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SOCCER The winner of the 2025 Soccer Award is Gavin McAteer, Finn Harps A graduate of the Milford Utd Football Club Academy, Gavin moved to join Finn Harps and was soon promoted to the First Team squad. The attacking midfielder became the youngest ever player at 15 to feature for Harps in a league game when he came on as a sub against Kerry in May 2024. Gavin’s performances have been attracting attention from cross-channel clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Celtic. He has already made 48 senior appearances for Harps and has featured seven times in the Republic of Ireland U17 sides. That included making his World Cup debut as a sub in Doha as the Irish recorded a 4-1 victory over Panama. Gavin and fellow Harps player Josh Cullen both made their first full starts in the 0-0 draw with Paraguay to top their Group.
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SURF LIFESAVING The winner of the 2025 Surf Lifesaving Award is Alan Vaughan, Ballyshannon. In February Alan was a member of a successful Donegal Surf Lifesaving Club team at the All-Ireland Championships held in the University of Limerick. The team returned home with five medals and several personal bests. Alan took two silver medals in the Rescue Medley and 100m Manikin Tow. At the Great Britain nationals in Cardiff in April the Ballyshannon man scooped three silver and 2 bronze medals. In August Alan medalled at the European Surf Lifesaving Championships in Poland. He was part of the Irish national team, led by coaches Paddy Bond (Ramelton) and Shaun Robinson (Termon). He struck gold as part of Ireland’s Youth Sprint Relay Team It’s Alan’s first time to win a Donegal Sports Star Award.
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SWIMMING The winner of the 2025 Swimming Award is Cillian Murphy, Swilly Seals Cillian’s 2025 season has been marked by exceptional results across multiple major competitions: At the Aspiring Champions Meet in March, Cillian produced a series of standout swims that included first places in both the 100m and 200m Backstroke Finals. At the Ulster Age Group & Senior Championships (Long Course) in May, competing against top swimmers from across the province, Cillian secured two impressive silver medals in both the 50m and 100m Breaststroke Finals. At the Irish Youth & Senior Swim Championships in July, he reached an A Final for the 200m Breaststroke and came first. Cillian also made Super Finals in these Championships in both the 50m and 100m Breaststroke distances where only the fastest swimmers across all age groups competed for podium positions.
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TRIATHLON The winner of the 2025 Triathlon Award is Mark McGinley, Letterkenny 24-7 Triathlon Club It’s back-to-back Awards for Mark. He competed in the Ironman 70.3 in Mallorca where he finished 15th overall in May. That result qualified Mark for the Ironman World Championship in Marbella in November. But, that almost didn’t happen as six weeks out, he picked up an injury and just to make it even more challenging he landed in Malaga only to find his bike had been mangled on the flight. But Letterkenny man Cormac Keeney and a Marbella resident came to the rescue with a road bike and Mark went on to put in a stellar performance. Locally the Glenswilly man won both the Liam Ball Sprint and the Sheephaven 70.3 and there was also a first at the inaugural Cnoc Fola Duathlon in August. On the National stage he finished seventh overall at the 70.3 Championships. In recognition of an astounding season, Mark was named the 24-7 Triathlon Club athlete of the year.