<P> The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December . The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have achieved the most that year . The winner was originally chosen by a special panel of RTÉ journalists and editorial staff, but was selected by a public vote from a pre-determined shortlist in 2016 . The first Irish sports award ceremony took place in 1985, and was closely modelled on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award . </P> <P> Three people have won the award multiple times: athlete Sonia O'Sullivan won the award five times, including a record three successive awards, and golfers Pádraig Harrington, with three wins, and Rory McIlroy, who won it twice . The oldest recipient of the award is Christy O'Connor Jnr, who won in 1989 aged 41 . Rory McIlroy, who first won in 2011, aged 22, is the youngest winner . Ten sporting disciplines have been represented; golf has the highest representation, with seven recipients . </P> <P> Eamonn Darcy, Ronan Rafferty and Des Smyth, who won the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1988, are the only non-individual winners of the award . Counting them separately, there have been twenty - seven winners of the award . Five of these have been Northern Irish . The most recent award was made in 2017 to James McClean . </P> <Table> RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award winners <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Nat . </Th> <Th> Winner </Th> <Th> Sport </Th> <Th> Sporting synopsis </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1985 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> McGuigan, Barry Barry McGuigan </Th> <Td> Boxing </Td> <Td> Defeated Eusebio Pedroza to become World Boxing Association featherweight champion . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1986 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Kelly, Seán Seán Kelly </Th> <Td> Cycling </Td> <Td> He finished on a podium in a grand tour for the first time when he finished third in the 1986 Vuelta a España . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Roche, Stephen Stephen Roche </Th> <Td> Cycling </Td> <Td> Winner of the 1987 Tour de France, 1987 Giro d'Italia and 1987 World Cycling Championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1988 </Td> <Td> IRL NIR IRL </Td> <Th> Darcy, Eamonn Eamonn Darcy Rafferty, Ronan Ronan Rafferty Smyth, Des Des Smyth </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> For winning the 1988 Dunhill Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1989 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Connor Jnr, Christy Christy O'Connor Jnr </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> For a stunning 2 iron shot on the last hole at the Belfry which he left just 4 feet from the hole during the successful 1989 Ryder Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1990 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Bonner, Packie Packie Bonner </Th> <Td> Football </Td> <Td> For his famous penalty save from Daniel Timofte of Romania at the 1990 FIFA World Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1991 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Keyes, Ralph Ralph Keyes </Th> <Td> Rugby union </Td> <Td> Overall top scorer with 68 points at the 1991 Rugby World Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1992 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Carruth, Michael Michael Carruth </Th> <Td> Boxing </Td> <Td> Gold medallist in the welterweight section at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1993 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Sullivan, Sonia Sonia O'Sullivan </Th> <Td> Athletics </Td> <Td> Silver medallist in the 1500m at the World Championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1994 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Sullivan, Sonia Sonia O'Sullivan </Th> <Td> Athletics </Td> <Td> Gold medallist in the 3000m at the European Championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1995 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Sullivan, Sonia Sonia O'Sullivan </Th> <Td> Athletics </Td> <Td> Gold medallist in the 5000m at the World Championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Smith, Michelle Michelle Smith </Th> <Td> Swimming </Td> <Td> Triple Olympic gold medallist for the 400m individual medley, 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley, and bronze medallist for the 200m butterfly event . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1997 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Doherty, Ken Ken Doherty </Th> <Td> Snooker </Td> <Td> Winner of the 1997 World Snooker Championship . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1998 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Sullivan, Sonia Sonia O'Sullivan </Th> <Td> Athletics </Td> <Td> Double gold medallist at the World Cross-Country Championships and double gold medallist at the European Championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1999 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Keane, Roy Roy Keane </Th> <Td> Football </Td> <Td> Captain of the Manchester United team that completed a treble of English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League successes . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2000 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Sullivan, Sonia Sonia O'Sullivan </Th> <Td> Athletics </Td> <Td> Olympic silver medallist in the women's 5000m at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2001 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> McCarthy, Mick Mick McCarthy </Th> <Td> Football </Td> <Td> Secured qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup for the Republic of Ireland national football team . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2002 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Harrington, Pádraig Pádraig Harrington </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> Member of the European team that won the 2002 Ryder Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2003 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Geraghty, Barry Barry Geraghty </Th> <Td> Horse racing </Td> <Td> Winner of the Aintree Grand National on Monty's Pass . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Gara, Ronan Ronan O'Gara </Th> <Td> Rugby union </Td> <Td> Member of the Ireland team that won the Triple Crown in the 2004 Six Nations Championship . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2005 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Ó hAilpín, Seán Óg Seán Óg Ó hAilpín </Th> <Td> Hurling </Td> <Td> All - Ireland - winning captain with Cork and winner of a third All - Ireland medal . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2006 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Shefflin, Henry Henry Shefflin </Th> <Td> Hurling </Td> <Td> Won his fourth All - Ireland medal with Kilkenny as well as being named Hurler of the Year for a second time . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Harrington, Pádraig Pádraig Harrington </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> Became the first Irishman in over sixty years to win the Open Championship . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2008 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Harrington, Pádraig Pádraig Harrington </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> Retained his title as British Open championship, thus becoming the first European to win back to back major championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2009 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> O'Driscoll, Brian Brian O'Driscoll </Th> <Td> Rugby union </Td> <Td> Grand Slam - winning captain and member of the Leinster team that won the 2008--09 Heineken Cup </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> NIR </Td> <Th> McDowell, Graeme Graeme McDowell </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> Winner of the 2010 US Open and member of the European team that won the 2010 Ryder Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td> NIR </Td> <Th> McIlroy, Rory Rory McIlroy </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> Winner of the 2011 US Open . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Taylor, Katie Katie Taylor </Th> <Td> Boxing </Td> <Td> Olympic gold medallist in the women's lightweight section at the 2012 London Olympic Games . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> McCoy, Tony Tony McCoy </Th> <Td> Horse racing </Td> <Td> 18 - times champion jockey who created history in November when he rode his 4,000 th winner over jumps . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> NIR </Td> <Th> McIlroy, Rory Rory McIlroy </Th> <Td> Golf </Td> <Td> Won the 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship, became the first European to win three different majors, and was a member of the European team that won the 2014 Ryder Cup . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> Conlan, Michael Michael Conlan </Th> <Td> Boxing </Td> <Td> Won the gold medal in the bantamweight division at the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> McGregor, Conor Conor McGregor </Th> <Td> Mixed martial arts </Td> <Td> Became the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> IRL </Td> <Th> McClean, James James McClean </Th> <Td> Football </Td> <Td> Scored one of Ireland's most famous goals when he netted to secure a 1 - 0 win away to Wales, which secured a 2018 FIFA World Cup playoff spot . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who won sports personality of the year 2017 ireland