Celebrated camogie duo Angela and Ann Downey received the Lifetime Achievement Award for their inter-county careers at The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year 2009 awards during the week at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin.
The Kilkenny sisters received their awards at a ceremony which also included Cork dual player Mary O’Connor, boxing champion Katie Taylor and world race-walking silver medallist Olive Loughnane who was named Sportswoman of the Year. Speaking about the awards Uachtarán Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael Joan O’Flynn said: “Angela and Ann Downey have contributed enormously to the game of camogie, not only during the course of their playing careers but also in their capacity as coaches and managers. It is fitting that their achievements have been acknowledged by such a prestigious award and the Association extends warm congratulations to both on this.” The Downey sisters amassed an astonishing 24 All-Ireland medals over the course of their respective playing careers. Both were part of the team that captured Kilkenny’s first All-Ireland in 1974 as well as the historic seven-in-a row winning team which dominated the camogie scene from 1985 to 1991. Ann Downey is also the current manager of the Kilkenny senior camogie team having led them to last year’s Gala All-Ireland camogie final.
The Downey sisters now join Dame Mary Peters, who in 2008 received the very first Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Lifetime Achievement Award for winning the pentathlon gold medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
