So many dreams and possibilities, all the hurtful memories and experiences of previous years are left behind and only positive dreams and possibilities occupy our minds.

But before we embark on this New Year, it is customary for us to take a brief look back at the year that has just been consigned to history - 2007.

It was a mixed year for sport as the problem with drugs and scandals continue to grip sport from every angle but let’s take a look back at some of the more positive stories that will be remembered from ’07.

SPORTING HIGHLIGHT

Without doubt my sporting highlight from the year that’s just gone was Padraig Harrington’s win in the British Open Golf Championship in July. Over the years Harrington has made dramatic strides up the golfing ladder. During this time he has always shipped a lot of criticism for his huge amount of second place finishes and so on and many questioned whether he would ever win a Major - the ultimate goal and accolade for any golfer. But Harrington is nothing if not resilient and he always believed that he could and would win one and so in July of ’07 that wonderful dream finally came true and like it always tends to be with Padraig, it wasn’t easy.

Having played superbly over the first couple of days, Sergio Garcia looked a certainty to win his first Major as he enjoyed a huge lead.

But a great day on Saturday kept Harrington in the hunt and with Tiger out of the way he faced into the Sunday with a great chance. Of course he needed Sergio to slip up but at least he had a chance.

I must admit that I have always loved the Open but this was surely the greatest of all. I, like thousands of other Irish golf fans, spent the whole of that weekend glued to our couches and our tellies that weekend to watch one of the most gripping weekends of sport unfold live in front of us from Carnoustie.

Who will forget Harrington’s two shots in the water on the final hole as it looked as though his chance was gone, again? But then he played one of the best golf shots ever struck to nail a chip shot to within four feet. If he was to be in with any chance then he had to hole that putt. He duly did. Sergio couldn’t make par down the last and amazingly we were in for a play-off between two of Europe’s Ryder Cup stalwarts.

But somehow when the two men shook hands on the first play-off hole I could only see one outcome and Harrington duly won to become the first Irish man to win this famous Major in over fifty years.

Brilliant television, brilliant drama and a brilliant win for P. Harrington. It couldn’t happen to a nicer fella. Let’s hope it’s the first of many for him.

RAIDERS OF THE CARRIBEAN I didn’t think one of these reviews would ever contain a paragraph about the exploits of the Irish Cricket team but their achievements at the Cricket World Cup were quite magnificent.

They did great to qualify and where chalked down as certainties to be the whipping boys of the event but they had other ideas.

Drawing with Zimbabwe and then that famous win over Pakistan made it a month to remember. They reached the super eights against all odds and were far from disgraced. A wonderful memory from ’07.

DAN THE MAN

Without doubt the man who lit up Waterford sport and the game of hurling in 2007 was Dan ‘The Man’ Shanahan who scored no less than eight championship goals in ’07 and won every Player of the Year award known to man and deserved everyone of them.

For the Waterford senior team it was a mixed year. The highs included winning the National Hurling League for the first time since 1963 and winning another Munster title but once again the bid to reach All-Ireland final Day on the first Sunday in September fell short, losing out to Limerick in the semi-finals (after seeing off Cork after a relay in the quarters). Waterford also enjoyed a best ever year at the All-Stars with five awards, and the Hurler of the Year.

On the All-Ireland front, Kilkenny won the Liam McCarthy, while Kerry retained Sam. In football, John Kiely’s men claimed a first championship win since 1989 when they beat Clare and in local GAA, Ballyduff Upper returned to the top of the pile in the County Senior Hurling Championship, while Ballinacourty did likewise in the football.

UNITED BOW OUT

After being thrown back into the Premier League at the last minute before the start of the season, Waterford United made a brave bid to retain their Premier Division status but in the end it proved beyond them as they went down to Finn Harps in a play-off and so will ply their trade in the First Division in 2008. Elsewhere, Carrick United once again dominated the local scene by winning yet another double.

Across Channel John O’Shea collected a Premier League winners’ medal with Man United, while Liverpool lost the champions league final to AC Milan.

On the International front it was the end of the road for Stephen Staunton as Irish manager as Ireland failed to make it to the European Championships. As of yet we still await white smoke regarding who will replace him.

RUGBY DISASTER

The biggest sporting event of the year on the world stage was the rugby World Cup in France. After that memorable day in Croke Park when Ireland hammered England and all the fuss about God Save the Queen was rubbished, and of course another Triple Crown, meant that Ireland went into the World Cup with huge expectations but what transpired was an unmitigated disaster.

We struggled past Namibia and Georgia and lost to France and Argentina to ensure we didn’t make it out of the group. Despite all the rumours of unrest in the camp, the Genesis report has come up with no reasons as to what went wrong.

It was also a bad year for Munster as they went out at the quarter-finals stage of the Heineken Cup to Llanelli but they are currently doing well in this year’s cup and with Dougie Howlett making his debut in the next week or so. Let’s hope 2008 will be another wonderful year for the province.

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