The 2016 Donegal Sports Star Awards are being held tonight in the Mount Errigal Hotel – and we’re doing live updates throughout the night!
AND THE WINNER IS SINEAD JENNINGS!!
Short list of Brendan Boyce, Chloe Magee, Manus Kelly & Donall Barrett, Rhys Irwin, Ryan McHugh and Sinead Jennings for OVERALL DONEGAL SPORTS STAR OF THE YEAR
Hall of Fame: John Campbell from Ballybofey was one of only two men – the other was Conrad Logan – who knew he was getting an award tonight. He was the overall award winner in 1982
Sporting Acknowledgement Award: This was an unannounced award but it goes to the McHugh family from Kilcar: Martin, Mark and Ryan McHugh have all won All-Star awards and their contribution to Donegal football has been immense through the years.
Special Recognition (senior): Shaun Paul Barrett. The Milford man led the Donegal minors to Ulster League and Championship success in 2016 and the team reached the All-Ireland minor semi-final.
Special Recognition (junior): Labhaoise Clarke from Carndonagh ABC won her 30th boxing title in 2016. She won a gold at the Brampton Cup in Candada last year and is regarded as one of Ireland’s rising female boxers.
Brendan McDaid Memorial Special Achievement: Jim Doherty from Newtown has created history with his 11th Donegal Sports Star Award. The overall winner in 2011, Jim is a clay pigeon shooter of some renown.
International Achievement: PJ Gallagher (Dungloe). PJ helped Ireland win the short matt world cup and was the captain. The Irish beat Sweden 5-1 and Gallagher was the only one to win all five of his games.
Secondary School Sports Teacher: Aoife De Nais, Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Béal Átha Móir
Secondary School: Carndonagh Community School
Primary School Sports Teacher: Orla Sullivan, Scoil Mhuire NS, Ramelton
Primary School, Large (>100): St Patrick’s NS, Lurgybrack.
Primary Schools, Small (<100): Scoil Naisiunta, An Choimín
Team: Donegal Under-15 Sportshall Athletics team. They made history when they won the UK title in Manchester in April.
Appreciation Award: Seamus Maguire (Donegal Bay Rowing Club)
Coach: Mandy McNulty (North-West Shotokan Karate Club)
Secondary School Sports Girl: Amy Boyle-Carr (St Columba’s, Glenties)
Secondary School Sports Boy: James Kelly (Royal and Prior, Raphoe)
Primary School Sports Girl: Hannah Murray (St Mary’s NS, Castlefin)
Primary School Sports Boy: Luke Mac Fhloinn (An Choimín)
Triathlon: Aidan Callaghan from the Letterkenny 24/7 Triathlon Club broke new ground in winning at world level in 2016. And he takes this award.
Swimming: Eadaoin O’Raw from City of Derry Swimming Club has won this award after a stunning year in the pool.
Surf Livesaving: Paddy Bond is at the top of his game competing at world level and the Ramelton man was a popular winner here.
Soccer: Roma McLaughlin made her Republic of Ireland senior debut in 2016 and played for the U19s. She has recently signed for Shelbourne, who will play in the Women’s Champions League this year. The Greencastle woman is one to watch.
Rowing: Sinead Jennings reached an Olympic final last year. Jennings reached the final of the lightweight women’s double sculls after finally realising her Olympic dream, coming sixth in the final alongside her partner, Claire Lambe.
Professional Sport Achievement: Conrad Logan from Ramelton helped Hibs to win the Scottish Cup in 2016.
Powerlifting: Paulina Coleman from Stranorlar has claimed the accolate in this section.
Motorsport: It was a dream year for Manus Kelly and Donall Barrett, who won the 2016 Joule Donegal International Rally in a never-to-be-forgotten battle.
Motorcycling: What a year 2016 was for Rhys Irwin from Kilmacrennan and he deservedly wins this award.
Martial Arts: Stephen John Carlin of the North West Shotokan Karate Club has won here.
Hurling: Sean MacCumhaills Lee Henderson led his club to the Donegal SHC title and starred for Donegal too. A fine hurler witha deadly eye for the posts.
Hockey award winner: Raphoe Hockey Club’s Alexander Tinney progressed from youth level to the Raphoe seniors and has played for Ulster and also for Ireland. He played for the Under-18s and has been on trial for the Under-21s.
Handball award winner: Avril McNamee of Sean MacCumhaills won gold in the US in 2016 – and is really on the rise in the sport.
Gymnastics award winner: Emily E O’Connor from Letterkenny Gymnastics Club won a host of medals in 2016. She won the Shooting Stars Hardest Worker Award too!
Golf award winner: Patrick Page of Letterkenny Golf Club scoops this one. He is a juvenile member playing off 5. He’s just 16 and in 2016 he won the Under-18 Munster Challenge Cup with over 800 competing.
GAA award winner: Ryan McHugh from Kilcar won an All-Star in 2016 and is known as one of the top players in the country. He was the Player of the Year also at the Donegal GAA awards function.
Equestrian award winner: Gavin Harley from Rathdonnell starred across the continent. In December, he was honoured with the Young Rider of the Year award.
Cycling award winner: Claire McElwaine from Letterkenny and a member of Phoenix CC in Belfast, won all there has to be won in ladies cycling in Ireland in 2016. What a year!
Back to awards…
Patsy, as he always does, gives a brilliant speech to the big crowd. An inspirational man in this county. “Without people here, what kind of a country would it be?”
Patsy McGonagle, the special guest says: “A Donegal person can be the best there can be in the world.”
Councillor Terence Slowey, the Chairperson of Donegal County Council, the main sponsors of the Donegal Sports Star Awards, is addressing the audience now.
We’re just about to kick-off, throw-in, tip-off, serve….get underway with awards.
And now, we eat….Back after dessert for more updates!
Special Athlete award winner: All the swimmers from the Nemo Special Olympics Swim Club in Ballyshannon have been given this award after being nominated individually. Cormac Sweeney, Eoin Rooney, Ethan Daly and Louise Lennon are the winners. Lovely touch. Well done all.
Rugby award winner: Irish international Nora Stapleton, who is a key player for the Girls in Green and who hails from Fahan, takes the oval ball award and she has been named on the panel this year again,
Darts award winner: John Flood led the county mens seniors to glory in Holland.
Cue Sports award winner: Sean Devenney from North West Snooker Club, The 15-year-old finished number 2 in the rankings and was number 10 on the intermediate rankings list. He also represented Ireland and took part in a number of internationals.
Clay Pigeon Shooting award winner: Joe O’Donnell from Carrigans and St Johnston Gun Club. A memorable season for Joe, who won several big Championships in 2016.
Camogie award winner: Rhianna McDermott of Burt takes the prize. She captained the county minors in 2016 and also led Burt to glory for the second year in a row. Burt compete in the Derry Junior League and McDermott was to the fore.
Boxing award winner: Brett McGinty from St Johnston is the winner of this award. The St Johnston man won another Irish title and captained his country in international Championships. McGinty is one of Irish boxing’s rising stars.
Basketball award winner: Sean McGettigan from the North Star Club in Derry wins this award. They reached the National Cup quarter-finals. he was top-scorer for the U18s as a point guard.
Badminton award winner: Another Olympian, Chloe Magee, wins this award. She set a record in becoming Donegal’s first ever triple Olympian in 2016.
Athletics award winner: Brendan Boyce. Another fine year for the Milford man who represented Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he came 19th in the men’s 50k race walk. His mother, Margaret, accepts the award.
The first award of the night is the athletics award.
We have a standing ovation for the special guest, Patsy McGonagle as we await the address of Neil Martin, Chairperson of the Donegal Sports Star Awards committee.
Record numbers in attendance tonight – 730 are here. Crowd is so big it’s split through two rooms in the hotel.
We’ll be having ten awards before the meal – not good news for the hungry among us!
And we’re underway. Chris Ashmore, as always, is our master of ceremonies. “On a night like this we can reflect on some great moments – and a marvelous year,” Chris says.
Around 730 guests will be in attendance
Irish Athletics Team Manager Patsy McGonagle is the special guest for the 41st running of the Awards, which are again sponsored by Donegal County Council
The Ballybofey man filled the role last year at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
It was his fifth time at the Olympics and his fourth as the manager of the Athletics Team, having led the team to Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
