O'Gara scored all of Ireland's points against South Africa

The Munster fly-half was also honoured for his 50th appearance for Ireland along with John Hayes, Peter Stringer, Denis Hickie and Girvan Dempsey.

As expected, AIB League winners Shannon retained their Club of the Year title.

The Hall of Fame honoured the legendary back Michael Gibson and long-serving official Michael Carroll.

The annual Tom Rooney Memorial Trophy went to Fr Michael Shiel for his long association with coaching. He was one of the original IRFU coaches at the annual Butlins weekends back in the Sixties.

It was not a vintage season for the Irish players who found the prospect of a first Grand Slam for 57 years fade at the Millennium Stadium.

However, overall Ireland did manage to win eight of their 10 internationals including victory over South Africa, Argentina and the United States in the autumn.

BBC's Jim Stokes with Irish legend Mike Gibson

It was in this series where O'Gara came to the top when he scored all of Ireland points in a 17-12 victory over the Springboks which included a try, thee penalties and a drop goal.

The 26-year-old, winning the award for the second time, was at it again in contributing all the points in the 21-19 win over the Pumas.

O'Gara was a member of the best-forgotten Lions tour to New Zealand, and made an appearance in the final Test.

One player who did leave his mark in New Zealand was CMH Gibson, that wonderfully-gifted all-rounder whose 69 caps for Ireland was only recently bettered by Malcolm O'Kelly.

In that victorious Lions trip of 1971, Gibson was rated by many All Blacks as the best player to tour New Zealand. He played 12 Tests for the Lions in total.

A player who had great pace, strength, guile, and the ability to tackle hard and to play any position in the backline, Gibson had a side-step only surpassed by his Lions colleague Gerald Davies.

Gibson started his 15-year international career by tearing apart England from fly-half in Dublin back in 1964 and ended it 15 years later in centre as Ireland defeated Australia 9-3 in Sydney.