Irish Cricket Team (Outstanding Achievement in Sport Award)

2007 saw the team come together in one of the most surprising yet richly-deserved triumphs of this or any other year. For in one glorious match Ireland's cricketers wrote their name large in the annals of the game by beating the giants of Pakistan in the World Cup in a never-to-be forgotten game.

The result saw Pakistan - one of the pre-tournament favourites - heading home from the West Indies while thanks to a previous tied game against Zimbabwe Ireland went through to the next stage.

After the tournament the team returned home to Dublin to a tumultuous welcome from the fans and the knowledge that they had put cricket firmly on the map in their home country.

In fact so great was their success it saw them shoot up to 10th in the International Cricket Council's rankings. It also gave the game a massive boost in Ireland - with youngsters taking up their bats and balls to try to emulate their new-found sporting heroes.

And if some of them can show anything like the skill displayed by the Irish team which humbled the mighty Pakistan then who knows - perhaps one day an Irish captain will be stepping up to hold aloft the cricket World Cup for the nation.

Andy Townsend (Sports Hall of Fame award)

In the annals of Irish soccer greats they don't come much bigger than Andy Townsend.

A winner of 70 caps and captain of his country a record number of times, Andy led the Republic of Ireland through some of its greatest days. He was a key part of the team at the Italia 90 World Cup and then skippered Ireland in the USA four years later. Not only that but at club level he was always a natural leader.

Andy has captained every team he has played for - including Chelsea and Middlesbrough and during his time at Aston Villa won the League Cup in both 1994 and 1996.

But it is his feats for the national side that have guaranteed him a place in the hearts of Irish soccer fans everywhere - helping take them to two World Cup finals and recording famous results against Italy and England.

He was renowned on the field as a no-nonsense general - always ready to lead by example and put his body in where it hurt.

Since retiring from his beloved game Andy has carved out a successful career as a media pundit. With his playing experience and knowledge of football at the highest level he has become a much sought-after analyst - regularly appearing on both TV and radio.

He also fronts his own show on radio station Talk Sport alongside Mike Parry - a duo which has won tens of thousands of new listeners through their wit, repartee and sense of fun.