Two of the most decorated Donegal Sports Star winners Sharon Gallen and Danny Ryan have lent their support to the nominations drive for the 2024 Awards at a promotional event in the Mount Errigal Hotel this week. Sharon Gallen (nee Foley) and Danny Ryan excelled in athletics and boxing respectively in their sporting careers. Lifford woman Sharon Foley twice won the Overall Award in 1989 and 1993 for her high jumping successes. She was only the second woman ever to take the Overall Award after Danea Herron in 1985. Only Sinead Jennings has taken the top honour more than Foley.
Raphoe man Danny Ryan won the Donegal Sports Star Award Boxing Category five years in a row from 1990 to 1994. Foley and Ryan both competed at international level. Ryan went to box in the professional ranks after an outstanding amateur career. And the family links with Donegal Sports Star successes has continued for Sharon with her eldest daughter Adrienne winning the Youth Award in both 2020 and 2021 for her achievements in Track & Field while her younger sibling Caoimhe was a nominee in 2023 representing Lifford-Strabane AC.
Sharon Gallen and Danny Ryan joined the Committee this week to encourage sporting bodies to submit nominations for the 2024 Donegal Sports Star Awards with the deadline approaching at the end of the month. It’s been another good year in terms of success for teams and individuals from the County. The closing date for the submission of nominations is Friday, 29th of November and should be emailed to info@donegalsportsstarawards.ie Include a brief summary of achievements along with photos and any video footage.
The successes must have taken place during the calendar year 2024. The Hall of Fame winner will be selected by the Donegal Sports Star Awards Committee so nominations should not be submitted for this category.The 2024 Awards presentations will take place on Friday, 31st of January in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny. Once again Donegal County Council are the exclusive sponsors and the Local Authority has been involved with the Donegal Sports Star Awards since the late 1970s when they started sponsoring the school categories. The Council Leas-Cathaoirleach Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh and the Mayor of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District were present for the nominations promotional event in the Mount Errigal Hotel this week.
Awards Chairperson Grace Boyle said the Committee was pleased with the level of nominations already received from Primary and Post-Primary Schools which had an earlier deadline.. “We are just asking the clubs and teams across Donegal to get nominations into us as soon as possible and before November 29th. Last year we presented awards in over 30 different categories so that demonstrates the successes and the diversity of sport across the County. That is something that we as a Committee were very pleased to see. We have already seen this year that the same spread of achievements is happening again so it’s important that all of those are recognised by being amongst the nominees when the Awards function takes place at the end of January,” Ms Boyle said.
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