Three in a row All-Ireland champion from Tipperary wins Annerville Award

2025 was the year when Cahir man Dylan Sullivan won the senior men’s black belt national karate title for the third year in a row.

He beat his cousin, Adam Whitney, who is a member of the same club, Tora-Kan in Ballyporeen, in an epic final, by a slim margin of 6-4 at the Moyle Rovers GAA complex in Monroe, just outside Clonmel.

Both men went on to represent Ireland in Crete at the SKIF European Karate Championships.

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In winning the national title, Dylan maintains a great family tradition in the sport and follows in the footsteps of his father Kevin, a former national champion whose name was also etched on the trophy 21 years ago.

In the space of 12 months, Dylan won no fewer than 10 out of 12 national tournaments.

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His success is all the more remarkable after the health problems he suffered four years ago, when he suffered a heart attack and collapsed while training with the national team.

He was given CPR to save his life and later underwent open heart surgery, but has since made a great recovery.

Dylan's achievement has been recognised by the Tipperary United Sports Panel, who will present him and the other Tipperary amateur sports stars of the year with an Annerville award, sponsored by Bulmers, at the Panel's annual function at the Talbot Hotel Clonmel on Saturday night, January 10.