OUR leading sportsmen will take centre stage this Friday at the 21st annual Drogheda Independent Sport Star Awards, as we acknowledge their outstanding achievements over the past 12 months.

Sponsored by long-time event sponsors Beverage Business Solutions, the awards bash will be hosted once again by associate sponsors the Best Western Boyne Valley Hotel and Country Club, with well-known LMFM Radio presenter and Drogheda Independent columnist Gerry Kelly as compere for the evening.

Almost 300 people – sport stars, their families, friends and teammates, local dignitaries and invited guests – will pack into the function room, eagerly anticipating the announcement of the four main prize-winners.

A flood of votes for Drogheda Independent Sport Star of the Year and Young Sport Star awards were sent in to our offices by readers. The results were collated and the readers' decisions counted as one vote on the judging panel.

Comprising DI editor Hubert Murphy and sports editor Marcus Cavaroli, plus Michael McNamara (Boyne Valley Hotel) and Siobhan Woods (Business Beverage Solutions), the panel met last Friday afternoon and engaged in an exhaustive debate before a decision on the award winners was eventually arrived at.

The overall Sport Star of the Year will receive a year's membership of Boyne Valley Country Club as part of their prize, a well-known local sports personality will be entered into the Hall of Fame on the night and there will be an additional award for outstanding achievement.

Following another memorable year in local sport, the calibre of the contenders – who represent six different sports – is once again of the highest order. Many of the 12 monthly winners are still young and can have every reason to believe that they can go on to achieve even greater success in the future.

January winner Padraig Rath was part of the Louth team who won the O'Byrne Cup for the first time in 19 years, in February a stunning run saw Keith Kelly battle to the National Senior Cross-Country title and Craig Fay was honoured in March for his exploits with the Ireland Under-18 ice hockey team.

There followed a trio of rugby winners in as many months – Eoin Collins for winning the Towns Cup with Boyne, Shane Horgan following his part in Leinster's Heineken Cup triumph and Niall Ronan for winning his first Ireland cap.

Our July winner saw Louth football's second cup success of 2009 recognised as Thomas Costello helped the Wee County bridge a 43-year gap in the Leinster Junior Championship, while teenager Kourosh Foroughi won the August award for claiming high jump gold at the National Seniors.

Megan Campbell, our own soccer winner, was the September recipient for her outstanding contribution to the Republic of Ireland Under-17 and Under-19 teams and her club St Francis, while Mattock Rangers' Christy Grimes (October) was honoured for his man-ofthe-match performance in the Louth Senior Football Championship Final.

November winner Joe Sheridan won two Player of the Year awards for his performances in the Meath jersey, as well as helping to steer Seneschalstown to Keegan Cup glory, and completing the 12 monthly winners was 16-year-old Jordan Keogh who won the Irish and Ulster Motocross Championships in his category.

Good luck to all 12 on Friday, and in their future sports careers.