The Irish Cricket Awards (also known as Cricket Ireland Awards) are a set of annual cricket awards given by Cricket Ireland. The awards recognise and honour the best of Irish coaches, match officials, volunteers, clubs and players at all levels of the game over the previous calendar year. [1]
The Cricket Writers of Ireland Association was formed in 2008, and started Cricket Writers of Ireland Awards in the same year. Later, it got dissolved except Irish Cricket Hall of Fame which subsequently became part of Irish Cricket Awards. It was launched by Cricket Ireland in 2012, with RSA Insurance Group Limited as its title sponsor. [2] [3] [4]
Paul Stirling won the first ever Men's International Player of the Year Award in 2012, and went on to win it four more times in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 which is the most by any player. Apart from Stirling, only Ed Joyce (2013, 2015, 2016) has won the award more than once. In the same category in women's cricket, Clare Shillington won the first ever Women's International Player of the Year. And, Gaby Lewis (2017, 2022) being the only player to have won it more than once.
The Players of the Decade award was introduced in 2021. Paul Stirling and Kim Garth were announced as the Men's and Women's Player of the decade respectively. [5] [6]
The Cricket Writers of Ireland established the Irish Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009; it subsequently merged into Irish Cricket Awards.