The 48th Donegal Sports Star Awards Ceremony was held on Friday night in the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny.
The awards celebrated the sporting year of 2023 – with Donegal senior gaelic football manager Jim McGuinness the special guest of honour, in front of a packed house of more than 500 guests.
For the second time in his career, Rathmullan jockey Oisín Orr was named the overall Sports Star winner.
His big success of 2023 was last November when he won the Bahrain International aboard Spirit Dancer, owned for former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Former Donegal and Sligo football manager Tom Conaghan was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Donegal Town native famously guided the county to a first-ever All-Ireland under-21 football title back in 1982.
The full list of Friday night’s winners is as follows:
OVERALL DONEGAL SPORTS STAR 2023
Oisin Orr, Rathmullan
HALL OF FAME
Tom Conaghan, Donegal Town
ATHLETICS
Kelly Mc Grory, Tír Chonaill A.C.
BADMINTON
Rachael Darragh, Raphoe
BASKETBALL
Lauren Foy, Ballyshannon 88ers Basketball Club
BOXING
Danny Duffy, Raphoe A.B.C.
COACH / MANAGER
Martin Regan, CLG Naomh Conaill
CUE SPORTS
Ben McMenamin, Raphoe
CYCLING
Jamie Meehan, Mountcharles
DARTS
Adrian Devine, Buncrana
EQUESTRIAN
Oisin Orr, Rathmullan
SPECIAL ATHLETE
Anna Hennessy, Letterkenny
Daniel O’Reilly, Letterkenny
David Crawford, Donegal Town
Hughie Sweeney, Gweedore
Vicki McGill, North West Special Olympics Club
GAELIC FOOTBALL
Oisin Gallen, Sean MacCumhaills
HOCKEY
Wendy Patterson, Raphoe Hockey Club
HURLING
Gerry Gilmore, Setanta
MARTIAL ARTS
Erin McCole, Ulster Karate-Do Federation
MOTORCYCLING
Richard Kerr, Kilmacrennan
MOTORSPORT
Ryan MacHugh, Frosses & Declan Boyle, Glenties
PARA-ATHLETE
Alan Patterson, Killygordon
ROWING
Michael O’Boyle, Loughros Point Rowing Club, Ardara
RUGBY
Sadhbh Mc Grath, Cooke R.C. / Ulster
SEA ANGLING
Orlagh McLean, Lough Swilly Sea Angling Club
SOCCER
Erin McLaughlin, Peamount United
SURFING
Bea Greenberg, Donegal Bay Board Riders
SWIMMING
Cora Rooney, Enniskillen Lakelanders
PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORTS BOY
Noah Mc Guire, Scoil an Chaisil, Gleann Cholm Cille
PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORTS GIRL
Jasmine Barrett Doherty, Scoil Mhuire, Milford
SECONDARY SCHOOL SPORTS BOY
Odhran McBrearty, St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar
SECONDARY SCHOOL SPORTS GIRL
Keri Loughrey, Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana
APPRECIATION
Padraig Mac Aodha, Gweedore United F.C.
Peadar McGranaghan, Finn Valley A.C.
CLUB
Finn Valley A.C.
TEAM
Cockhill Celtic – Ulster Senior League winners
PRIMARY SCHOOL (SMALL less than 100 pupils)
Scoil Mhuire, Doire Beaga
PRIMARY SCHOOL (LARGE, more than 100 pupils)
St. Aengus N.S., Bridgend
PRIMARY SCHOOL – SPORTS TEACHER
Ciaran Gallagher, Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Illistrin, Letterkenny
SECONDARY SCHOOL
Loreto Secondary School Letterkenny
SECONDARY SCHOOL – SPORTS TEACHER
Michelle McDaid, Crana College, Buncrana
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
Donegal Short Mat Bowls Team
BRENDAN MCDAID MEMORIAL SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT
Gartan Open Water Swimmers North Channel Swim Team
SPORTING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Joe Barr, Newtowncunningham
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Donegal Dragons
YOUTH AWARD
Caolan McFadden, Loreto Community School, Milford / Cranford A.C.
