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01 Feb 2026

Why they won: The winners at the Donegal Sports Star Awards

The various category winners were presented with their awards at a special reception at the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny on Friday evening. Here's who won what and why they won it

MOTOR CYCLING

The winner of the Motor Cycling Award for 2025 is Rhys Irwin, Kilmacrennan

For Rhys this is his fifth Donegal Sports Star Award. Last year the 23-year-old had 13 podium finishes including six race wins. In August in Round 7 of the British Super bikes Championship  at Cadwell Park he set the fastest lap time ever at the race track on his Suzuki GSXR 750 cc motorbike. 

In October the Kilmacrennan man enjoyed the biggest success of his career when he was crowned the 2025 Quattro British Supersport Champion. He had two races over the weekend with a victory and third place clinching the title  in the final event of the year at Brands Hatch. 

In December, Rhys’s career went up another notch when it was confirmed that he had joined Hawk Racing for the 2026 British Superbike Class competition. Earlier this month he was named the 2025 Short Circuit Rider of the Year at the Irish Motorbike Awards in Belfast.

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