Echo Sport Awards 2018: Kenny praises local sporting talent
NEWLY-appointed Republic of Ireland Under 21 Team manager and soon-to-be Senior team boss, Stephen Kenny spoke of his pride at witnessing the wide variety of sporting talent on show at The Echo 2018 Sports Awards Gala Night in the Green Isle Hotel on Thursday.
The Tallaght man, who himself is one of the most successful League of Ireland managers ever, returned home to present The Echo Sports Challenge Award to Ireland and Shamrock Rovers Amputee Soccer player Stuart McEvoy as well as ‘Leading Light’ honours to Kenneth Kinsella of the Ireland Homeless World Cup Team, Ireland Women’s Hockey international Hannah Matthews and St Mary’s Boxing Club’s Mel Leonard on behalf of Women’s World Boxing gold medallist Kellie Harrington.
Ireland Under 21 manager and future senior team boss Stephen Kenny talks to The Echo's Stephen Leonard.
“It’s a huge honour for me, coming from Tallaght and it’s great for me to come here.
“The thing about these awards, it shines a light on the community really, all the different areas around South Dublin. It shines a light on all minority sports, really elite sports people that have very little resources, people who, against the odds, achieve incredible things on the world stage and at national level in all sports and The Echo plays a huge part in that, because without it, the national media aren’t really that interested in it.
“It really focuses it in on all clubs at all levels and all sports and the brilliant things that they do and it’s great.”
Speaking about his own incredibly successful year and being catapulted into the Ireland Under 21, and ultimately Ireland Senior team hot seat, Kenny said: “It’s been a real privilege.
“It’s been an amazing season for the team, for Dundalk to win the double.
“First of all to win the league in the manner that we did by ten points in the end and then the FAI Cup Final in the Aviva, 35,000 at the match and to win it with a late winner. It was brilliant ending.
“Obviously it was a busy few weeks after that.
“It’s a real privilege to manage Ireland at Under 21 level and of course in two years time it will be the senior job,” he said.
