Broadcaster Darren Mulvey reviews the 2022 Sporting Year

We're back to that time of the year where we look back and look forward at the same time and in the Observer sports department, we're no different! Or maybe we know what works as we return with our popular sports review of 2022 over the next few weeks.

Like last year, we've asked some of the county's brightest sports stars to look back over the last 12 months along with some of those journalists on the sports beat around the county.

Shannonside broadcaster Darren Mulvey casts his mind back over the 2022 sporting year to pick out the moments that caught his attention.

Wrynn named as Leitrim Senior Football captain for 2023 with Diffley in as Vice-Captain

Highlight of the Year

In no particular order - Seanie O'Shea's free to beat the Dubs (Sorry John!!), Amy Broadhurst in the boxing, Messi writing the fairytale ending at the World Cup, Irish Rugby teams' performance in Autumn - hopefully not peaking too early again! 

Lowlight of the Year

Leitrim going down on penalties to Sligo in the Tailteann Cup. Deserved another crack after the way they chased that game down in normal time. 

With the controversy over the staging of the World Cup in Qatar, what’s your view on the role of sport and politics/ social issues - should they mix? Should they be kept separate?

Sport has the power to unite and capture hearts and minds in a very unique way, and as that's the case there will be people, organisations and latterly governments with agendas who will try and manipulate that for their own ends. Even Haughey was at the finish line of the Tour de France for the photo, it's the opposite end of the scale from Saudi sports washing via Newcastle Utd and LIV Golf but still happens. Political corruption even infiltrates sport at amateur level (Boxing) so it's hard to see how they can ever be separated.

Personality of the Year

Messi / Katie Taylor / Erling Haaland all with claims for the way they dominated the world cup / boxing ring / premier league to date. Roy Keane's stock as a pundit / entertainer keeps rising so maybe I'll go with him.

Conor Farrell reflects on an amazing year for St Mary's Kiltoghert

Team of the Year

Local - We'll go with St Mary's. In a championship that had more uncertainty about it since the straight knockout days, they scored a late goal from a free to get an automatic semi final spot, won the semi on penalties, and played a brilliant second half performance to secure the win in the final.

(Inter)/National - We'll give it to Morocco for their run to the World Cup semis!

What are the big challenges facing Leitrim sport in 2023?

It's the same challenges that we face regularly, funding & facilities, made all the more difficult by the post pandemic climate. But we will persevere and punch above our weight as we always do.

One thing I’d do to make sport better in 2023

GAA - Define the tackle properly! Would go a long way to making the game easier to ref and to play from a players point of view.

Person that made me go wow in 2022?

Hard to look past Messi's performances for Argentina at the World Cup. I think the whole "best ever" thing is a bit redundant as you can't really compare across decades or eras and I never saw Maradona or Best play but for me he's the greatest I've ever seen.

Willie Donnellan’s highs and lows of Leitrim’s sporting year

One to watch in 2023

Muireann Devaney continues to make a name for herself in the soccer world with Athlone Town. Expecting her to push on again in 2023, she's been in training with Vera Pauw's squad before, a senior international cap is in the future. Bolter for the world cup? Now that would be something!

Check out next week's Observer for the final part of our sporting review of the year from Niall Morahan, Muireann Devaney, Gerard O’Donnell and Michelle Guckian.