golfers.

Nenagh Ormond have been rewarded for their promotion to the top flight of the All-Ireland Rugby League, as has Cahir man Dylan Sullivan, who won the senior men’s black belt national karate title for the third year in a row; and the Tipperary ladies golf team that won the All-Ireland Junior Cup are also honoured.

Angler Dean Gates and athlete Eimear Brennan are other All-Ireland winners, while kayaker Beibhin Butler, soccer player Dale Loughnane, young Roscrea badminton star Luke Marks and racing driver Nicole Drought also enjoyed very successful years, as did Sarah Ryan of the Tipperary Hills club, who won the Girls Under 16 National Matchplay Championship.  

The 2025 awards will be presented by the United Sports Panel at its annual function at the Talbot Hotel Clonmel on Saturday night January 10. 

The full list of award winners is 

Angling - Dean Gates Kilsheelan Anglers Club

Athletics - Eimear Brennan Clonmel AC

Badminton - Luke Marks Roscrea

Boxing - Kaysie Joyce Clonmel

Camogie - Mairead Eviston Drom/Inch

Darts - Aidan O’Hara Clonmel

Equestrian - Alice Wachman Cashel

Gaelic Football - Sean O’Connor Clonmel Commercials

Golf - Tipperary Club Ladies

Hurling - John McGrath - Loughmore/Castleiney

Kayaking - Beibhin Butler Clonmel

Martial Arts - Dylan Sullivan, Tora-Kan Karate Cub Ballyporeen

Motorsport - Nicole Drought Roscrea

Pitch and Putt - Sarah Ryan Tipperary Hills

Rugby - Nenagh Ormond

Soccer - Dale Loughnane Peake Villa

Sean Lyons Sports Executive - Liam Cahill Ballingarry

Jimmy Cooney Lifetime Achievement - John Flynn Moyne AC

Special Achievement - Darragh Stakelum Thurles Golf Club

Knocknagow - Arthur Pierse Tipperary