RTE Broadcaster Sean O’Rourke with Sports Star Awards Chairperson Neil Martin and Secretary May Logue.
By Chris McNulty
THE Donegal Sports Star Awards function on Friday night is now officially sold out.
The Donegal Sports Star committee has confirmed that there are no remaining tickets for the function at the Mount Errigal Hotel, meaning the 39th annual Sports Star event will be one of the biggest ever.
“The ticket office at the hotel is now closed,” Chairperson Neil Martin said.
“There are no seats left for the function and we’re now expecting an attendance of over 550.
“The ‘sold out’ sign is a clear demonstration of the continuing success of the Donegal Sports Star Awards.”
The special guest for this Friday night’s gala function is the RTE broadcaster Sean O’Rourke.
For the 19th year in a row, the awards will be sponsored by Donegal County Council.
O’Rourke, who presents Today With Sean O’Rourke on RTE Radio 1, has a close affinity with Donegal and owns a holiday home in Downings. O’Rourke will be special guest at the function which takes place in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny, on Friday, January 30.
A native of Portlaoise, O’Rourke is a keen golfer who spends a lot of time on Donegal’s courses and retains a keen interest in Donegal’s sport stars.
“Household names from my boyhood would include the likes of Hughie McClafferty, Brian McEniff and Danny McDaid, and then came those heroic ‘keepers Packie Bonner and Shay Given to defy the best that world football could throw at the Irish goalmouth,” O’Rourke said.
It’s the county’s biggest sporting social event of the year with close on 170 nominees in contention for honours in 42 categories.
As well as the overall award which went boxer Jason Quigley last January there is big interest this time around in the newly introduced ‘Young Sports Person of the Year’. Four very high profile names Finn Valley AC’s John Kelly; Karl Griffin of UCD and formerly Tirconaill AC; Rachael Darragh (Raphoe Badminton Club) and Kilcar’s Ryan McHugh are in contention here.
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A big event in the Mount Errigal Hotel
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