Richie Towell was named the 'Personality of the Year' at the SSE Airtricity Soccer Writers Association of Ireland awards on Friday night.
Towell, who has since completed a move to Brigton and Hove Albion, scored 29 goals over the course of a magnificent season helped Dundalk achieve an historic SSE Airtricity League and FAI Cup double, with the club winning back to back Premier Division titles for the first time.
He wasn't present on the night to accept the award, but sent a video back for the ceremony saying he'd like to thank the writers who voted for him, as well as "the backroom staff at Dundalk and all the players, without them I wouldn't have been able to win [...] I'm very honoured to win this award".
Other awards given out on the night saw Gary Rogers completing another double for Dundalk after picking up the 'Goalkeeper of the Year' award at the banquet.
He recorded 15 clean sheets in the push for league success - and didn't concede a goal in the final three rounds of the FAI Cup.
Image: Sportsfile
The Special Merit award went to Arthur Fitzsimons. Now 86, the Ringsend native played 26 times for the Republic of Ireland over a decade between the late 1940s and '50s.
Fitzsimons' club career included spells at Shelbourne, Middlesbrough, Mansfield Town and Drogheda United, while he also managed Drogheda, Shamrock Rovers and a representative League of Ireland XI.
Former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff - a special guest on the night - also received recognition of an outstanding career in the game at the awards.
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