Limerick hurling hotshot Andrew O'Shaughnessy has won the inaugural Supreme National Junior Sports Star title. Seventeen of Ireland's leading young sporting talents were honoured on Thursday 13th March at the Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Stars Awards in association with tvthree. In a new edition to the awards format, eighteen-year old Limerick hurler, Andrew O'Shaughnessy from the Kilmallock Club, was selected as the inaugural Irish Examiner Supreme National Junior Sport Star. Andrew won two All-Ireland medals in 2002, with the Limerick U-21 hurling team and an All-Ireland Colleges Senior 'A' title with St. Colmans, Fermoy. Andrew became the youngest Munster man to play in a Railway Cup and is now an integral member of the Limerick senior panel. The selection of Andrew as the ultimate underage achiever in 2002 was endorsed by the public through a nationwide vote. The Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Stars, in their 19th year, are a unique initiative, honouring the cream of Ireland's young sports people between the ages of 15 and 19, across all sporting disciplines. Through their support of the National Junior Sports Stars, the Irish Examiner underpins their commitment to comprehensive and exciting Irish and international sports coverage. Since its inception in 1984, over 400 teenagers have been honoured by the Irish Examiner including Irish rugby international and Munster star Anthony Foley, Irish international soccer heroes Damien Duff and Robbie Keane, former World Cross Country Champion and Olympic silver medallist Sonia O' Sullivan and GAA All-Ireland medal winners Seamus Moynihan and Sean Og O' Hailpin. Congratulating the winners, Mr. Tom Murphy, Chief Executive, Irish Examiner said "This ceremony is a celebration of young Irish sporting excellence. These seventeen award winners have already experienced remarkable success and the country awaits their further achievements with great anticipation. We at the Irish Examiner are committed to excellence in sports journalism and are particularly proud of our wide-ranging coverage of Irish and international sport. It is from this commitment that the National Junior Sports Star concept emerged". Mr. Andrew Hanlon, Director of News, tvthree said, "TV3 are delighted to be involved again this year with these awards. Our commitment to the awards is recognition of young talent, which has been a major factor in the continuing success of TV3. Through programmes like Sports Tonight, we have recognised many of the stars of tomorrow and look forward to this years winners gracing the TV3 screen over the coming years!" The 2002 Irish Examiner - National Junior Sports Stars in association with tvthree are: * Hurling and Supreme National Junior Sports Star - Andrew O' Shaughnessy (Limerick), Athletics - Mark Christie (Mullingar), Badminton - Jennifer King (Dublin), Basketball - Grainne Dwyer (Thurles), Boxing - Andy Lee (Limerick), Camogie - Gemma O'Connor (Cork), Canoeing - Neil Fleming (Kildare), Cycling - Paidi O'Brien (Cork), Fencing - Siobhan Byrne (Germany), Gaelic Football - Micheal Meehan (Galway), Golf - Cian McNamara (Limerick), Hockey - Timmy Cockram (Down), Horse Racing - David Condon (Cork), Ladies Football - Gillian Joyce (Galway), Rugby - Stephen Grissing (Dublin), Soccer - Darren Potter (Liverpool), Special Olympics - Carmel Leech (Roscommon) Biography - Andrew O'Shaugnessy (Limerick) ONCE in a while, hurling produces a gem for the future. Eighteen-year-old Andrew O'Shaughnessy from the Kilmallock club in Co. Limerick is one such rare talent. Already a household GAA name across the country, he is already being spoken of in the same breath as some of the greatest hurling names. In choosing a supreme junior sports star, the Irish Examiner and TV3 are honouring the ultimate under age sporting achievement in this country last year. It is an impossible task. How do you separate the GAA achievements of O'Shaughnessy and Galway starlet Micheal Meehan from the world junior honours won by boxer Andy Lee, fencer Siobhan Byrne. golfer Cian McNamara or canoeist, Neil Fleming? We enlisted the assistance of the public in our choice, and the nationwide vote endorsed our own verdict: Andrew O'Shaughnessy. n 2002 he won two more All-Ireland medals as Limerick completed an incredible hat-trick of U21 titles under Dave Keane. At colleges level, O' Shaughnessy again starred as St. Colmans (Fermoy) won their second successive Irish Examiner Dr. Harty Cup before going on to capture the All Ireland Colleges Senior 'A' title. On Sunday, O'Shaughnessy captains St Colman's as they bid for a Harty Cup three in a row against old rivals St Flannan's. Last year, he was also busy making hurling records at senior level, when he became the youngest Munster man in history to play Railway Cup with his province. He is now an integral part of Dave Keane's Limerick senior panel as they prepare for the Munster Championship. Arguably his most memorable performance last year came at club level, in the Co. Limerick MHC final when he turned a five point deficit into a two point winning margin, scoring 4-9 of his side's 4-11. Tweet

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