It’s been a tumultuous year on the sporting front. We had wonderful conclusions to the GAA year and fairly thrilling appetisers served up before August and September’s main events. On the field was thrilling and we had our moments off it as well. Tipperary were simply devastating in putting Kilkenny to the sword, the Cats taking part in the compelling double exposure of semi-finals against Waterford. Those two contests were my favourites of the year. The football deciders were equally dramatic, with the Dubs finally putting back-to-back titles together while Mayo’s woes continue and there are some aftershocks being felt out west as well from their erstwhile joint managers. Our rugby team have never been better and their southern hemisphere hat-trick was something we mightn’t see repeated for a long time. Of course, 2016 can’t pass without reference to the number of untimely deaths every sport seemed to suffer; the shock of Anthony Foley’s is still one that resonates.

Highlight of the Year

We have plenty of contenders here. There were some remarkable GAA contests and the All-Ireland semi-final replay between Kilkenny and Waterford was the best GAA experience of the year. That was a special evening in Thurles, one of those nights that crackled atmosphere like only championship hurling can. There can only be one winner, mind you, and that took place thousands of miles away. November in Chicago 2016 will go down in the annals of Irish sport. We will all remember where we watched it – some were lucky enough to be there. It was the night of nights. Everything came together and Ireland played the best 80 minutes we’ve ever seen from them. They got their reward and the best in the world were beaten. Finally. The rugby community needed a lift and this was it and more.

Lowlight of the Year

The Sunday morning in October when our phones started buzzing and the word came through that Anthony Foley had died suddenly in his Paris hotel as Munster prepared to play Racing 92 in the European Cup was another where-were-you-when-you-heard moment. I was at the Clare senior football final on the same day and we observed an impeccable minute’s silence for a rugby man who had walked the same Cusack Park GAA pitch just six weeks before as his son played an underage blitz for his home club, Smith O’Brien’s. It would be churlish to even discuss various acts of petulance on and off the sporting fields. This was real life and it was truly shocking. The way the entire sporting community rallied around the entire Foley family, Killaloe, Munster and Irish rugby was magnificent.

Manager of the Year

Jim Gavin was overseeing Dublin’s fourth All-Ireland in six years yet the man rarely seems to enter into these conversations. That says more about him and the way he does his business, mind you – a very impressive low-key character. Tipperary’s Michael Ryan is of similar ilk and in his first year he beat Cody in an All-Ireland final, no mean feat during any year of management. Honourable mentions to Pat Lam in Galway – Connacht’s Pro12 win was as brilliant as it was deserved – and Liam Kearns for his missionary work in Tipperary football that saw an apparently under-strength squad reach an All-Ireland semi-final in his first year in charge. We could also throw in Martin O’Neill for captivating the country for a week or two at the Euros back in June, but the honour has to go to Joe Schmidt. Within six months, Ireland have beaten South Africa, New Zealand and Australia – two of them away from home. And he’s staying for the next World Cup. Only one winner here.

Moment of the Year

Another category that has plenty of choices. I tend to go for those special times when I was on hand, so Robbie Henshaw’s clinching try against the All Blacks unfortunately is out. A couple are in, though. From my seat in the New Stand in Thurles, Paraic O’Mahony’s late free was going straight over the bar before Eoin Murphy’s hand rose above the crossbar and plucked it down to safety and victory. That moment had everything; the thin line between joy and despair never so adequately explained. Lee Keegan’s goal in the replayed All-Ireland football final was another that caused a seismic reaction around me, not to forget Tony Kelly’s memorable score to win Clare’s league title back in May. But the winner would have to be John O’Dwyer’s second-half goal in the All Ireland final against Kilkenny. This was the split second that said it would be Tipp’s year and it was a brilliant piece of skill and opportunism. Bubbles went for the jugular and he found it. Pulsating, it could yet turn out to be the official beginning of the end for this incredible Kilkenny team.

Biggest Anti-Climax of the Year

A tricky one to put our finger on. Roscommon’s footballers were an early contender after their electrifying start to the national league. That soon fizzled out, however, and their tame capitulation to Clare in the championship came after a similar effort against Galway in the Connacht final. A few weeks before that they had escaped New York by the skin of their teeth. By year end, they had lost one of their joint managers and progress seemed to have stalled out west. Alas, the winner is Shane Lowry’s back nine in the US Open. The Offaly man had played brilliantly and led by four shots starting that Sunday, but a combination of a cold putter, bad luck and a ridiculous shambles around his main competitor for the title, Dustin Johnston, saw Lowry fall back to finish joint second, three shots back. It was a night that promised much but delivered little. Second in his first seriously competitive major, Shane Lowry will come again.

Team of the Year

Plenty of contenders here too. At some stage the Dublin footballers will be recognised for their achievements, but not just now. The Tipperary hurlers are on the cusp of greatness but they have to win back-to-back All-Irelands to really make their mark. The Irish rugby squad are also to be considered after their heroics this past six months, although it was a couple of teams that got those jobs done. The Donovans from Cork might only be two in number, but what a team they are, in and out of the boat. No, there could only be one winner and we stay Leeside with the Cork senior ladies football team, winners of their sixth Brendan Martin Cup in succession. The county has now won an unbelievable 11 out of the last 12 championships. Briege Corkery and Rena Buckley have been on every one of those teams.

Did-that-just-happen moment?

Every year throws up some wow moments. Last year was no different. The GAA gave us many: the news of the Tipp footballers shocking Cork; Longford doing the same to Down and then Monaghan – both away from home; the long moment when Kilkenny’s full-back line simply fell away in a final; the Cats’ Walter Walsh rescuing them in the drawn semi-final against the Déise. Rugby had a few as well: Henshaw’s late try against the All Blacks – a team try if ever there was one; Connacht’s Pro12 win was so enjoyable; Jack Carty’s conversion against Wasps a fortnight ago was special and recent. What a great thing it is to see a modern-day pitch invasion. The winner can only be Mayo’s two own goals in the drawn All-Ireland final. I mean, even the sanest of us would start to contemplate curses when that kind of stuff happens.

Comeback of the Year

Kilkenny would have a shout here if they’d gone on to win the All-Ireland for their late heroics in the drawn All-Ireland semi-final against Waterford. It goes without saying that Mayo would have too, for they did perform heroics to rescue the first and nearly the second All-Ireland final. It’s ifs and nearlys though, and this gong could only go to Annalise Murphy. It’s not too often we get to mention the women’s laser radial class but here goes: fourth in London, the Dub came back to win silver this summer in Rio. Most other sports give you a chance the next year to put matters right; Annalise waited four years and made it count.

What happened to ye lads?

Step forward, the Clare hurlers. League champions in May, winners of only one championship match of note in the summer. The Dublin, Limerick and Cork hurlers can take a bow here as well. Ulster hurling in general seems to have fallen off the ledge. Kerry’s footballers – whisper it – are now going into three years without Sam Maguire! Previously flagged Roscommon footballers stay in context, as do the Galway footballers who won Connacht impressively but simply capitulated against Tipperary in Croke Park. Maybe Cork take the overall prize here. In 2016, their footballers lost to Tipp and then fell over the line against Longford before exiting as per usual early against Donegal. You have to go back to 2012 for the last time Cork beat a Division 1 team in championship football. It’s not as long for their hurlers – it just feels like it. What is going on down there? Has rowing and ladies football taken over?

Goodbye of the Year

Some high-profile farewells. Davy left Clare in a very dignified and rapid manner. The Banner said goodbye and Wexford said hello, of course – look for that combination to feature here somewhere next year. Jackie Tyrell was the latest Kilkenny great to step off Cody’s treadmill. And great he was. Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes said goodbye to Mayo football in 2015 but in 2016 the breakup got real. Turns out it wasn’t me, it was you is the gist of it. Quite the long goodbye at that. While it mightn’t be upon us just yet, I suspect this is the year we will have said adios to the black card as we cautiously welcome the mark in 2017. This category used to be a tongue-in-cheek effort but 2016 doesn’t lend itself well to that. We seemed to lose more of everything this year. Goodbye and thanks for the memories to Anthony Foley, Joe McDonagh, Jack Boothman, Michael ‘Ducksy’ Walsh, Mick Roche, The Rattler Byrne and John Horgan – a magnificent seven that could have been 17.

The Last Word

It was a joyous year for hurling and football on the field. Both enjoyed their best summers in years. In the Olympics and the Euros, on rugby fields here and the world over, we had some very special mornings, days and nights. We needed that. It’s why we watch. Just when you doubt your capacity to be lifted by sport, it comes and does just that. Let’s hope there’s more to come in 2017.