Catherina McKiernan gets Outstanding Contribution, Leona Maguire honoured

One of Ireland’s greatest runners, Cornafean's Catherina McKiernan was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Sport 2015 Award at The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year awards at the weekend.

McKiernan received her award from guest of honour Tánaiste Joan Burton, who congratulated all the award winners on their magnificent sporting achievements and wished them continued success into the future.

The 46 year old Cavan athlete dominated cross country running in the early nineties, winning silver in the World Cross Country Championships four years in succession between 1992 and 1995 as well as claiming gold in the inaugural European Cross Country Championships in 1994.

When she won the Berlin Marathon in 1997 it was the fastest ever debut by a woman. She went on to win the London and Amsterdam Marathons the following year. In 2003 she returned to the European Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh and helped the Ireland team to bronze. Catherina is a qualified ChiRunning Instructor and continues to run on a regular basis.

However Catherina was not the only Cavan sports star to be honoured at the event as golfer Leona Maguire was also present to accept her Sportswoman of the Month award for May.

In her debut season playing for Duke University of North Carolina, Maguire won three times and ended up taking the Annika Award, named in honour of Annika Sorenstam and awarded to the best college golfer in the US. She followed that up by coming agonisingly close to winning the European Ladies Masters when she was up against a top class professional field.

Having just missed out on a play off by a single shot she had to settle for second place, which, had she been a pro would have been worth €45K to her.

The Sports Editor of The Irish Times Malachy Logan described all nominees as a group of exceptional people, who were a credit to themselves, their parents, partners, coaches and friends.