Donegal Sports Star Awards – September Review



Athletics

Several LAC runners made the long journey to Belfast on Sunday morning There was a stunning victory, as well as a PB, for in-form Catriona Jennings at the ‘Deep River Rock Belfast City Half Marathon’. She was the first woman across the line and achieved a new PB of 1.15.37.

 

Ciaran McGonagle and Raymond Birch both achieved top 10 finishes in the Waterside Half Marathon in Derry. Ciaran ran 1.14.14, which gave him seventh place overall and second place in the M40 category. Raymond was ninth overall and the second M35 runner in a time of 1.17.22.

 

Brendan Boyce returned to competition this week in China after the disappointment of having to pull out just days before the 50k Race Walk World Championships Final in London last month due to a hamstring injury.

The Milford man was in Shangai for a four-day team endurance event. Boyce’s team included his Irish teammate Alex Wright, Poland’s Damian Blocki and South African Wayne Snyman.

On Tuesday in the blistering heat and humidity nine competitors didn’t finish the 10.5km course. Snyman was first home for the team in 10th overall in 44:37 while Brendan had his best finish of the first three days taking 17th place in 45:53 and overall the Finn Valley Club member moved up to 15th. Wright was third counter in 47:10. That kept Boyce’s team in fifth place at that stage.

 

 

 

Boxing

Ciaran Anderson from the Twin Towns Boxing Club, representing Ireland lost out to Asian Monika Bagri at the National Stadium.

 

Saturday 9th September – Michael Gallagher won his first ever professional bout overcoming Polish opponent Mateusz Rybarski at the National Stadium in Dublin on a TKO in the second round.

 

Camogie

Saturday 9th September – The Donegal U14 team was crowned All-Ireland champions for the first time.

 

Cycling

Gweedore girl Clodagh Ni Ghallchoir won a gold medal in the Street Sprint at the 2017 UK School Games at Loughborough University.

 

Equestrian

Glenswilly woman Mary Devine finished runner-up on her horse Wolansky at the Northern Ireland Spring Festival Dressage Show in Danecroft Equestrian Centre

 

GAA

Sunday 10th September – Gweedore defeated St. Eunan’s to reach the semi-finals of the Donegal Senior Football Championship while the other quarter-final winners were Naomh Conaill, Kilcar and St. Michael’s. Aodh Ruadh, Milford, Fanad Gaels and St. Nauls secured places in the semi-finals of the Intermediate Football Championship.

Once again Burt proved their pedigree as a well organized outfit on Saturday evening at the O’Donnell Park as Ronan McLaughlin’s side had St. Michael’s ‘on the ropes’ until Colm Anthony McFadden and Andrew Kelly posted injury-time points to eventually secure the ‘Bridge Boys’ a place in the semi-finals of the Donegal Senior Football Championship (0-13 to 1-8).

 

Despite a gallant effort Cloughaneely just came up in short in their bid to knock pre-match favourites Milford out of the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship on Saturday evening at the O’Donnell Park (1-15 to 1-12).

Saturday 30th September – It was comfortable in the end for Fanad Gaels as Aidan McAteer’s side booked a place in the semi-finals of the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship thanks to an eight-point win over Naomh Columba at the O’Donnell Park on Sunday (3-9 to 0-10). Seamie ‘Coshia’ Friel’s 52nd minute penalty goal was arguably the game’s crucial score as it left the Glencolmcille outfit trailing by six points with time running out.

In the proverbial game of two halves Fanad Gaels were in the end probably happy to settle for a draw after a disappointing second half performance in Sunday’s County Intermediate Football semi-final against St. Nauls at the O’Donnell Park (0-12 each). That was frustrating as Aidan McAteer’s men had led by six points at the break but the Mountcharles outfit were a transformed side after the interval and were perhaps a shade fortunate not to have scored at least goal one goal in the second half.

With four minutes of injury time played at the O’Donnell Park on Sunday and Milford holding on to a one-point lead Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon had one last chance to force a replay. Fortunately for the Moyleview faithful Philip Patton’s free drifted narrowly wide and so Danny O’Donnell’s side has secured their place in the County Intermediate Final for the second successive year (2-12 to 1-14).

It was an entertaining semi-final where both sides had their spells of superiority but there was never much between them in terms of the score over the 66 minutes of football.

 

Friday 15th September – The Donegal Masters booked their place in the semi-finals of the national competition with an 1-11 to 0-7 win over Cavan in Convoy

Wednesday 27th September – The Donegal Masters booked their place in the semi-finals of the national competition with a 2-16 to 3-6 win over Antrim in Garvaghy with the help of goals from Michael ‘Sticky’ Ward and Dermot McColgan.

 

Saturday 23rd September – Kilcar hammered St. Michael’s 2-16 to 0-7 to reach the senior championship final for the second successive year.

Saturday 30th September – Naomh Conaill secured their place in the Donegal Senior Football Championship Final with a one-point win over Gweedore (1-13 to 1-12) at McCumhaill Park following a great comeback.

 

Sunday 10th September – Glenfin defeated Moville to win the Donegal Ladies Senior Football Championship Final in Convoy on a score of 1-9 to 1-7.

 

Paddy McBrearty was the only Donegal player among the list of nominees for the 2017 All-Star team.

 

Sunday 24th September – Fanad Gaels club member Siobhan Coyle and referee Siobhan had the honour of being a lines woman for the All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Dublin and Mayo. Back in July she was a referee at the Continental Youth Championships in New York.

 

Golf

Gweedore were crowned Donegal Youth Matchplay Champions after defeating Ballybofey & Stranorlar in the decider.

 

Horseracing

Sunday 17th September – Teenager Dylan Browne-McMonagle was crowned champion jockey at Finn Valley with two wins on Let’s Go Now and Five Stone of Lead.

 

Hurling

St. Eunans and Setanta secured their places in the Donegal Senior Final after their respective wins over reigning champions McCumhaills and Burt.

 

Saturday 16th September – Setanta were crowned County Senior Hurling Champions after a 1-16 to 1-8 victory over St. Eunan’s at McCumhaill Park

 

Martial Arts

There was big success for members of the Three Rivers Shotokan Club at the JKS European Championships. Jamie-Lee Simpson, Emma Dolan, Natasha Doherty were part of a four-member team that were crowned European U14 Kumite Champions. Meanwhile, Emma Dolan was crowned U14 Female European Champion.

 

Motorsport

Marty Gallagher of Letterkenny and Convoy’s Dean O’Sullivan in their Peugeot 208 R2 recorded their first win of a round of the junior section of the British Rally Championship on the Isle of Man.

Rugby

Carndonagh teenager Stephen Kelly won his first Ulster cap when he played in the second row for the province’s U18s in an Inter-provincial clash with Leinster

 

Letterkenny Rugby Club member Mia Alcorn scored a try for the Ulster U18s in a 32-12 Inter-provincial rugby win over Connacht.

Soccer

Tuesday 19th September – Milford woman Amber Barrett and 16-year-old St. Johnston girl Tyler Toland made there senior international competitive debut for the Republic of Ireland women’s team in a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland at Mourneview Park in the opening game of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Barrett was introduced as a late sub after Toland had also come on as a replacement.

 

Illies Celtic Ladies completed an historic treble adding the Inishowen Cup to their North West Super League and Ulster titles.

 

Saturday 2nd September – Donegal Town’s Jack Keaney came on as a late sub for the Republic of Ireland U19s who defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 at the Waterford RSC in the first of two international friendlies against the same opponents.

Rhys McCabe’s injury-time strike handed Sligo Rovers a precious three points in the race to avoid the drop from the League of Ireland Premier Division as the Bit O’Red got the better of Finn Harps in Ballybofey on Saturday night. The visitors had gone 1-0 up thanks to Vinny Faherty on 16 minutes. But Ollie Horgan’s men deservedly levelled the game in the 82nd minute courtesy of a goal of sheer class from Paddy McCourt.

Saturday 22nd September – Finn Harps relegation worries deepened after Ollie Horgan’s side lost 4-1 to Shamrock Rovers at the Tallaght Stadium.

Sunday 24th September – St. Johnston’s Tyler and Glenties girl Amy-Boyle-Carr both started as the Republic of Ireland U17s recorded an opening 1-0 win over host nation Bosnia and Herzegovina to maintain in the UEFA European Qualifying Round Group game.

Saturday 30th September – St. Johnston’s Tyler played the full 90 minutes while Glenties girl Amy-Boyle-Carr was a second half sub as the Republic of Ireland U17s recorded a 2-0 win over Greece to maintain their fine form in the European Qualifying Group. Toland and Carr had also both played in the 2-0 victory over Romania in Zenica three days earlier which ensured qualification for the Elite Phase of the UEFA U17 Championships.

Ballybofey lad Oisin Merritt was a member of the Republic of Ireland team that finished sixth at the Cerebral Palsy World Cup

Surf-Lifesaving

Sunday 24th September – Rossnowlagh’s Una Britton became Irish Surfing National Women’s Senior Champion for the first time at the Peak, Bundoran. She also won the U18 title. Bundoran Board Riders members Katie McAnena and her partner Finn Mullen won national titles in the Stand Up Paddleboarding Surf Division.

Bea Greenberg from Creeslough won the Irish Junior U14 Surfing title and was third overall.

Swimming

Cody Dunnion a first year student at Loreto Convent Milford was selected for the Regional Skills Academy Programme with Swim Ulster/Swim Ireland.

Triathlon

Letterkenny 24/7 Club member Margaret Kelly finished in a time of 5:36:54 in the 70.3km World Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 

.



Related