Thomas Barr has been crowned the overall winner of the Waterford Sports Awards in association with WLR and the Granville Hotel.
Barr was announced as the inaugural winner at a black-tie Gala Banquet held at the Granville Hotel on Saturday, January 11th - on an evening where Waterford’s best and brightest sports stars gathered to celebrate their magnificent achievements.
The Ferrybank AC athlete and Dunmore East native had an incredible 2024 - winning gold for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships in the 4 x 400m Mixed Relay in June - alongside teammates Rhadisat Adeleke, Chris O’Donnell and Sharlene Mawdsley. It was a famous night for Irish athletics at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, as it was the first time that Ireland had won a European gold medal since the great Sonia O’Sullivan.
This followed on from a bronze medal with the same team at the World Relay Championships in May, while Thomas also won a 12th national 400m hurdles title in 2024 - as well as going on to represent his country at the Olympics in Paris.
Barr saw off some stellar competition on the night to claim the overall award, with 12 athletes from 10 different sporting disciplines among the contenders on the evening.
Speaking when accepting the award, Thomas Barr said: “I'm absolutely honoured and chuffed - it's amazing. I mean as athletes we all get stuck in our little bubble of what we're doing year in year out. To have the recognition, to see the excitement that comes from sport and what it can do for communities is fantastic. I am genuinely delighted to be taking home the award in a room with such a calibre of people."
It also proved a special night for another Waterford sporting legend - namely, Alfie Hale. Hale became the first person ever to be inducted into the Waterford Sporting Hall of Fame, in recognition of a lifetime of incredible service.
Alfie Hale is widely regarded by many as one of the greatest footballers ever to play in the League of Ireland. Alfie's foundations began at St. Joseph's before going on to represent Waterford United, Aston Villa and St. Patrick's Athletic among others while also going on to play 14 times for the Republic of Ireland - scoring twice.
His playing career saw him win an incredible six League of Ireland Premier Division titles, five of which came with his native Waterford. Alfie Hale has scored 153 goals in the League of Ireland, ranking him in the top ten players of all time. Hale also managed Waterford, Kilkenny City and Cobh Ramblers - while he also guided Tramore to their first league title in 50 years from the sidelines.
Speaking following a rapturous round of applause from those present, Alfie Hale said he was honoured to have been recognised: “To be entered into the Hall of Fame in Waterford - I feel emotion. I think of my brothers and my father. To me, I was lucky enough to play 14 times for Ireland - 30 times altogether including youth and schoolboy football. I don't mean anything wrong in this sense - this really beats them all."
Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr. Jason Murphy said: “The achievements of Waterford athletes in the last twelve months have been incredible - and tonight is a wonderful occasion where we can gather to celebrate those achievements. 2024 was an incredible year for Waterford, where once again the influence of our county was felt not just on a national level - but right across the world.”
Chairman of the Waterford Sports Awards, Jordan Norris said: “Congratulations to Thomas Barr, a worthy winner who achieved so much this year - in what was such a memorable year for Irish athletics as a whole. It was also a wonderful occasion to see Alfie Hale honoured by the people of Waterford for a lifetime of phenomenal service and achievement. Alfie was a fantastic player, fantastic manager and is one of life’s true gentlemen - it is very befitting to see such an honour bestowed on someone so worthy. A huge thank you to all at WLR and the Granville Hotel for their continued support of the awards and we hope this is the first year of a long standing Waterford sporting tradition.”
