Sinead McConnell inducted into Donegal Athletics Board Hall of Fame

Sinead McConnell was inducted into the Donegal Athletics Board Hall of Fame on Friday night.

At the annual awards function in Ballybofey, the Finn Valley AC woman became the latest inductee onto the illustrious list.

The Castlefin woman initially made her mark as a cross country runner in the late 1970s and early 80s. In 1985, the then Sinead McGranaghan competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Lisbon, clocking 19:47 at the Sports Complex of Jamor in Lisbon in a race won by Great Britain Olympian Zola Budd.

Having been fourth in the national 3k and 5k race walks, she topped the charges in the national 10k in 1987, staving off Pamela Reynolds from Ashbourne to win gold.

Kathryn McDevitt fifth in European Masters 200m final

The Letterkenny AC woman will also be in 400m and 4x100m relay action in Pescara, Italy

In winning the race, she became only the eighth Donegal athlete to win a national title, after Danny McDaid, Hugo Duggan, Cyril O’Boyle, Bernie O’Callaghan, Kevin McBrearty, Danea Herron and Sean Carlin.

In July ’87, McGranaghan’s star rose further still at the AIB League in Belfield.

Just 18 years of age at the time, McGranaghan set a new national record in the 3k race walk, finishing in 14:05.79. It was the first Irish record to be held by a Finn Valley athlete as McGranaghan bested the previous record of 15:23.20.

Her performance was described as ‘electric’ as she consistently lapped at 1:52. The display, said a report, ‘brought her team-mates to their feet’.

Her magical 1987 continued as she helped Finn Valley to a team gold at the Ulster Cross-Country Championships in Stranorlar, taking individual silver behind Camilla Harron.

By the dawn of the 1990s, she had drifted out of the sport and she was gone for almost 30 years until a winning return, then as Sinead McConnell for the National League in 2017. In recent years, under Patsy McGonagle’s coaching, World and European Masters medals have followed - including 3k and 10k bronze at the World Masters in Poland earlier this year.

“It’s a special night, just amazing,” Sinead said in accepting the award with her entire family, including parents Peadar and Sadie, among the audience. “This award means so much.”

Sinead had a message for the young juvenile athletes present: “You are the future. Believe in yourself and don’t do what I did and walk away.”

Tir Chonaill AC members at the Donegal Athletics Board awards.

On a night when the board toasted a successful season, Tir Chonaill AC’s Kelly McGrory was named as the Athlete of the Year having ran in the Irish 4x400m relay team in the final of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

McGrory ran the third leg with Sophie Becker, Roisin Harrison and Sharlene Mawdsley also taking to the track to finish eighth.

McGrory was unable to be in attendance, but the Laghey woman was also named female athlete of the year with Mark English of Finn Valley taking the senior male athlete of the year award, while Pauric McKinney (Inishowen AC) and Kathryn McDevitt (Letterkenny AC) scooping the masters awards and the junior awards went to Tir Conaill’s Fintan Dewhirst and Finn Valley AC’s Hannah Murray.

Donegal Athletics Board Chairperson Michael Galvin noted some of the highlights, including the hosting of the National Cross Country Championships in Downings by Cranford AC, with Caolan McFadden winning the U16 individual title a memorable moment.

Masters Athlete of the Year winners Kathryn McDevitt and Pauric McKinney.

Mr Galvin said clubs like Milford AC and Rosses AC had ‘big plans’ and said news of an ‘amalgamation’ involving the Donegal Athletics Board was ‘coming down the tracks to enhance training facilities in the county’.

Donegal Athletics Board - 2023 Awards

Hall of Fame - Sinead McConnell (Finn Valley AC)
Athlete of the Year - Kelly McGrory (Tir Chonaill AC)
Senior Female Athlete of the Year - Kelly McGrory (Tir Chonaill AC)
Senior Male Athlete of the Year - Mark English (Finn Valley AC)
Master Female Athlete of the Year - Kathryn McDevitt (Letterkenny AC)
Master Male Athlete of the Year - Pauric McKinney (Inishowen AC)
Junior Female Athlete of the Year - Hannah Murray (Finn Valley AC)
Junior Male Athlete of the Year - Fintan Dewhirst (Tir Chonaill AC)
Eamon Giles Cup (sprints) - Sheldon Nyoni (Letterkenny AC)
PJ O’Carlin Cup (middle distance) - Eoin Kelly (Letterkenny AC)
Bernie O’Callaghan Cup (walk) - Danny Sharkey (Letterkenny AC)
Patsy McGonagle Cup (jumps) - Aidan Gillespie (Rosses AC)
Ben O’Donnell Cup (throws) - Gareth Crawford (Lifford-Strabane AC)

Juvenile Club Athlete Awards: Cranford AC - Sadhbh McBride & Alanna Curran, Oisin McBride, Orla Neely, Caolan McFadden; Finn Valley AC - Aoibhinn McElhinney, Odhran McBrearty, Erin Sproule, Ace Rodriguez; Inishowen AC - Seona McKinney, Niamh Crawford, Niamh Duffy, Nathan Taitt; Killybegs - Mila Rose Boyle-Conwell, Conor Cunningham, Leighton Robinson-Boyle; Letterkenny AC - Clodagh Gallagher, Philip McGee, Harry McIlwaine, Emma Bonar; Lifford-Strabane AC - Cabrini Pyne, Ryan Boyle, Caoimhe Gallen, Luke Ward; Olympian YAC - Aoife McGeehin, Mouchine Fathoun, Sophie Parlour, Malachy Mullan; Rosses AC - Caoimhe McGonagle, Micheal Logue, Oisin Gillespie, Aaliyah Gallagher-Canaan; Tir Chonaill AC - Emily Kelly, Jacoby McHugh, Matthew Leslie, Alannah Anderson, Ethan Dewhirst.