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MOTOR CYCLING The winner of the Motor Cycling Award for 2025 is Rhys Irwin, Kilmacrennan For Rhys this is his fifth Donegal Sports Star Award. Last year the 23-year-old had 13 podium finishes including six race wins. In August in Round 7 of the British Super bikes Championship at Cadwell Park he set the fastest lap time ever at the race track on his Suzuki GSXR 750 cc motorbike. In October the Kilmacrennan man enjoyed the biggest success of his career when he was crowned the 2025 Quattro British Supersport Champion. He had two races over the weekend with a victory and third place clinching the title in the final event of the year at Brands Hatch. In December, Rhys’s career went up another notch when it was confirmed that he had joined Hawk Racing for the 2026 British Superbike Class competition. Earlier this month he was named the 2025 Short Circuit Rider of the Year at the Irish Motorbike Awards in Belfast.
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SPECIAL ATHLETE Anna Hennessy, Nemo Special Olympics Swim Club / Swilly Seals Anna Hennessy is a member of both the Swilly Seals and Nemo Special Olympics Swimming Clubs. At the Special Olympics Ulster Regional Games in Omagh, Anna achieved Gold in both the 50m Backcrawl and 50m butterfly. Anna competed in the European Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in October achieving several PBs’ as well as qualifying for two finals. She was also a member of the Finn Harps Futsal squad that won the National Cairdeas Cup in November. She has been selected for the Special Olympics Ireland Games next June in both Swimming and Basketball. Anna competes in Swim Ireland Masters competitions throughout the year as well as Swim Ulsters Disability Championships.
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SPECIAL ATHLETE Eoin Rooney, Nemo Special Olympics Swim Club / Swilly Seals At the Special Olympics Ulster Regional Games in Omagh, Eoin secured a silver medal in both the 50m Backcrawl and 50m Butterfly. He competed in the European Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in October where he raced against top class swimmers and record holders where he took pride in achieving personal bests. Eoin is now selected for the Special Olympics Ireland Games which takes place in June. He races in Swim Ireland Masters competitions throughout the year as well as the Ulsters Disability swimming championships. He is also involved in the local Disability Basketball club in Ballyshannon.
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SPECIAL ATHLETEFinn Harps League of Ireland Down Syndrome Futsal Team: Anna Hennessy, Daniel McGilloway, Daniel O'Reilly, David Crawford, Hughie Sweeney, Kealan Doherty, Lianne Kelly, Meg Carr and Shaun McCosker. On Sunday 16th of November there was success for the Finn Harps Down Syndrome Futsal Team who won the 2025 Cairdeas Cup at the Sports Ireland Complex in Dublin. The successful team were accompanied by coaches Danny Ferry, Tony McNamee and the Head of Harps Foundation Stephen McNutt. Harps won four of their five games with victories coming against Derry, Bohemians, Wexford and Cork. With three clubs still in with a chance of taking the title, Harps had to win that last game against Cork and they did thanks to a Hughie Sweeney hit-trick on a final scoreline of 3-0. Hughie Sweeney netted 13 of the 16 Harps goals over the five games. The other scorers were Daniel O’Reilly, Leanne Kelly and Shaun McCosker.