Breaking news: Oisin Orr is crowned 2023 Donegal Sports Star of the Year

Jockey Oisin Orr was named as the 2023 Donegal Sports Star of the Year on Friday night.

The Rathmullan man was added to the illustrious roll of honour before a packed house at the Mount Errigal Hotel.

Orr, who won the $1million Bahrain International Trophy on board the Alex Ferguson-owned Spirit Dancer in November, staved off competition from a short list that included Danny Duffy, Erin McLaughlin, Jamie Meehan, Richard Kerr and Sadhbh McGrath to collect the top prize.

Rathmullan horseman Orr had access in the Group Three Strensall Stakes aboard the Richard Fahey-trained Spirit Dancer in August and was selected for the mount at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club in Riffa three months later.

The Bahrain International Trophy is one of the most prestigious races in the world and the win was hailed at the time by legendary Manchester United manager Ferguson as ‘the best ever, without a doubt’.

Live updates: Donegal Sports Star Awards 2023

The Donegal Sports Star Awards are taking place in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny where Donegal senior football boss Jim McGuinness is special boss.

Orr is the stable jockey for Fahey in Yorkshire and he had a total of 64 winners in 2023.

Previously, Orr was the champion apprentice in 2017 and he was recruited by Fahey to take over as his stable jockey at Malton in 2022, taking over from Paul Hannifin who had 939 British winners.

With close to 600 guests packed across two rooms of the Mount Errigal Hotel for the 48th edition of the annual function, Caolan McFadden was announced as the Youth Sports Star of the Year. The Cranford AC star and Loreto Community School student has become a medal machine at national level,

Donegal senior football team manager Jim McGuinness, who is back at the wheel in 2024 having won Sam Maguire in 2012 during a memorable first term in the role, was the special guest.

“Sport crosses so many divides,” McGuinness said. “I met a world champion in karate there and met a young man who played soccer for Ireland. That’s the diversity you meet here. There is so much positivity in the room.

“It is beautiful to be here and it is extra special to be among your own people here in Donegal.”

The Donegal Short Mat Bowls Team were the winners of an International Recognition prize, while the Brendan McDaid Memorial Special Achievement went to the Gartan Open Water Swimmers North Channel Swim Team. The Donegal Dragons were given the Special Recognition award.

Finn Valley Athletic Club were the recipients of the club award. At national level, Finn Valley AC took 18 gold, 38 silver and 46 bronze medals in 2023.

The likes of Mark English, Eilish Flanagan, Roisin Flanagan, Brendan Boyce, Amy Greene, Sean McGinley and Hannah Murray represented Ireland in the last 12 months and Finn Valley AC has been to the forefront of success in Masters athletics.

The team of the year gong went to Cockhill Celtic. Gavin Cullen’s side won a tenth successive Ulster Senior League title in the spring and also reached the final of the FAI Intermediate Cup, losing out after an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Rockmount from Cork at the Showgrounds in April.

Cockhill were the dominant force of the final decade of the now-defunct USL with the Charlie O’Donnell Sports Ground residents now back competing at junior level.

Martin Regan has been nine seasons in charge of Naomh Conaill for nine seasons and they have been in eight Donegal senior football championship finals, winning five. Regan, who has lost only one match in the Donegal SFC since 2018, was named as the coach/manager of the year after taking Naomh Conaill to the Dr Maguire Cup in October.

McGuinness’s Donegal forward Oisin Gallen landed the Gaelic football award following a superb 2023 that saw him nominated for an All-Star.

Culdaff’s Erin Fildara scooped the soccer award after starring to help Peamount United win the Women’s Premier Division and making a breakthrough to the Republic of Ireland senior team in 2023.

Another Inishowen soccer star, Keri Loughrey, a student at Scoil Mhuire was among the schools award winners. The Buncrana woman, who plays for Sligo Rovers and is a leading light for the Republic of Ireland at underage level, won the secondary school girl award.

St Columba’s College, Stranorar student Odhran McBrearty, an athlete at Finn Valley AC, won the secondary school boy award after a stunning year that saw him medal nationally and has since gone on to wear the Irish vest.

Kilmacrennan native Richard Kerr, who was also on the short list for the overall award, won the Pirelli National Superstock Championship after an excellent year on the AMD Motorsport Honda Fireblade. Kerr won by 22 points from Dan Linfoot of England. Kerr has been on the rise to some tune in the sport and he claimed the motorcycling award.

Kelly McGrory (athletics), Rachael Darragh (badminton), Sadhbh McGrath (rugby) and Cora Rooney (swimming) were among the individual category winners having represented Ireland in 2023 while Raphoe Boxing Club’s Danny Duffy - who won Irish Elite and Senior titles just months after the death of his mother and two other family members in a horror car crash - was the boxing award winner.

Appreciation awards were presented to veteran Finn Valley AC coach Peadar McGranaghan and Gweedore United FC stalwart Padraig Mac Aodha.

Donegal Town’s Tom Connaghan, who guided Donegal to their first All-Ireland U21 title in 1982, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Connaghan was one of three award winners to know in advance of Friday’s function that they were picking up an award with veteran ultra cyclist Barr collecting a Sporting Acknowledgement Award and Bea Greenberg honoured for successes in Surfing.

In all, there were 161 nominees listed across 36 categories in what read as a real who’s who of sport in Donegal.

The awards are sponsored by Donegal County Council and the Mayor of Donegal, Councillor Martin Harley reaffirmed the commitment of the local authority to the awards.

Councillor Harley said: “The people who had the vision and the drive to start the Donegal Sports Star Awards in 1976 cannot be commended highly enough. While success is a very big part of what this function is about, it is also about participation and just being involved in activities that are good for the body and mind.”

The Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, John McLaughlin, added: “The work that the committee do is so important in acknowledging participation and rewarding success.”