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INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION The winner of the International Recognition Award for 2025 is Caitríona Jennings, Letterkenny A.C. In 2025,Caitríona firmly established herself among the world’s elite ultra-distance runners with a series of extraordinary achievements. In November, she broke the women’s 100-mile world record at the Tunnel Hill 100 Mile in Illinois, running 12 hours, 37 minutes and 4 seconds on her debut at the distance and eclipsing the previous mark by more than five minutes; a performance that also earned her Sport Ireland’s Sportswoman of the Month and the Ultra Runner of the Year honours. Earlier in the year, Caitríona set a new Irish 50km record at the Donadea 50km National Championships with an impressive time of 3:16:33, reaffirming her dominance across ultra-distances. This will be Caitríona’s third Donegal Sports Star Award.
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BRENDAN MCDAID MEMORIAL SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT The winner of the 2025 Brendan McDaid Memorial Special Achievement Award is Niamh McLaughlin, Moville (Gold Coast Suns, AFLW) In 2025, Niamh made history as a trailblazer in Australian Rules football, becoming the first Irish-born player to captain an AFLW club when she was named co-captain of the Gold Coast Suns, a remarkable achievement in just her third season in the competition. Her leadership on and off the field has been widely praised, with McLaughlin a key figure in the Suns’ campaign and a consistent contributor in defence and attack throughout the season. Crowning her outstanding year, she earned selection in the 2025 AFLW All-Australian team, a first-time accolade recognising her elite performance among the league’s best. Niamh’s 2025 season stands as a defining milestone in her career and an inspiration for Irish athletes in Australian sport. This is Niamh’s second Donegal Sports Star Award.
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YOUTH The winner of the 2025 Youth Award is Roisin Hegarty, Twin Towns A.B.C. In 2025, Róisín delivered a landmark year on the international stage. As co-captain of the Irish squad, she represented Ireland with distinction at the inaugural European U15 Championships in Budva, Montenegro, where she claimed the gold medal in the 63kg division, defeating Ukraine’s Tetiana Zvenihorodska in the final. In doing so, Róisín became only the third boxer from Donegal and the first female from the county to win a European title, a historic achievement for both herself and her club. Earlier in the year she also added another Irish national title to her growing list, underlining her rise as one of Ireland’s most exciting young boxing talents.This is Róisín’s first Donegal Sports Star Award. Róisín herself cannot be present tonight as she is fighting in Sweden.
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HALL OF FAME The Winner of the Hall of Fame Award is Eamon Harvey, Tír Chonaill A.C. Eamon has not only served as an extraordinary coach but has also shaped countless lives through his career as a PE teacher at Abbey Vocational School. Even after retiring from teaching in 2004, he continued to strengthen the sport as an Athletics Ireland Development Officer in Ulster. Eamon had coaching roles at both the 1996 Olympics and Paralympic Games in Atlanta. He coached St. Johnston woman Bridie Lynch who made history by becoming the first Irish female to win gold at the Paralympic games. Eamon was also named Donegal Person of the Year in 1996. He was also a coach at the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008, as well as at eight World Cross Country Championships. Eamon’s drive led Tír Chonaill AC to represent Ireland at European Club level on three separate occasions. He was inducted into the Ulster Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024. That legacy was further celebrated last year with the launch of the inaugural Eamon Harvey 10km Road Race. Eamon we have a congratulatory message from the President of Athletics Ireland Brid Golden which reads. “I have been privileged to work closely with Eamon for almost three decades across many roles, including as Provincial Schools Coaching Co-Ordinators and during eight years together on the Athletics Ireland Board. "His example very much shaped who I am and how I work as a coach and as a committee and Board member. There is also a special connection in that we were both juvenile coaches to Ireland’s golden couple of the 400m hurdles - I coached Thomas Barr, while Eamon guided Kellie McGrory. This award is truly deserved’ signed Brid Golden, President of Athletics Ireland.