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SPORTSTARS AWARDS UPDATE – DONEGAL STARS CONTINUE TO IMPRESS

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March was another good month for Donegal sport with an array of achievements at county, provincial and national level. Donegal Sports Star Awards PRO Declan Kerr takes a look at the March highlights some of which are sure to figure at the end of the year when the committee meets to decider the 2013 winners.      Jason Quigley

The county’s sporting public was rightly proud of the month’s top sporting triumph in which was the historic Rugby Grand Slam and Six Nations medals won with Ireland by Larissa Muldoon and Nora Stapleton.

In the middle of the month Jason Quigley added to his growing international reputation in the ring by winning gold at a Grand Prix in the Czech Republic while at the end of March, Donegal was saluting the seven boys who won national youth boxing titles.

Lettekenny man Anthony Bonnar won a European Team Masters Snooker title in Serbia while a young cyclist from the town Conor McElwaine (U-23 Irish Development Team) had a third place finish on the third stage of Ras Mumhan race on Easter Sunday in Waterville, Co Kerry.      

The 19-year-old finished 17th overall in an event that attracted the very best young Irish talent as well as quality professional and amateur cyclists from abroad. 

There was a triple team success for the Royal & Prior School at the national badminton finals and staying in Raphoe the men’s hockey side did the double by winning the Ulster league title.

On the soccer front a number of Donegal players were capped again at international level during March.

Letterkenny’s Ciara Grant made three appearances for the Irish women’s senior side; Amber Barrett (Milford) played twice for her country at U-17 level. Leitirmacaward’s Karl McHugh was capped again at U-21 level while Ryan Rainey (Bonagee), Harry Doherty (Buncrana), and Peter Burke (Moville) all featured for the Republic of Ireland U-17 side.

There was a great weekend for county juvenile athletes at the national finals in Athlone with gold medals for the St. Johnston Kelly brothers; gold and silver for the Black brothers, Kilmacrennan; gold and silver for Blaithnaid Patton.   Carl McHugh

There were also firsts for Kelly McGrory, Arlene Crossan and Tara Carr. Nominations for the Donegal Sports Star Awards can be made on-line at info@donegalsportsstarawards.ie. For further information visit us on Facebook Donegalsports Starawards or at donegalsportsstarawards.ie

Juveniles star in Athlone

In Athlone one of the undoubted highlights was the double gold for the Kelly brothers from St. Johnston who are members of Finn Valley AC. Both broke Shot Putt records as John, the current Donegal Sports Star Award athletic holder won the U-18 while younger brother James took first place in the U-14 age category.

Another remarkable achievement was the Gold and Silver in the Long Jump for Stephen and Conor Black the twin brothers from Kilmacrennan who are members of Cranford AC. It was gold to for Kelly McGrory (Tirconaill AC) who won U-18 60m while there was Silver for Janine Boyle (FV) in U-15 60m.

In the U-17 Girls Shot Putt there was silver and bronze respectively for Anna Sweeney and Nicole Boyle. And there was U-18 Girls Triple Jump Gold and Silver for Blaithnaid Patton and Simone Crawford both from the Finn Valley Club. Patton also took a Silver in the U-18 Long Jump.

Arlene Crossan of Letterkenny AC and Jamine Boyle (Finn Valley) took the U-15 Girls Long Jump Gold and Silver medals while Meave Rafferty secured the Bronze in the U-15 Girls 1000m Walk. 

Tara Carr (Letterkenny AC) was the Gold Medalist in the U-17 Girls High Jump while her club colleague Lisa Gibson had the Bronze in the U-18 Girls Shot Putt with new PB.

Three Donegal Sportshall teams won Ulster titles to qualify for the UK Finals in Birmingham (U-13 Girls, U-13 Boys, U-15 Girls).

At the end of the month the good form of Ann Marie Glynn (Lifford AC) continued as she won the Women’s Omagh Half-Marathon in a time of 1.20.03.

Gold for Quigley in Czech Republic

In the middle of the month the reigning Donegal Star Boxing Award holder Jason Quigley added to his growing medal haul with gold at the Grand Prix in the Czech Republic.

Twin Towns boxer Stephen O’Reilly won 81kg Irish Third level Boxing title while after winning Ulster Finals 13 Donegal juvenile boxers qualified for national finals including Brett McGinty, St. Johnston (Oakleaf ABC, Derry), Michael Doherty, Illies; Martin Doherty Twin Towns; Stephen Burns, Buncrana; Liam Callaghan, Carndonagh, Conor Bianconi, Twin Towns; Patrick Sweeney, Buncrana; Terry Ward, John Bosco; Darryl Moran, Illies; Thomas Mongan Illies; Mark McCole, Dungloe; Michael Gallagher, Finn Valley; Michael McConigley, Letterkenny.

Also in early March nine young Donegal fighters were winners at the North West Schoolboys event in Dungiven including Pierce Rodden, Dunree; Keelan Shields, Carrigart; Oisin Grant, Illies; Eamonn Sweeney, Illies; brother James and Oisin Devlin, St Bridget’s, Clonmany; Charlie McDonagh, Raphoe and Shane Gillespie, Bundoran

Five more young boxers won Ulster Finals – Ryan Harkin (Illies BC), Boy 12yrs 46kg; Jack Doherty (Buncrana) Boy 12yrs 48kg title; Conor Bianconi (Twin Towns BC) into Youth 1: Eoin Garrell and Leon Gallagher both Finn Valley BC Ulster Boy.  

At the end of March seven youth boxing titles came back to Donegal after finals at the National Stadium.

The champions included Michael Gallagher Youth Two 80kg (Finn Valley); Mark McCole Youth 3 (Dungloe) 63kg; Thomas Mongan Youth Two 50kg (Illies); Liam Callaghan Youth 1 46kg (Carndonagh); Stephen Bonner (Buncrana) Boy Four 91kg; Brett McGinty, St. Johnston (Oakleaf, Derry) Boy 4 63kg and Ryan Greene Bridgend (Oakleaf) Youth 1 52kg 

Meanwhile at the beginning and end of last month Joe Duffy won two professional boxing bouts in London.

Brought up in Wales Joe has strong family ties in the county with his parents from Inisfree and Meenbanad respectively. 

Another Donegal fighter Michael Owen McLaughlin (Glengad) won his sixth professional bout in Boston in the middleweight division.

Royal & Prior win three Irish badminton titles

The big badminton success in the month of March came from the Royal & Prior in Raphoe who won three schools All-Ireland Badminton titles.

The winning teams were the Junior Girls of Rachael Darragh, Rachel McNulty, Ellen Patterson and Rachel Woods; the Junior Boys Ryan McBeth, Aaron McCauley, Josh McMullen, Mark Laird and the Minor Boys Jamie McKinney, Jack McBeth, Aaron Magee, Ben Wallace.

Meanwhile after great run there was disappointment for the Letterkenny IT team who lost the Irish Division 3 Basketball College’s Final in Dublin. 

But there was success for the Letterkenny Blaze U-18s who won a Northern Ireland Final in Belfast.

It was a very busy month in boxing with a number of provincial and national successes for fighters from the county

In terms of triumphs it was a quiet month on the GAA front with no joy for two secondary schools as Abbey VS lost an Ulster U-14 GAA Final while Carrick VS was beaten in a provincial U-l6 decider.

In hurling the Donegal senior hurlers reached the Division 3A League Final. Like January, March was also good for the Raphoe Hockey Club as the men’s firsts claimed the Ulster Senior League title to do the double after winning the Linden Cup at the New Year. However hopes of doing the treble were dashed with the team exiting the national cup.

In horse riding Conor Orr was named champion jockey by the North West Horse and Pony Club while in martial arts John Wilkie marked 35years as a Shotokan Karate instructor.

Carrigart native Neil Doherty continued his navigator success taking victory with Derek McGarrity, in the Bishopscourt Stages Rally.

Also in motorsport Declan and Brian Boyle won the Mayo Rally. In the middle of the monthGreencastle mechanic John Carey was part of the team that helped Kimi Raikonnen win a Formula I race in Australia

Stapleton and Muldoon make history

March was a truly historic month for Donegal rugby players Nora Stapleton and Larissa Muldoon first helping Ireland to win the Six Nations for the first time and the Fahan and Twin Town natives followed that up with the Grand Slam in Milan against Italy.  Nora

Muldoon is the reigning Donegal Sports Star Rugby Award holder while Stapleton was previously honoured in the same category by an organization that is now in its 38th year.

In snooker

Lettekenny man Anthony Bonnar won a European Team Masters title in Serbia.

On the first day of March, Moville CS won Ulster Girls Senior Soccer final and went onto book their place in the national decider while a day later Letterkenny Rovers Youths retained the Donegal League title. Karl McHugh makes his second appearance on the Irish U-21 team against Portugal at Oriel Park.

Ryan Rainey (Bonagee & Wolves), Harry Doherty (Buncrana & Charlton), Peter Burke (Moville & Sunderland) all feature for the Republic of Ireland U-17 side who fail to qualify for the UEFA finals in the summer after three group matches in Austria.

Letterkenny woman Ciara Grant wins more Irish senior caps at the Cyprus Cup. In the middle of March both Scoil Mhuire Bunrana and St. Eunan’s Coll win Ulster titles at Junior and U-15 respectively. 

Scoil Mhuire into FAI Schools Jun Boys A-I Final (U-17). Milford’s Amber Barrett (Lagan Harps) plays for the Irish U-17s at the European Elite Qualifiers in Austria but two defeats means elimination and no place in the finals in the summer.

There was swimming success for St. Eunan’s College who came third a the Ulster Intermediate Age in Ballymena.

The school’s Leon Vaughan takes gold in the 50m back stroke. The relay team of Leon and Caolan Vaughan, Matthew Curran and Oliver take bronze in both the Medley and Freestyles.

Emma Vaughan, Loreto Convent won silver (50m breast-stroke) and bronze in 100m Medley also in Ballymena. Former Donegal Person of the Year Anne Marie Ward (Portnablagh) took Silver and Bronze at an international winter competition in Russia.

For further information on the Donegal Sports Star Awards visit donegalsportsstarawards.ie


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