The Donegal Sports Star Awards committee held their AGM on Monday evening in the Mount Errigal Hotel. Chairperson Grace Boyle reflected on the challenging year that 2020 had been for everyone and that included the Sports Star Committee who had to make the difficult decision to move to a Virtual Awards format for the first time in the 45 year history of the event. She said the decision to go virtual proved to be a huge success and was very well received by the sporting public.
“We had a small number of awards but it was a good idea to keep the event going and that was well recognised by the public. We managed well in a difficult year. The on-line awards went very well and very professionally. We also got great cooperation from our sponsors Donegal County Council who helped us out with staging the Virtual Awards. Shane McGillion from AVC did a really good video production for us again. Finally, I want to thank all our committee for their work in a strange year.”
While the exact format will be confirmed in due course Ms Boyle confirmed that the Donegal Sports Awards will take place as usual at the end of January. It will be the 46th Awards since the first presentation function was held in November 1976 in the Milford Inn. “2021 has been a better year for sport and we hope that continues now until the end of the year. We will definitely have our Awards at the end of January and hopefully that will be a live event.”
Grace Boyle paid tribute to the service given by Myles Sweeney who has decided to step down from the committee. “I would just like to thank Myles for the years of service he has given to the committee and that was invaluable to us in his role as head of the Donegal Sports Partnership. While he is stepping down from the committe Myles will continue to assist us in any way he can from the Sports Partnership.”
One new member Darran Nash was elected to the committee on Monday evening. The Milford man is an employee of sponsors Donegal County Council and has a strong sporting background as a goalkeeper with Finn Harps and Fanad Utd while in recent years he has been involved in GAA with Milford and Donegal. The remaining members of the outgoing committee were elected unopposed. Chairperson, Grace Boyle; Vice-Chairperson Paul Callaghan; Secretary May Logue; Assistant Secretary Paul McDaid; Joint Treasurers Patrick McLaughlin and Bartley McGlynn; PRO Declan Kerr; Committee members – Gerry Davenport, Alma Curran, Nancy McNamee, Neil Martin, Patsy McGonagle, Seamus Curran, Paula McGarvey and Darran Nash.
