Waterford’s Dan Shanahan is going to need Santa to bring him some new shelves as his list of personal accolades for 2007 continues to lengthen after being named Texaco Hurler of the Year.
In the 50th year of the Texaco scheme, in which 10 sportspersons are awarded for a year of outstanding endeavour, the Lismore goal machine has now been named the country’s leading hurler three times over.
His latest award is the third such national accolade he’s received in recent months and will take pride of place alongside his Vodafone/GAA and Opel/GPA laurels.
“Shanahan enjoyed an outstanding season, scoring a whopping 8-13 in just five championship games,” according to his Texaco award biog.
“He opened up with a 2-1 salvo against Cork and then, on July 8, wrote his name into the history books once again by firing home 3-3 in the Munster final against Limerick.
“Shanahan registered all three goals during a lightning second-half blitzkrieg and he rubber-stamped his reputation as the modern game’s great goal-getter by subsequently firing 1-3 against Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final and then 2-1 in the replayed game.”
The awards will be presented to Shanahan and his fellow recipients by An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at a ceremony in Dublin later this month.
Joining Dan as 2007 Texaco Sportstar winners are: David Gillick (athletics), Katie Taylor (boxing), Trent Johnston (cricket) Marc Ó Sé (gaelic football), Pádraig Harrington (golf), Aidan O’Brien (horse racing), Angela Walsh (ladies football), Brian O’Driscoll (rugby) and Richard Dunne (soccer).
The award winners are chosen from a shortlist of 20 sports by sports editors representing print and broadcast media throughout the island.
“We are proud to honour the achievements of such an excellent group of Irish sports men and women and to welcome them into the role of winners whose achievements are written in the 50 years history of the Texaco Sportstars Awards,” said Chevron (Ireland) Chairman Enda Riney.
