Sara Byrne (Golf)
Leona Maguire started it and now there is a conveyor belt of Irish golfers emerging from successful stints as amateurs to progress on to actually playing for a living on the professional circuits.
Sara Byrne is one of those. The 23-year-old Cork woman, a product of Douglas Golf Club, enjoyed a stellar collegiate career with the University of Miami and is now attached to Dromoland Castle after moving into the professional ranks. She has two tour cards for her fledgling journey, on the Ladies European Tour and the Epson Tour, for the year ahead.
After a brilliant, unbeaten appearance in the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale in a year where she also won twice on the US collegiate circuit, Byrne remarked: “Nine-year-old me wouldn’t be able to believe this moment, that’s for sure.”
Byrne brings dynamism to the golf course and her superb amateur career suggests she has what it takes to make an impact on the professional circuit: after all, she was twice Irish Amateur Close champion, and at the University of Miami she became the first player from the college to win ACC Golfer of the Month awards and earned a place on the Annika watch list.
Juggling schedules on the LET and the Epson Tour (a pathway to the LPGA Tour) will bring its own challenges. Byrne, though, is a player with an X-factor.
Finn Azaz (Soccer)
His maturity as an attacking midfielder with Middlesbrough in the English Championship has been evident in the first part of this season, as the 24-year-old has become an integral part of the team’s challenge for at least a play-off place.
John O’Shea, in his time as caretaker manager of Ireland, handed Azaz – English-born with Irish-Israeli heritage – his full senior debut against Switzerland back in March and he now has five caps, with new manager Heimir Hallgrímsson clearly agreeing he has strong potential in the green shirt.
Azaz’s formative career saw him come through the West Bromwich Albion academy, with loan spells at a number of clubs before he joined Middlesbrough last year (contracted to 2028). He has developed under the management of Michael Carrick and is now estimated to be worth double the €2.9 million that Middlesbrough reputedly paid for him.
With a proven eye for goal (eight goals and nine assists in 24 appearances so far this season), Azaz looks set to continue developing, and to become ever more important for club and country.
Eoin McElholm (Gaelic football)
The Aussie Rules sharks have been circling around Eoin McElholm for some time but the good news for Tyrone – and Gaelic football generally – is that the 19-year-old is staying on home turf as he bids to retain the All-Ireland Under 20 championship with the county.
The forward is also set to figure prominently in the senior side’s tilt for the Sam Maguire under the new management of Malachy O’Rourke.
McElholm has been a standout player for Tyrone through his teenage years – with All-Ireland minor and schools’ successes, which included a Hogan Cup Final contribution of 2-5 in winning in 2023, and a contribution of seven points from play in their U20 All-Ireland final win over Kerry last year.
He was brought into the Tyrone senior squad for last year’s championship campaign and also featured for Ulster in the trial matches in advance of the introduction of the new playing rules. A player of flair and great skill with physical strength, McElholm seems to be one of those generational talents.
Charlie Tector (Rugby)
The versatile back – he played at outhalf for Ireland’s Under 20s in their 2023 Grand Slam success and has reappeared this season for Leinster as a centre – looks to have moved out of the shadows into the bigger picture with a physicality, speed and know-how that makes the 22-year-old Wexford man a real prospect.
Tector has sporting DNA – his cousin Harry is an important part of the Ireland cricket team – and a pathway that has included starting out with his home club in Enniscorthy and school in Kilkenny College before progressing to the Leinster Academy and onwards to the URC and Champions Cup. The promise is clear.
Tector, at 6ft 2in, has recovered fully from injury and, if anything, appears stronger for the time spent in rehab.
Lara Gillespie (Cycling)
Every sport needs a pioneer and, in Lara Gillespie, Irish women’s cycling has found someone set to go the extra mile and lead the way.
Only 23, Gillespie had a brilliant youths career that saw her win multiple gold and silver medals in European youths’ and under-23 championships but it is transitioning out of the velodrome to also compete in road racing – she has been signed up by the UAE Team ADQ on a professional contract – that brings an exciting element to her developing career.
Although road racing will be her main focus in the season ahead as she competes at the elite World Tour level with her team, Gillespie – who competed in the team pursuit in the Paris Olympics – also intends to challenge on the track with Europeans and World championships scheduled this year.
Whether on the road or the track, Carlow woman Gillespie’s impressive trendsetting as an Irish woman cyclist competing at elite world level looks set to captivate through the upcoming season.
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