'We never gave up' - Waterford woman wins big sports award after brilliant year

Waterford’s Linda Kelly and Katie-George Dunlevy were honoured recently at The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year awards for their outstanding performance at the UCI Para-cycling World Championships in Belgium.

The duo received the Sportswoman of the Month award for August after they successfully defended their Time Trial and Road Race titles at the championships, the third time in a row Dunlevy has achieved the golden double with Kelly as her pilot.

While the time trial was relatively stress-free, the duo coming home over half a minute ahead of their old rivals Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl of Britain, the road race was anything but.

A slow puncture, a wheel change and the chain getting stuck three time left them 25 seconds adrift of Polish leaders Patrycja Kuter and Karolina Kolkowicz and looking like they’d have to settle for silver at best. But as Kelly explained, the duo are fighters.

“We never drop heads no matter what…we’re here to race and make the most of it, so we kept the heads. We hammered on, we never gave up. We got to the second hill, caught the Polish and time-trialled home.”

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That they did, winning what Dunlevy described as “the toughest race she and Kelly have had yet” by 21 seconds. Dunlevy, who is 43, is easily Ireland’s most successful Paralympic athlete of all time. While she has said she needs to consider her plans for next year, this successful partnership shows no signs of slowing down, just yet.

At the event, Kate O’Connor, who crowned an unbelievable breakthrough year by winning silver in the heptathlon at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, was named The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2025. The award capped an amazing 12 months for the 25-year-old Dundalk-based track and field star who medalled in all four of the championships she entered and announced herself on the world stage as one of the best all-round women athletes in the world.

In a year of outstanding achievements her silver at the World Championships in Tokyo was the crowning glory. As well as scoring five personal bests in the seven events, she attained a tally of 6,714 points, smashing her own Irish record set in July.

Other award winners

Legendary Mayo Gaelic football forward Cora Staunton, who won four All-Irelands and three National League titles with the county, was honoured with the Irish Times / Sport Ireland Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award. In addition to her county medals, Staunton, who made her debut for the county team in 1995 aged just 13, won six All-Ireland ladies club football championships with her club Carnacon. She also amassed a total of 11 All Star Awards before retiring from intercounty football in 2019.

This year, the 21st year of the Awards was clearly a special one for Irish athletics, with athletes making up over a quarter of the 15 monthly award winners (For some months there are double winners).

In addition to O’Connor and Sarah Healy (March), Orla Comerford (Sept) and Caitríona Jennings (Nov) won Sportswoman of the Month awards.

Some of the other winners included boxers Katie Taylor and Aoife O’Rourke, soccer players Katie McCabe (Arsenal) and Kelly Brady (Athlone Town) as well as cyclist Lara Gillespie and swimmer Ellen Walsh.

The Sports Editor of The Irish Times Noel O’Reilly paid tribute to all the 2025 winners.

“Once again, it has been a pleasure and a privilege for our team of reporters at The Irish Times to cover the achievements of these women through 2025. They are heroes of Irish life, examples to our daughters and sons and a credit to their families, coaches, partners, and friends. We thank them and salute them for making it such a memorable and special year, and we wish them continuing success in the year to come.”

The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan said: “Irish sportswomen have delivered extraordinary achievements this year, breaking records and making history across multiple disciplines. Their dedication reflects resilience and commitment in the face of significant challenges. Their sacrifices and unwavering commitment deserve sincere appreciation. We are privileged to have such inspiring role models, and I warmly congratulate all of this year’s award recipients for their outstanding contribution to Irish sport.”

Dr Úna May, Sport Ireland CEO said: "This year has been extraordinary for Irish women in sport, and today we proudly celebrate their achievements. These successes are built on the unwavering support of coaches, families, volunteers, and communities. We owe them all a debt of gratitude. It's important to also credit the state for its strong and consistent investment. The Government’s generous €4m allocation to the Women in Sport Programme is truly transformative. This funding drives initiatives in participation, coaching, leadership, visibility, and more, ensuring women and girls thrive at every stage of sport."