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Winger Tommy Bowe has become the first Ulster player to be voted BT IRUPA Players' Player of the Year.
The Monaghan man received the prestigious award at a ceremony in Dublin which also Ulster out-half David Humphreys being inducted into the IRUPA Hall of Fame.
"I was over the moon when I was told I'd been nominated but it is something very special to win it and I'm very happy.
"To come from players you play with and against every week is the best recognition" stated Bowe.
Bowe faced stiff competition for the award as he was nominated along with Leinster No 8 Jamie Heaslip and Wasps scrum-half Eoin Reddan.
Heaslip has helped his province to the verge of winning the Magners League and has broken into the Ireland team while Reddan has dislodged Peter Stringer as his county's No1 pivot.
"It has been a difficult season especially with Ulster not going well but I've been happy with my own form."
The season may be ending on a high for Bowe but it started disappointingly as he was omitted from the Ireland squad for the autumn World Cup in France but he has battled back and has earned the award with some eye catching performances both domestically and on the European stage.
"It was a big blow for me to get picked for the World Cup and it was a case of going back to the drawing board and discussing my future with family and friends.
"I was playing good rugby and had a few decent performances in Europe.
"My next goal was to get into the Six Nations team and I maybe got in due to injuries but I'm happy to be there and now I've got to hold on to it," stated Bowe.
Bowe is set to depart Ravenhill in the summer for the Ospreys but he is determined help Ulster qualify for next season's Heineken Cup.
"We've got three home games and our form at Ravenhill over the last few months has been good.
"With the loss at the weekend and Connacht winning we need to get some wins and put points on the board," concluded Bowe.
Humphreys joins fellow Ulster men Paddy Johns and Jeremy Davidson in the Hall of Fame.
He began his professional rugby career with London Irish but returned to Ulster at the beginning of the 1998-99 season to captain the province to their famous European Cup victory at Lansdowne Road.
In September 2004 he became only the fourth Ulster player to reach 100 caps and currently has represented the province on 145 occasions.
He is Ireland's second most capped out-half with 72 caps and has scored 560 international points.
Humphreys made his Ireland debut in 1996 and was ever present in the Ireland squad until he announced his retirement from the international game after the 2006 Six Nations campaign.
