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BOXING The winner of the 2025 Boxing Award is Matthew McCole, Illies Golden Gloves A.B.C. Matthew enjoyed a truly outstanding year, firmly cementing his place among Donegal’s finest boxing talents. The Dungloe native and ATU Donegal student powered his way to the senior light-middleweight title in March, claiming his sixth college title. The highlight of his year came in June when he captured the Irish Elite Light-Middleweight Championship, defeating Eugene McKeever by a commanding 4–1 unanimous decision. In doing so, he became the first Donegal man in 50 years to claim the prestigious belt; an achievement that fulfilled a lifelong dream shared with his beloved grandfather, Hudie McCole. Matthew’s performances earned him selection on Ireland’s 17-strong squad for the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, and he was later honoured with the Harry ‘Kid’ Duffy Award as Donegal’s best elite boxer. A previous Donegal Sports Star Award winner, it is fitting to welcome Matthew McCole on stage once again tonight.
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CLAY TARGET SHOOTING The winner of the Clay Target Shooting Award is Jim Doherty, Newtowncunningham Jim enjoyed a truly remarkable and historic 2025 season in clay target shooting. A former multiple winner of the prestigious DTL British Open, Jim captured the ABT Open Championship in Omagh becoming the first Irish shooter ever to win both titles. Remarkably, this milestone comes 25 years after his first British Open title. As part of the Irish team, Jim also played a key role in winning the Annual International Tournament, where his outstanding performance earned him the High Gun of Ireland award. Competing outside his usual discipline, Jim broke an exceptional 99 out of 100 targets. A 12-time Donegal Sports Star Award winner including an Overall Sports star award in 2011, we are delighted to welcome Jim Doherty to the stage.
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COACH / MANAGER The winner is Shaun Molloy, Loughros Point Rowing Club, Ardara As both Chairman and Head Coach, Shaun has led one of the most successful years in the club’s history, guiding Loughros Point to the forefront of Irish coastal rowing while creating opportunities for young athletes to compete at national and international level. Under his leadership, the club hosted two landmark events at Narin Beach; the Irish Junior Coastal Championships and the Home International Beach Sprint Regatta, the first time this prestigious international event has ever been held in Ireland. Shaun coached multiple athletes who represented Ireland at the Beach Sprints in Spain and oversaw an exceptional season that included major championship success and record-breaking performances. This is Shaun’s first Donegal Sports Star Award.
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DARTS The winner of the 2025 Darts Award is Denise Cassidy, Donegal Womens Darts This is Denise’s first Donegal Sports Star Award. Denise claimed the Irish Open Pairs title in Killarney alongside her Scottish partner, Lorraine Hyde. In a thrilling decider, they battled back from 4–1 down to defeat Robyn Byrne and Katie Sheldon by five legs to four. Earlier in the year, Denise represented Ireland at the WDF World Cup in Seoul, where she was a key member of the Irish women’s team that achieved double gold, retaining the Ladies Team title and securing the Overall Ladies Championship for the first time in Ireland’s history. Denise went unbeaten in the group stages and helped guide Ireland to a commanding 9–1 victory over Australia in the final. Denise capped off a great year by winning the INDO National Singles title and claiming the 2025 Donegal Open Ladies Championship with a dominant 5–0 final victory.