9.
As a 19-year-old this Eamon Giles was the driving force behind the formation of the first athletic club in Donegal. 61 years later he is still very active as a coach nurturing young talent and travelling all over the country to competitions with his beloved club. For a decade he was the 200m sprint King of Ulster winning a string of provincial titles. He was also a 110m All-Army hurdles champion. After his own competing days were over Eamon Giles has given so much back to the sport as a coach and a leader with Cranford AC. For a small rural club Cranford has punched above its weight in terms of success at county, Ulster and national level over the past six decades. Eamon was a founding member of the Donegal County Athletics Board. He is a Life Vice President of both Athletics Ireland and the Donegal County Board. He was also selected as a member of the Donegal Athletics Team of the Millennium and two years ago Eamon was inducted into the County Board’s Hall of Fame. Eamon and his committee are now looking forward to creating another bit of history with Cranford ACwho for the first time will host the National Senior Cross Country Championships in November.Hall of Fame award winner Eamon Giles of Cranford AC with Grace Boyle
10.
The winner of this award had a season that he will surely never forget with Bohemians Football Club. Gerogie Kelly scored 21 goals in 31 League of Ireland Premier League games. He also found the net four times in six games in the UEFA Conference League and netted the goal that put his side into the FAI Senior Cup Final. The Tooban man scored a total of 26 goals last year for Bohs and that means he overtakes the late Mark Farren to become the leading Donegal born goalscorer of all time in the top flight of League of Ireland Football since the association was founded 100 years ago. Georgie was named the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland Player of the Year and was also included in the PFA’s Team of the Year rounding off an amazing season. Georgie is no stranger to Donegal Sports Star Awards having won the Primary School Sports Boy twice in 2008 and 2009 as a pupil at St Mura's NS Tooban and the soccer category in 2019 while playing with Dundalk.He moved to English League 1 side Rotherham Utd last January. There was injury frustration early on but the season ended in an unbelievable high when Georgie scored the decisive second goal on his debut on the final day of the season to secure Rotherham automatic promotion to the Championship.Georgie Kelly is presented with the Brendan McDaid Memorial Special Achievement Award by John McLaughlin
11.
This award is going to a woman who has enjoyed a wonderful career but was missing a special national honour that finally came her way last November - Geraldine McLaughlin, a member of the Termon and Donegal GAA sides.It was overdue but Geraldine finally won a national All-Star Award joining 14 others in the Team of the Year. She is only the fifth Donegal Ladies player ever to be honoured and was also named on the Ulster Team of the Year. GAA statistician Fr. Sean Gallagher tells us that her 2021 scoring average of 9.9 points per game was Geraldine’s best ever in her 12-year inter-county Senior career. She was also one of four Donegal players named on the Ladies National League Division 1 Team of the Year. It is Geraldine’s third time to be honoured by the Donegal Sports Star Awards Committee.Special Recognition award winner, Geraldine McLaughlin
12.
Dylan Browne-McMonagle had a fantastic flat racing season culminating in him being crowned National Apprentice Jockey champion last October when he had chalked up 48 winners. That was 15 more than the runner-up. Dylan had his first Group 3 career winner on 'Baron Samedi' who won the feature race the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan. He also had a first win at listed level with Mighty Blue. 24 of his successes were for one of the country’s top trainers Joseph O'Brien.Last December the 19-year old was honoured by Horse Racing Ireland when he picked up the Emerging Talent Award in the company of history makers like Rachael Blackmore, Henry de Bromhead and Colin Keane who were all recognised at those 2021 presentations.Dylan rode his 11th winner of the new season at Gowran Park on Tuesday night a sign that the young Letterkenny man is continuing the fine form that brought him so much success last year.John McMonagle receives the Sporting Acknowledgement Award on behalf of his son Dylan Browne McMonagle