IRISH rugby legend Ollie Campbell believes Johnny Sexton should hang on to the number-10 jersey for Ireland's Six Nations campaign.

Speaking at the Fingal Independent / Clarion Hotel Dublin Airport Sportstar of the Year Awards on Saturday night, the Malahide man revealed that he would select the upand-coming Leinster star to fill his old outhalf role at the expense of Ronan O'Gara, as Ireland prepare to repeat their Grand Slam heroics.

In an entertaining exchange with RTE's Michael Lyster following his induction into the Sportstar Hall of Fame, the Triple Crown winner also tipped Luke Fitzgerald to make a big impact in 2010, revealing that if he could select three present Irish players to add to his Triple Crown winning side in 1982, he would plump for Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and Fitzgerald.

While O'Driscoll and O'Connell would make most people's shortlist, Ollie tipped Wicklow man Fitzgerald to make it all the way to the top.

'The other one that really excites me – and he's from the same bloodline as O'Driscoll – is Luke Fitzgerald. Every time he gets the ball something happens,' he said.

In siding with Sexton over O'Gara, the former Lion based his choice purely on recent displays, stating: 'On current form, Johnny Sexton, but do not think for one second that it's the end of Ronan O'Gara's international career,' he warned.

Later in the evening, Conan Byrne was named the overall Fingal Independent / Clarion Hotel Dublin Airport Sportstar of the Year with hot motor-racing prospect, Gary Thompson collecting the Young Sportstar gong.

With a 16-strong field of county, national, European and world champions going to post, Byrne's FAI Cup and promotion winning heroics with Sporting Fingal saw him succeed former Dublin footballer, Mick Deegan as the overall winner.

The 24 year-old netted 25 goals in a fairytale season and remarkably has played in every single competitive Sporting Fingal game since the club was formed two years ago.

However, the Swords native was quick to deflect any praise in the direction of his teammates and manager.

'I would like to thank the Sporting Fingal team, without whom I would not be here today, the team management, the Fingal Independent for their coverage of Sporting Fingal and my girlfriend Amanda.

'The squad have been tremendous. We won promotion and got the added bonus of the FAI Cup and it's been great to be involved in all the community work we've been doing too.

'There were four outstanding things that happened to me last year, and this is number five.

'Obviously there was winning promotion and the FAI Cup, the trip to Zambia [on an aid mission], and the fourth thing was scoring a hat-trick on my birthday against Monaghan, where my mother's from. That was a big thing in the house at the time!'

Young star Gary Thompson was equally thrilled with his award and had a special announcement to make regarding the 2010 season.

'We just signed a deal yesterday with KCMG,' revealed the in-demand Donabate lad, who had a number of offers to mull over since clinching the Rookie Cup in the Formula BMW Pacific Championship last term.

'The Rookie Cup was probably the best we could have hoped for out of the year.

'We managed to win our first race too, so that made the year pretty much perfect,' he added.

- John SAVAGE