JOE Men of the Year Awards: Team of the Year

Worthy contenders all, but only one can get your vote.

The JOE Men of the Year awards are mostly about individuals, but many of those individuals shone as part of a collective and it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge some of the outstanding team efforts of 2016. It was hard to narrow down the list below to five, never mind having to pick one out of a seriously impressive bunch. That’s your job; be sure to cast a vote at the bottom of the page.

The Dublin footballers

Debating the ‘greatest team of all time’ is a very subjective exercise, but there’s no doubt that the current crop of Dublin footballers are in the conversation in the GAA world after their ‘annus mirabilis’ in 2016. Back to back All-Ireland titles (making it four in six years), a fourth league title in a row and going through the entire league and championship campaign unbeaten is a remarkable achievement for a remarkable group of footballers guided by a remarkable manager in Jim Gavin. And they’re showing no signs of slowing down yet.

Dundalk F.C.

Though denied back to back doubles by Cork City in the most heartbreaking of circumstances in the FAI Cup Final (circumstances which Cork themselves endured at Dundalk’s hands in 2015), it was still an amazing year for Stephen Kenny’s side. Three league titles on the trot is an amazing achievement, but it was the European adventure that really caught the imagination. From beating BATE Borisov in Tallaght to secure European football, to showing that they belong there with victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, a last-gasp draw with AZ Alkmaar and more than credible performances against Zenit St. Petersburg before their brave eventual exit, it was one hell of a journey for the Lilywhites.

Republic of Ireland football team

If and when Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane reflected on 2016 following victory over Austria, they would have looked back over an extremely satisfying 12 months. A good showing at the Euros ended in a dignified exit to the hosts in the last 16, but the odds of us playing in a World Cup for the first time since 2002 are looking very good after a dream start to the 2018 qualifying campaign. It’s genuinely exciting watching Ireland play these days and you can’t say that has always been the case during some of the recent regimes.

Irish Paralympic team

11 medals (four gold, four silver and three bronze) from a squad of 48 was a fantastic return from the Irish Paralympians, who represented themselves with distinction in Brazil. A target of a top 30 finish was achieved as Ireland finished 28^th in the medal table and while the medals attracted the headlines, some of those who didn’t taste glory managed to deliver lifetime best performances on the biggest stage of all.

Connacht Rugby

A seventh-place finish in the Pro 12 table in 2014/15 was Connacht’s best ever performance in the competition up to that point, but despite clear signs of progress, few could have predicted what would transpire in 2015/16. By the end of this year, they were level on points at the top of their Champions Cup pool, having earned their right to play in the competition through their glorious success in the Pro 12. It should not only be remembered that they won it, but that they did so playing some of the most thrilling rugby seen in these parts for a long time and by trouncing Leinster in the final. The impending departure of Pat Lam is a huge setback, but right now is undoubtedly the most exciting era in Connacht’s history and they’ve certainly captured the imagination of their growing band of loyal fans and of neutrals alike.