THE Donegal News is delighted to announce that the second annual Donegal News Sports Personality Awards will take place on Friday 10th January 2014 in the Silver Tassie Hotel.

The awards, sponsored by Brian McCormick Sports, seek to reward the sporting achievements of our local sports personalities and clubs.

A range of award categories will recognise the heights local people and clubs have achieved in their chosen sport.

Over the past year, a sports personality was awarded each month; the ultimate award on the night will go to one of these 12 monthly winners.

2013 was another fine year of sporting achievement in Donegal with our boxers performing exceptionally well on the national, European and world stage.

Jason Quigley’s achievement in winning European Gold and a World silver medal is reflected in the monthly sports personality awards for 2013 with the Finn Valley boxer featuring no less than three times. Finn Valley boxer Austeja Auciute, who won her seventh Irish title this year, won the April award.

Soccer is represented through Leitirmacaward’s Carl McHugh who was part of the Bradford City who reached the League Cup final against Swansea at Wembley Stadium back in January and September winner, Cockhill Celtic striker Garbhan Friel who helped the club to a league and cup double this year.

The March award went to two Donegal girls who played their part as Ireland’s ladies rugby team clinched the Triple Crown and Grand Slam.

Larissa Muldoon from Cappry, Ballybofey, and Nora Stapleton from Fahan were the half-back partnership. Muldoon, a student in Cardiff, plays with UWIC (Cardiff Metropolitan University) and Stapleton, who played Gaelic football for Donegal, is on the books of Old Belvedere and Leinster.

Athletics is also represented through Letterkenny AC pair Mark English and Brendan Boyce who picked up awards in July and August respectively through their exploits over 800m and the 50k walk.

Glenswilly’s magnificent achievement in reaching the Ulster Club final is recognised with team manager Gary McDaid winning the November award while Kilcar’s Patrick McBrearty won the award in May.

The Donegal News is seeking a shortlist of nominees for three awards, the Special Achievement, Club of the Year Award and Team of the Year Award.

The Special Achievement award is open to all sportspeople with an intellectual, physical or sensory disability who have overcome enormous obstacles to become the best that they can be.

The Club of the Year award not only looks at success but examines how a club contributed to sport in the community and how it shapes the lives of those who live in its catchment area. It also identifies a club’s involvement is a wide range of activities and its innovative and dedicated work for all its members.

The Team of the Year award recognises outstanding success and considers specific issues which influenced how that team performed and how it shaped or inspired others.

Voting is now open with winners being announced at the awards night on Friday 10^th January 2014, in the Silver Tassie Hotel.