Tom Conaghan to be inducted into Donegal Sports Star Awards Hall of Fame

The Donegal Sports Star Committee has announced that the historic 1982 All-Ireland winning manager Tom Conaghan will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the awards ceremony in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday January 26.  
 
The 78-year-old will be the 48th inductee and 10th GAA recipient following in the footsteps of Seán Ferriter (2019), Brian McEniff (2017), James McLaughlin (2014), Jim Gallagher (2000), Mick Melly (1991), Hughie Tim Boyle (1990), Columba McDyer (1997), Bernard Coyle (1980) and Tom Farren (1979). 
 
“It’s unbelievable. I’m delighted to get the Hall of Fame and be among so many other great sports people who have been inducted down the years,” said Conaghan.  
 
“I just want to thank the Donegal Sports Star Awards Committee for considering me this time and I’m really looking forward to the presentation.” 
 
The Donegal Town native, now serving as a local Independent county councillor, managed the county to their first ever All-Ireland title in 1982 when his U-21 team overcame Roscommon in Carrick-on-Shannon.  
 
That same year he guided Four Masters to their first ever county senior championship title. He repeated that success with the Donegal Town club in 1984, the centenary year of the GAA, before he succeeded Brian McEniff as manager of the county senior squad in 1986.  
 
In the space of three years with the county team, Conaghan masterminded two promotions to reach the top-flight in 1988 and an Ulster final in 1989, which his side lost after a replay to Tyrone.  
 
Members of Conaghan’s 1982 team were to form the backbone of the side that won the historic All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title in 1992. That included Matt Gallagher, Donal Reid, Anthony Molloy, Martin McHugh and Joyce McMullin who played in the final win over Dublin, while a number of others were in the squad that September day in Croke Park.     
Awards Chairperson Grace Boyle said that there was no one more deserving of the Hall of Fame honour, as Tom Conaghan was hugely successful as a manager especially in the 1980s with that historic All-Ireland U-21 triumph along with the first ever promotion to Division 1 and guiding Four Masters to two senior club championship titles.   
 
“Tom Conaghan’s name is certainly written very firmly into the history of this county’s GAA as the first man to manage Donegal to an adult All-Ireland title,” said Boyle.  
 
“That milestone day came in October 1982 in Carrick-on-Shannon when Tom managed the Donegal U-21s to that famous All-Ireland triumph over Roscommon. As a result of that achievement, he was named Ulster Manager of the Year in 1982.  
 
“That same year Tom also created another piece of history managing the Four Masters side who won the Donegal Senior Football Championship title for the first time in the club’s history.   
 
“Tom set high standards that paved the way for the Donegal senior football teams to compete with the best over the past 40 years.”