Brendan Boyce is the 2021 Donegal Sports Star of the Year

Brendan Boyce was named as the 2021 Donegal Sports Star of the Year on Friday.

The Finn Valley AC race walker was crowned the overall winner at the annual awards, which took place as a virtual event on Friday evening.

At the Olympic Games in August, Boyce delivered a superb performance to secure a tenth-place finish in the men’s 50k race walk.

Boyce finished in 3:53:40, making up two places over the final 5k of a gruelling, punishing event to finish inside the top ten.

His favoured 50k race walk has been removed from the Olympic programme and replaced by the shorter 35k distance.

However, Boyce recently qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Championships when finishing second in 2 hours, 32 minutes and 49 seconds at the National Senior 35k in Raheny, his first outing over the new distance.

The Milford man, a three-time Olympian, finished second at the National Senior 35k at St Anne’s Park, Raheny.

In May, Boyce was ninth in the men’s 50k at the European Race Walking Cup in Podebrady, Czech Republic.

“To get the nod again is amazing,” Boyce said.

Boyce previously collected the overall award in 2019 when he finished sixth in the World Championships in Dubai.

Indeed, the overall award has now been won five times in the last ten years by an athlete with Mark English (2014 and 2015) and Sommer Lecky (2018) all taking the top gong.

Lifford-Strabane AC star Adrienne Gallen collected the Youth Award for the second year in succession. She is the first person to win the Youth award in consecutive years.

Adrienne Gallen

At the Irish Life Health National Juvenile Track and Field Championships in Tullamore, Gallen recorded a Championship best performance to win the women’s hammer when launching out to 60.90 metres while she won a shot put solver at the same Championships.

At the Donegal Athletics Championships, Gallen reached out to 63.20, a lifetime best with a 3kg hammer and a European U18 lead throw for the year.

In September Gallen produced a stunning performance to set a new Tailteann Games record in Santry.

Gallen threw a monster 62.80 metres - eclipsing the previous Championship best by Michaela Walsh from Swinford (60.66m), set in 2015.

Gallen’s superb throw was also recognised with the St Columba’s College, Stranorlar student named as the female athlete of the meet.

In late September, Gallen closed a wonderful season with silver in the girls hammer event at the SIAB Schools’ International in Derby while she also  won bronze at the Franconville U18 Meet in France.

Jockey Dylan Browne-McMonagle took a Sporting Acknowledgement Award.

The Letterkenny man was crowned the Champion Apprentice at Naas having had 48 winners on the Irish Flat this year. Browne-McMonagle spent some time with legendary jockey AP McCoy as a young teenager and regularly rides for top trainer Joseph O’Brien.

Dylan Browne-McMonagle

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic there were still plenty of sporting successes in 2021 and it’s important that we acknowledge all the work put in by voluntary committees to ensure that competitions were completed,” the Donegal Sports Star Awards Chairperson Grace Boyle said.

“Sport, whether being actively involved or just spectating, is hugely important for the physical and mental health of people of all ages.

“While naturally it is disappointing that we can’t host a live event for the second year running, I’m still delighted as Chairperson that we are in a position to host this virtual event where the county’s sporting stars of 2021 will be honoured.”

Ms Boyle paid tribute to those who had died in 2021, including former Donegal Sports Star Award winners Brid Carr (Table Tennis 1979 & 1980) and John Joe McAteer (Appreciation 2004).

Ms Boyle highlighted the association with exclusive sponsors Donegal County Council.

The Cathaoirleach of the Donegal County Council, Jack Murray said: “I’m very glad that Donegal County Council became the exclusive sponsor. It’s a hugely important awards and something that we’re very happy to support. The sport stars have brought us great joy when it was needed most.”

Donegal County Council Chief Executive John McLaughlin said: “We are honoured to be sponsoring the Donegal Sports Star Awards and we’re delighted to be associated with it.  We came through a lot with Covid. We have Brexit and the Mica criss that we are working through and we hope that 2022 will be brighter.’

An Olympic Recognition Award was presented to those from Donegal who were at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Swimmer Mona McSharry - who reached the 100m breaststroke final - and athletes Brendan Boyce, Eilish Flanagan and Mark English were honoured as competitors. Awards were also presented to Letterkenny AC Teresa McDaid who was Irish Athletics operations manager, badminton team lead Daniel Magee, Michael Black the Triathlon Ireland coach and Dr Sharon Madigan, Head of Performance Nutrition at Sport Ireland.

McDaid was also named as the winner of the coach/manager award.

The Donegal Senior Women’s ross Country team who won the inter-county title at the National Senior Cross Country Championships were given the team award. They were led by Finn Valley AC’s Roisin Flanagan, who won an individual bronze and she was followed home by Ann-Marie McGlynn, Nakita Burke and Christine Russell, all of Letterkenny AC. Lifford-Strabane AC’s Claire McGuigan, Finn Valley AC’s Jennifer Elvin and Letterkenny AC duo Natasha Adams and Niamh Kelly were also on the team.

The Professional Sport Achievement award went to Jason Quigley. The Ballybofey man won the WBO NABO middleweight title in May when he defeated Shane Mosley Jr in Las Vegas.

Jason Quigley

That win catapulted Quigley towards the biggest night of his career when he challenged Demetrius Andrade for the WBO World Middleweight title in November. Although stopped in the second round by Andrade, who was making his fifth defence of the belt, Quigley drew a huge Irish support to Manchester, New Hampshire and won over an army of new fans with an exciting fight week.

Georgie Kelly took the Brendan McDaid Memorial Special Achievement Award after winning the PFAI Player of the Year in 2021. Kelly scored 21 goals in the League of Ireland Premier Division for Bohemians and has this week signed for Rotherham.

St Eunan’s GAA club swept the boards in 2021 and the O’Donnell Park club took the Club Award. St Eunan’s won both the SFC and SHC titles with the hurlers making it a League and Championship double.The senior ladies won the Intermediate Championship while Senior B and Under-21 crowns were all adorned by black and amber ribbons.

Dungloe-born James Boyle won the Para-Athlete Award. Boyle played for Ireland at the European Amputee finals in Poland. Boyle netted a hat-trick in an 8-0 win over Belgium and also netted against Germany and Italy.

Cranford AC stalwart Eamon Giles was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ladies GAA All-Star Geraldine McLaughlin was given the Special Recognition Award after winning her first All-Star while Illies Golden Gloves’ Sadie Duffy was accorded with an Appreciation Award.

Dromore National School took the Primary School Award with it being noted that the Killygordon school has a policy where a number of pupils with autism can compete with other children in the same sports. A range of sports coaching across a varying amount of codes visit the school on a regular basis while there are firm plans for the future.

Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Béal Átha Móir, An Clocháin won the Secondary School Award having rolled out a number of inventive initiatives in 2021.

2021 Donegal Sports Star Award

Olympic Recognition Award - Brendan Boyce, Eilish Flanagan, Mark English, Mona McSharry, Teresa McDaid, Daniel Magee, Michael Black, Dr Sharon Madigan

Professional Sport Achievement - Jason Quigley (Golden Boy Promotions)

Team Award - Donegal Senior Women’s Cross Country Team

Club Award - St Eunan’s GAA Club

Primary School Award - Dromore National School, Killygordon

Secondary School Award - Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Béal Átha Móir, An Clocháin

Coach/Manager Award - Teresa McDaid (Letterkenny AC)

Para-Athlete Award - James Boyle, Dungloe

International Achievement Award - Brendan Boyce (Finn Valley AC)

Hall of Fame Award - Eamon Giles (Cranford AC)

Brendan McDaid Memorial Special Achievement Award - Georgie Kelly, Tooban

Special Recognition Award - Geraldine McLaughlin (Termon and Donegal)

Sporting Acknowledgement - Dylan Browne-McMonagle, Letterkenny

Appreciation Award - Sadie Duffy (Illies Golden Gloves)

Youth Award - Adrienne Gallen (Lifford-Strabane AC)