The Donegal Sports Star Committee has announced that Eamon Harvey will be inducted into the Hall of Fame when the Awards take place in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday, January 30.
The Donegal Town native will be the 50th inductee into the Donegal Sports Star Awards Hall of Fame.
A stalwart of South Donegal Harriers and Tír Chonaill AC, Harvey is the eighth person from an athletics background to receive the honour after Cyril O’Boyle (1983), Paul Dolan (1989), John Carlin (2004), Hugo Duggan (2009), Danny McDaid (2011), Eamonn Giles (2021), and Patsy McGonagle (2024).
From his early days in school in Drimarone, athletics and sport were always to the forefront of his interests.
After graduating in Physical Education from Manchester University, Harvey took up a teaching position at the then Donegal Town Vocational School (now Abbey Vocational School).
Acting as Assistant Principal for eleven years, he remained as their head of sport until he retired in 2006, before going to work on a professional basis with Athletics Ireland in the areas of Coach Education and Development, a time when the association had just gone professional.
Interests in Gaelic football and Basketball were also major influences in his life, but athletics was always the priority. He started coaching Irish juvenile teams before he moved up as Team Coach for the Olympics and Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996, where Paralympian Bridie Lynch won gold in the Women’s discus F12, with a further five bronze medals won in track and field events.
He was coach to the Para Ireland team at the next three Olympic Games with an 18 medal haul.
Despite being retired for almost two decades, he still has had an influence at his local club, and seeing Laghey native and former Tír Chonaill athlete Kelly McGrory represent Ireland at the 2024 Olympics in Paris was one highlight of a distinguished coaching career.
In 2025, the Donegal Town Eamon Harvey 10km race (with a 5km family fun walk) was officially launched and named after him to celebrate his contribution to athletics and the local community.
The first running of the event was in September, where Tullamore Harriers AC man Michael Murphy was first across the line, with Finn Valley AC’s Noeleen Scanlan first female home, both picking up the Eamon Harvey Perpetual Cup.
Harvey has been commended by Athletics Ireland, receiving a Services to Coaching Award in 2018, and he was also inducted into the Ulster Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024 for his outstanding contribution and commitment to Athletics.
Harvey will receive the Hall of Fame award from Special Guest Brian Kerr on January 30 at the 2025 Donegal Sports Star Awards in the Mount Errigal Hotel.
