In which sport has Thomas Monaghan been recognised as exemplary in his country ?

Thomas Monaghan (born 1997) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as left wing-forward for the Galway senior team.

Born in Craughwell, County Galway, Monaghan first played competitive hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Craughwell club. He was educated at and played hurling with Athenry Vocational School. Here Monaghan won back-to-back Fitzgibbon Cup medals.

Monaghan made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he was selected for the Galway minor team. His tenure with the minor team culminated with the winning of an All-Ireland medal in 2015. Monaghan made his senior debut for Galway during the 2017 Walsh Cup. Since then he has won one All-Ireland medal, one Leinster medal and one National Hurling League medal.

The objective of the game is for players to use a wooden (ash) stick called a hurley to hit a small ball called a sliotar between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points. The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked, or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than four steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick, and the ball can only be handled twice while in his possession.