Menu
The Triathlon Ireland Awards 2024 celebrated an unforgettable evening of achievement and community spirit, marking its largest attendance to date on Saturday, 16th November. The event brought together members of the triathlon community to honour outstanding contributions and accomplishments in the sport. Highlights of the night included the presentation of special awards such as the Caroline Kearney Award and the Lynne Algar Spirit of Triathlon Award, to recognise exceptional dedication and inspiration. With a vibrant atmosphere and a shared passion for triathlon, the awards showcased a remarkable community who drive the sport forward both on and off the course.
Joanne was on hand to host the evening, setting the tone for a fantastic evening ahead. Reflecting on the memorable night, Joanne shared, “as always it’s a great opportunity to reconnect and catch up with lots of athletes and friends from across the triathlon community.”
Triathlon Ireland CEO Darren Coombes took to the stage to reflect on the year, before presenting Cork City Triathlon LOC member Ronan Forde with an award for the LOC’s role in hosting the inaugural Europe Triathlon Cup in Cork.
President of Europe Triathlon, Renato Bertrandi addressed the audience through a virtual message, expressing his gratitude for Triathlon Ireland’s support over the past 12 years, reflecting on the first European Championships hosted in Athlone in 2010.
The award recognises exceptional contributions to triathlon by a female athlete, and is awarded to Eimear Nicholls this year – a professional triathlete turned paratriathlon guide. From Portstewart, Co. Derry, Eimear boasts an impressive career, including multiple podium finishes and representing Team Northern Ireland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
In 2023, Eimear joined Triathlon Ireland’s Paralympic Programme as a guide for Judith MacCombe, achieving significant results on the international stage. Highlights include podium finishes at the World Triathlon Para Series and Para Cups, as well as guiding Judith to an 8th-place finish at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, marking a historic milestone for Irish para triathlon. This award honours her remarkable achievements, resilience, and dedication to the sport.
Lorna’s drive and energy as well as her commitment to training is outstanding. She believes sports should be available to all and through her work she is enabling the next generation to embrace triathlon. Lorna has been instrumental in the formation of the junior club at Naas and her drive and passion led her to complete the level 1 training course in 2023 specifically aimed at juniors. She also coaches adults as required, specifically in open water and is an excellent coach, always looking to upskill and has a great way of communicating with juniors and adults alike.
The Tri-Team International Age Group Athlete of the Year Award seeks to recognise an individual athlete who has shown commitment, team spirit, outstanding performance and contribution during a World Triathlon or Europe Triathlon Event.
Deirdre has not only shown extraordinary dedication with 8 starts, 8 podiums, and 4 wins throughout an international Triathlon career, but also showcases an incredible ability to excel under pressure, winning major championships in Torremolinos, Pontevedra, and Abu Dhabi. Her sportsmanship, consistency, and leadership have left an undeniable mark on the triathlon community.
Mario has officiated the highest number of events in 2024 including 5 events internationally.
Feedback received from both within Ireland and internationally has been nothing but extremely positive on Mario’s performance at events. Mario is always enthusiastic, passionate, and professional and always keen to improve his knowledge and skills.
Tomás is the chairperson of his triathlon club, and also the race director for the club race and goes above and beyond to ensure that the delivery of the event is flawless. He also act as a TO at other events and supports the club training sessions. Tomás has been described as the heart and soul of the club and is passionate and cares massively about the progression of juniors in the sport. Tomás is innovative and aims to bring the sport in Ireland forward by creating draft legal youth racing, replicating what the sport is like at a high level helping to give the youths proper racing experience.
Our photographers do a wonderful job all year round and in all conditions capturing amazing moments in our sport. Their commitment, passion and dedication to showcasing triathlon is an integral part of promoting the sport. This year, we were keen to shine a light on some of the amazing images, to highlight their talent and give our community the opportunity to select their favourite photo of the year.
Michael Buckley receives the inaugural award for Photo of the Year, photographing an athlete in action on the iconic ‘The Lost Sheep’ triathlon course.
Laura is the backbone of her club, and a pillar of support to the triathlon community. She has qualified as a level 2 coach, a swimming teacher, a technical official and now a community coach to ensure that she can be as active as possible, and because of the respect held for her, Laura has now become the club chair of Athlone Triathlon Club. She is wonderfully selfless, an inspiring person and a true champion of people.
A rising star for Irish Triathlon based at the National Triathlon Centre in Limerick and studying Sport an Exercise Science at UL. Mathys’ work ethic and dedication to his training is inspiring with a quiet but fierce determination to achieve his goals and reach his potential, making the most of every learning opportunity to develop and grow as a triathlete.
He’s had a great year of racing, opening the season at Quarteira, Portugal before racing in front of a home crowd in Cork, at the European Cup event, finishing a fantastic 6th place.
He also represented Ireland at the European Championships in the Balikesir where he finished 36th meaning he gained selection for the World Championships in Torremolinos.
Prior to the World Championships he picked up the Draft legal National Junior Title at Pulse Port Beach, and then went on to finish a credible 45th at the World Championships.
It is fair to say that this athlete has exploded onto the international racing scene. In only 12 months of racing at international level, Tom has podiumed 5 times in 2024 narrowly missing selection for the Paris Paralympics, but showed great courage and determination, setting his sights on the second part of the season targeting the World and European championships.
It was at the European Championships in Vichy, France where Tom showed a performance that will go down in the record books. He led the swim, and immediately pressed on during the bike, coming into T2 with two only competitors, both of whom finished 4 and 5th in the Paralympics the previous month. They went toe to toe with these competitors right to the line, and managed to come away with a European Championship bronze medal.
Tom further galvanised this European performance at the World Championship Grand Final in Torremolinos in October. He led the best in the world round the swim and powered his way round a tricky bike course entering T2 in 2nd position. Finishing 5th overall at the World Championship Grand Final in their 1st full season of international racing. Tom Williamson is one to watch and we are excited to watch his journey for 2025 and beyond.
2024 Athlete of the Year hails from Westport, and has some impressive accomplishments, including representing Ireland in draft legal Triathlon cup races as both a Junior and Senior.
The award recognises Aichlinn’s accomplishment at Ironman Western Australia in December last year. He completed the swim in 47:46 before completing the 180.2km bike leg in 4:11:31 and then completed his race with a marathon run of 2:54:13 – truly remarkable. His total time was 7 hour 59 minutes and 4 seconds, this broke the Irish record held by Bryan McCrystal’s and became the first Irishman to break the 8 hour mark.
Feedback highlights an exceptionally well-organised and enjoyable event with a fantastic atmosphere, exceptional venue, and top-notch facilities. Participants appreciated the friendly, supportive, and efficient marshalling, which ensured a safe and seamless experience. The course, venue, and circuit were widely praised for their layout, accessibility, and safety, contributing to an inclusive, community-focused environment. Communication was excellent between all strands of the event throughout the day, the team worked tirelessly to present a first-class event. Many participants noted the event’s attention to detail, with well-planned routes, ample support, and thoughtful amenities like hot showers, food, and goodie bags. Overall, this event was highly regarded as one of the best-organized races, appealing to athletes of all levels and leaving a memorable impression.
This club is proud to have achieved a nearly equal gender split in membership, celebrating a significant milestone this year with a predominantly female committee, led by the first female chairperson in almost a decade – Laura Kelly. The committee embodies a broad range of ages, abilities, and athletic goals—from social connections to ensuring inclusivity across various fitness and experience levels.
Coaching within the club is balanced, with two Level 2 and two Level 1 qualified coaches, who offer well-rounded guidance to athletes at every stage of their journey. Membership is highly diverse, including individuals with disabilities and members from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Sixteen qualified Tri Leaders, representing a spectrum of backgrounds, actively support club members and activities.
The club leadership remains committed to inclusivity and encourages underrepresented groups to participate through open nomination processes and a mentorship program, which fosters leadership by providing pathways such as Tri Leader roles or sub-committee positions. This inclusive approach ensures that the committee’s decisions reflect the varied needs of members, from beginners to elite athletes, and has inspired initiatives like the club’s beginner training programs.
As a bronze-accredited club under the Evolve Standards, the club upholds high standards of governance, transparency, and communication.
You can find the full list of awards and winners HERE.
Get all the latest news about upcoming sporting events, top tips on training and exclusive interviews.
