Race ace Rea pips Rory - and Duff man!

WORLD-beating race ace Jonathan Rea pulled ahead of near neighbour Neil Duff to be named Sportsperson of the Year at the Ulster Tatler Awards.

And it was certainly a talented field!

Neil Duff, known as Duff Man to his legion of fans, became the first Northern Ireland player to win the World Darts Federation crown earlier this year - bringing the title and £50k top prize back to Ballyclare.

Also nominated were golf superstar Rory McIlroy, Belfast Giants Head Coach Adam Keefe and Northern Ireland women’s footballer Julie Nelson.

The Borough also claimed the Personal Trainer of the Year award, courtesy of Amy Millen of Revolution Fitness.

The glittering awards ceremony was held in St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.

Rea was unable to attend due to race commitments, but his wife Tatia accepted the award on his behalf.

The Ulster Tatler Awards, now in their fifteenth year, honour the achievements of homegrown individuals and businesses, the likes of which have been filling the pages of the lifestyle and society magazine for more than 50 years.

Previous winners include Dame Mary Peters OBE, Sir James Galway, Brian Friel, Phil Coulter, Gloria Hunniford, Michael Longley, Gerry Armstrong, Barry McGuigan, Terri Hooley, Marie Jones, Hollywood actor Ciaran Hinds, sporting hero Pat Jennings and John Linehan.

Ulster Tatler editor Chris Sherry said it had been an arduous time for the panel of judges.

“The difficulty in choosing just one deserved winner seems to become greater every year and that speaks volumes on just how high the standard is across the province,” he said.

“Every single category was bursting with worthy nominees.

“I want to extend massive congratulations to each of the winners and all those shortlisted, who should all be exceptionally proud of what they have achieved throughout the last year.

“ I also want to personally thank everyone for their continued support.

“This year we are celebrating the fifteenth year of the Ulster Tatler Awards and the event was a complete sell-out in the stunning St Anne’s Cathedral so we couldn’t have asked for a better evening. The night was a huge success,” added Chris.

The Ulster Tatler Awards 2022 was sponsored by Andrew Mulvenna Hair, Revolution Productions, Hafele, Linwoods, Velvet Rose Galgorm, Savvy & Shine, RagDollz HQ, Elite Travel NI, Mark McCallister Carpets, The Courtyard Carrickfergus, Holley Optometrists, So Good Juice, Mills Selig, Mode German Kitchens, Incorporate Solutions, Duffy Rafferty Communications, The Lobster Pot, Kildare Village and Insight Out Financial.