SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD: The President, Mrs Mary McAleese said yesterday that an awards ceremony to recognise the contribution of women to Irish sport was long overdue. The President had a warm smile and a kind word for each monthly winner at The Irish Times and Mitsubishi Sportswoman of the Year awards in the Mansion House, Dublin, yesterday.

The President's role as head of state ensures her presence at many major sporting events across the country but being a part of the first significant recognition of woman's sport appeared to carry a special resonance.

"We've waited a very, very long time for this haven't we ladies?" asked the President, who herself is an avid follower of all sporting endeavours related to her native Antrim.

Although the awards were lauded as a step in the right direction for women's sport being covered on a similar scale to men's games, the President warned that this must only be the start of the progress.

"We're on the road. We've started the journey," she said. "Women's enthusiasm for sports has never been in doubt but full and fair recognition of their worth has been slower to materialise. It is heartening to see that changing and though there is a long way yet to go, these awards are terrific vindication of the work done week in and week out to promote womein sport."

The "army" of athletes, coaches, sponsors, clubs, volunteers, organisations and schools were also praised. Yet, it was the unseen work of all the monthly winners, in particular Sportswoman of the Year, jockey Cathy Gannon - who also picked up the October award - that particularly struck a cord.

"There is no easy way to sporting excellence of the type exemplified by each of our nominees," said the President. "There is only the hard road. Behind the glory when the proud and precious memories are created there are days that test and build character as much as they build fitness, skill and endurance. There are softer roads to take but they don't take the softer roads."

The President talked about the two sports of her youth: badminton and camogie ("neither of which I was particularly good at"). But it was the pride generated by the Antrim camogie team of the 1960s, especially the 1967 All-Ireland winning side, as something that influenced her since.

"These were local girls that we knew and went to school with. They opened our minds to think high and to aim for great things.

"Every generation has need of its own heroines and its own chapter of sporting legends. Today's nominees are the people who give inspiration and encouragement as they go about the business of creating this generation's own sporting story."

Camogie picked up the plaque for September after Tipperary's All-Ireland winning captain and full back Una O'Dwyer was honoured for victory over Cork. Nine sports in total were honoured with athletics claiming three monthly prizes.

The awards have a significant role in raising the profile of the winners outside the insulation of their own sporting spheres. Of all the monthly recipients only the exploits of Mayo footballer Cora Staunton and, of course, Sonia O'Sullivan would have previously crossed into mainstream sporting consciousness.

The likes of Cathy Gannon can only benefit from the recognition that will now follow. In this regard the sponsors and roles of the four judges; Greg Allen of RTÉ, The Irish Times journalist Mary Hannigan, journalist Lindie Naughton and head of TG4 sport Ronan Ó Coisdealbha, were commended for bringing this event to pass.

"I thank Mitsubishi Electric and The Irish Times for creating the Sportswoman of the Year award," continued the President. "It is a considerable step forwarding bringing women's athletic achievements to the widest audience.

It will deepen and widen the public appreciation of Irish sportswomen and challenge the next generation to get ready to make their mark on the world of sport."

Although present at many sporting occasions, the President admitted her role as head of state hinders her from the level of expression she was used to as a private citizen, especially when Antrim take to the field in Croke Park. Sometimes it proves too irresistible though.

This will be put to the test sooner rather than later as her husband Ciarán McAleese's club O'Donovan Rossa face James Stephens of Kilkenny next month in the All-Ireland club hurling semi-finals.

Meanwhile, the monthly sportswomen's awards coverage in The Irish Times will continue to keep the spotlight on women's games in 2005.