THERE ARE 14 nominations across nine different sports for this year’s RTÉ Sport Sports Person of the Year.
Conor McGregor will be among the favourites to win after claiming the UFC Featherweight World Championship last weekend, defeating Jose Aldo in 13 seconds.
WBO middleweight champion of the world, Andy Lee is also nominated after defeating Matt Koborov while Michael Conlan claimed a gold medal in the World Championships, becoming the first Irish man to achieve that feat.
Both the hurler and footballer of the year feature on the list as TJ Reid and Jack McCaffrey enjoyed a year to remember in 2015. Dual star Rena Buckley is also in contention after winning an All Star in both camogie and football.
Richie Towell is another name on the list after he was named PFAI Player of the Year as he scored 29 goals on the way to completing the league and cup double. Towell, is joined by Stoke forward Jon Walters who played a pivotal part in Ireland’s qualification for Euro 2016, including a brace in the play-off against Bosnia.
Paul O’Connell’s Ireland career didn’t end the way he would have wanted but he can look back fondly on the first part of 2015 as he helped Ireland retain their Six Nations title, while picking up the award for Player of the Tournament along the way.
He is joined among the nominees by Sophie Spence, who also celebrated Six Nations success in 2015, and is one of three players in the running of World Women’s Rugby Player of the Year.
Golfers Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are also nominated. Lowry won his first US Tour event this year, as he stands on the verge of breaking into the world’s top 20. Last year’s winner, McIlroy finished an injury-disrupted season by winning the lucrative Race to Dubai to become Europe’s number one golfer.
Completing the lineup is Leighton Aspell who rode the Aintree Grand National for the second year in a row and athlete Michael McKillop who won two Gold medals at the World Championships in Doha.
Who do you think deserves to win RTÉ Sports Person of the Year?