At the UCD Athletic Union Council Sport Awards ceremony yesterday evening in the UCD Student Centre, over 300 students from 26 different sports clubs were honoured for their sporting achievements on behalf of the University over the last twelve months.

A number of special awards were presented on the night.  It proved to be a memorable evening for the Men’s Soccer Club with the club picking up three awards.  The club was named “Elite Club of the Year” in recognition of its outstanding competitive success during the past twelve months.  In addition, to the National League First Division title, the club also won the three premier Irish soccer intervarsity competitions i.e. the Collingwood Cup, the Crowley Cup and the Harding Memorial trophy as well and the Colleges and Universities League.  Fittingly the Under 20 side also won the Dr. Tony O’Neill Under 20 League named by the FAI in memory of the clubs former general manager.

Goalkeeper Gerard Barron was named the “Dr. Tony O’Neill Sportsperson of the Year”, while the first team picked up the “Elite Team of the Year” following their historic victory in the first division of the National League and subsequent promotion to the Airtricity Premier League.

In terms of other award winners on the night, Megan Tennant Humphreys from the Ladies Hockey Club was named the “Gerry Horkan Club Administrator of the Year”.  The Men’s Table Tennis team was named the “Varsity Team of the Year” and the Sailing Club was named the “Varsity Club of the Year”.

Commenting on the sporting achievements the UCD President, Dr. Hugh Brady, said that “Sport is an integral part student life at UCD and the fact that we have so many students from so many clubs are not only triumphant at Intervarsity level, but many others taking on the cream of competition nationally and internationally, underlines the quality of our sportsmen and women”.

Dublin, 20th May 2010