The countdown is on to the 40th staging of the Donegal Sports Star Awards which take place in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday, January 29th.
This is the biggest sports awards ceremony of its kind in the north-west and one of the biggest in Ireland. There were no shortage of sporting highlights during 2015. So, today we begin a series of articles, compiled by Donegal Sports Star Awards PRO Declan Kerr, that look back at each month in 2015. It makes for fascinating reading and you’ll be amazed at just how many big moments there actually were.
Today we look back at the month of May and the sporting highlights.
Marvellous May for Donegal athletics
The Donegal Sports Star Awards May review highlights a marvellous month for athletics while the county also had fantastic achievements in soccer, cycling, motorsport and badminton.
In Track & Field Mark English, Karl Griffin, Aaron McGlynn and John Kelly dipped inside the qualifying standards for this summer’s World and European Championship events. Cyclists Shauna McFadden and Amanda Gallagher were named on the Irish team for the Youth Olympics while in soccer there was double success for Inishowen winning the prestigious Oscar Traynor Cup for the first time and the peninsula’s U15s lifted the national inter-league title.
Among the other May highlights were the another first place finish for Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan in the Munster Rally; success for Laghey’s Heather Harron in the Irish Masters Badminton Final; the role played by Isle of Doagh’s Stephen McLaughlin in Southend Utd’s promotion from English League Two and the national title for Kevin McHugh’s Donegal U13s.
European Indoor 800m silver medalist Mark English achieved the qualifying standard for the IAAF World Championships in his first race of the outdoor season. The reigning Overall Donegal Sports Star Award holder was competing in the FBK Games in Hengelo where he ran a time of 1.45.83 to dip inside the required standard of 1.46.00 for the World Track and Field Championships which take place in Beijing from the 22nd-30th of August.
Donegal Town man Karl Griffin ran 1:47:39 in an 800m race to confirm his place at both the European U23 Championship and World Student Games. And 15 year-old Aaron Mc Glynn of Finn Valley ran 1.54.54 in Belfast to qualify for the European Youth Olympics in Georgia. Aaron has made the standard in both the 800m and 400m for the event. Another former Donegal Sports Star Awards winner John Kelly set a new Irish record with his 18.61m throw at the Donegal Athletics Championships in Lifford, which also gave him the qualification standard for the European Junior Finals. And the former Donegal Sports Star Award winner followed that up by throwing 19.95m in Letterkenny to meet the qualifying standard for the European U23 Championships in Sweden.
As May drew to a close Letterkenny’s Shauna McFadden and Dunlewey’s Amanda Gallagher were selected on the Irish cycling team which will compete at the European Youth Olympics in Tbilisi, Georgia while Heather Harron from Laghey won the Irish Masters O-50s Doubles Championships with her partner Imelda Breen (Meath) at Baldoyle, Dublin.
Sunday 24th May 2015 was an historic occasion for Inishowen soccer as for the first time in it’s 40 year history the Junior League won the Oscar Traynor Cup with a 2-1 victory over Limerick at Maginn Park courtesy of first half goals from Stephen McLaughlin and Kieran McDaid. Indeed there was double success for the peninsula as the previous day the Inishowen Youth & Schoolboys League took the U15 Inter-League title with a 2-1 win over Longford and District in Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
Finn Harps player Kevin McHugh managed the Donegal Schoolboys U-13 side to a national Inter-League Cup triumph with a 1-0 victory over Waterford in Cahir, Tipperary.
Isle of Doagh native Stephen McLaughlin was a member of the Southend Utd who gained promotion from English League Two thanks to a penalty shoot-out win over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley. The former Finn Harps and Derry City player had come off the bench to score an extra-time winner for Southend against Stevenage FC in a play-off to get to Wembley.
At the end of May Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan in their Ford Focus WRC won the Circuit of Munster Rally. It was a fourth win in a row in the National series for the crew who extended their lead at the top of the standings.
At the beginning of May, Kilmacrennan man Eoghain McGinley won the North West 10k in a time of 33 minutes and seven seconds while Letterkenny AC’s Brendan Boyce finished 27th in the European 20km Race Walk in Murcia, Spain in a time of 1:26:27 and on the last day of the month Carndonagh man Karol Doherty was the first wheelchair athlete home in the Derry City Marathon in a time of 3.04.48 breaking the course record in the process. Three Rivers won the Donegal Men’s Division 3 and 4 badminton titles in Castlefin. At the same venue the Division 2 honours went to Dunfanaghy.
P.J. McBrearty and Padraig McGettigan from the Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club played for the Northern Ireland Elite Academy who had three wins over Wales at the Methodist College.
In boxing John Moran from the Illies Golden Gloves Club took an Irish title in the Youth 1 42kgs at the National Stadium. And fellow Inishowen lad Edward McEleney won the Youth 1 91kgs Final. Also in the ring Leah Gallen, a member of the Finn Valley Club won the Girl 2 46kgs at the National Championships and in the middle of the month Carndonagh ABC’s Labhaoise Clarke won her sixth Irish title in the Youth 1 54kgs.
On the May Bank Holiday Monday there was County Gaeltacht glory for Naomh Conaill and Na Dunaibh in their respective Senior and Junior Finals in Ardara while Glenfin won the ladies title. Despite finishing top of the Division 2 table the Donegal senior ladies side missed out on promotion after losing 4-18 to 4-6 to Armagh in the league final at Parnell Park, Dublin.
Both the Donegal Seniors and Minors advanced to the quarter-finals of the Donegal Senior Football Championship following respective wins over Tyrone at McCumhaill Park. In his first championship match in charge Rory Gallagher’s side had a 1-13 to 1-10 victory over the Red Hand County.
Meanwhile, Declan Bonner’s Minors had a 1-11 to 0-8 win over their opponents. And on the last day of the month the County Minors booked their place in the Ulster semi-final for the second successive year with a 2-14 to 0-7 win over Armagh at the Athletic Grounds with the goals coming from the O Baoill cousins Naoise and Daire.
Five Donegal players, Geraldine McLaughlin and Laura Gallagher Termon; Ciara and Niamh Hegarty Moville and Aoife McDonnell (Glenties) were members of the Ulster squad who retained the Inter-provincial title in Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath. Gallagher and Donegal Sports Star Award winner McLaughlin were also members of the Termon Ladies side who won the All-Ireland Gaeltacht Senior Final for the sixth successive year with a 3-12 to 2-5 victory over Glenfin in Ardara. Naomh Conaill won the County U16 League Final defeating Muff at the O’Donnell Park while Naomh Columba were crowned Division 2 league champions after defeating Urris in the decider at McCumhaill Park.
The Donegal hurlers bowed out of the Nicky Rackard Cup after losing 1-19 to 1-12 against Armagh at the Athletic Grounds in the semi-final.
There was success for the Letterkenny based Team Rilion Gracie Jiu Jitsu Club at the Irish Open Championship Finals in Dublin with gold medals for T.J. McMenamin (Convoy); Stephen Simms (Convoy); William Timoney (Donegal Town) along with Head Coach and Brown Belt Brian ‘Barney’ Coyle who also won a silver medal at the British Open Championships the following weekend.
In Motorsport Wesley Patterson and his Letterkenny navigator Johnny Baird won the Carlow Stages Rally in the dramatic fashion on the last stage of the event just 0.01 of a second ahead of Welsh man Stephen Woods.
There was double success for Niall McDaid at the Donegal Pool Finals in Ballyshannon. Niall’s Ballybofey/Castlefin outfit won the team event and he took the singles title after a 7-4 victory over Letterkenny’s Johnny Connors in the final.
On Friday 22nd May Finn Harps set a new unbeaten start to a season for the club of 12 games following the 2-2 draw with UCD in Ballybofey which extended Ollie Horgan’s side’s lead at the top of the table to seven points. Earlier in the month Harps had drawn away to Cabinteely followed by dramatic late wins over Waterford Utd in Ballybofey and Cobh Ramblers at St. Colman’s Park. At the end of May a ten-men Harps side held Premiership side Longford Town to a second round FAI Senior Cup 1-1 draw at the City Calling Stadium.
Illistrin Utd won the Donegal Schoolboys Champions League Final with a 4-2 victory over Swilly Rovers at Finn Park. Castlefin Celtic clinched the Donegal Junior League Division 1 title after a victory over Whitestrand Utd at Park View. Letterkenny Rovers Youths completed a clean sweep of the four domestic titles with a 2-1 victory over Gweedore Celtic in Ballyare with Gareth Doherty getting the winner from a free-kick in the Gorey Curran Cup Final. Glengad Utd retained the Charlie O’Donnell Memorial Cup and followed that up by winning the Jackie Crossan Premier Division title for the first time in the club’s 40 year history with a 1-0 play-off victory over Aileach at Maginn Park thanks to a 65th minute Paddy McDermott goal.
Cockhill Celtic lifted the Ulster Senior League title for the third successive year and made it the double by winning the Donegal News League Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bonagee Utd at Leckview Park. And Donal O’Brien’s side advanced to the third round of the FAI Cup by defeating Leinster Senior League side St. Mochta’s 3-0 at the Charlie O’Donnell Sportsgrounds. Buncrana’s Mark Timlin and Letterkenny’s Sean Houston were among the scorers for Derry City who had a 3-0 second round victory over non-league side Edenderry in Co. Offaly. Donegal Sports Star Soccer Award winner Ciara Grant won her 15th senior cap when coming on as a sub for the Republic of Ireland who lost 3-0 to the USA in a friendly game played in San Jose.
Ex-Letterkenny Rovers player Dale Gorman signed his first professional contract with Stevenage FC. In the middle of the month Letterkenny Rovers landed the Knockalla Caravans Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Derry City Reserves at Leckview Park. St. Catherine’s clinched the double lifting the Brian McCormick Cup with a 2-1 victory over Castlefin Celtic in Ballyare. Near the end of the month the Swilly Rovers U16s ended the season with three titles by winning both the League Cup and Tadgh Culbert trophy in the space of four days.
Bonagee Utd won the Donegal U-14 Champions League Final 2-0 against Cappry Rovers. Greencastle FC completed the double by winning the Fr O’Gara Cup Final 2-1 against QPS Reserves at Maginn Park. Greencastle had already won the First Division league title.
In swimming there was bronze medals for young Swilly Seals swimmer Molly Nulty in the 100m individual medley and 50m breastroke at the Ards Junior Open in Co. Antrm. In the mixed freestyle and medley there were bronzed medals in both events for Molly Nulty, Cody Dunnion, Chloe Shiels and Peter Coyle.
Coaliste Ailigh, Letterkenny managed by Finn Harps player Keith Cowan won their first ever soccer cup defeating Errigal College in the final of an U14 competition. Staying with secondary schools Lifford AC members had success at the Ulster Schools Finals at the Antrim Forum with gold and silver for Tom Mullen (Holy Cross College Strabane) in the Junior Boys Shot Putt and 200m; Brendan O’Donnell (St. Eunan’s College) Intermediate Hammer gold; Alan McGinley (Royal & Prior Raphoe) silver Intermediate 800m; Brandon Connolly (Royal & Prior Raphoe) two bronze Intermediate 100 and 400m Hurdles; Stephen McCallion (Strabane Academy) Long Jump bronze; Shannon Craig (Royal & Prior Raphoe) High Jump bronze. There was also a silver medal for Rosses AC’s Fodhla McFadden (Pobail Scoil Gweedore) in the Triple Jump.
There were also medals for Finn Valley athletes in Antrim – Naomh McGranaghan (Finn Valley College) hammer gold; Oisin Gallen (Finn Valley College) 2k steeple chase gold; Sommer Lecky (Strabane Grammar) High Jump and Long Jump Golds; Arlene Crossan (Loreto Convent Letterkenny) gold 300m silver long jump; Jade Leeper (St. Columba’s Stranorlar) gold discus, silver shot; Gavin McLaughlin (Royal & Prior) medals in shot putt and discus; James Kelly (Royal & Prior) gold shot putt; Pauric Harold (St. Columba’s Stranorlar) gold long jump; Ian Brennan (St. Columba’s Stanorlar) silver in both triple and long jumps; Yvonne Boyle bronze shot; Bridget McDyre (Rosses CC) gold shot; Aaron McGlynn (Ballinamore College) gold 400m; Cate Smith (Holy Cross) gold long jump; Lauren Crossan (Ballinmore College) gold long jump; Aine Kerr (Deele College) silver long jump.
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