The Donegal Sports Star Committee will shortly commence plans for the 48th Awards function. It comes after the Annual General Meeting took place on Monday evening in the Mount Errigal Hotel. There were no changes at the top table with all the main officers being returned unopposed. Grace Boyle is remaining on as Chairperson for a sixth year while staying as executive members are Paul Callaghan (Vice-Chairperson), May Logue (Secretary), Paul McDaid Assistant-Secretary), Patrick McLaughlin and Bartley McGlynn (Joint Treasurers). Declan Kerr was returned as Media Officer and Committee members re-elected include – Alma Kavanagh, Nancy McNamee, Patsy McGonagle, Neil Martin, Paula McCool, Gerry Davenport, Seamus Curran and Darran Nash.
Last January was the first live in-person Donegal Sports Star Awards function in three years. The 2021 and 2022 Awards were hosted virtually due to the Covid pandemic. Grace Boyle said that it was great to be back to a live presentation event and adding it was a huge success with over 40 awards presented including the overall accolade going to athlete Mark English. However, the committee will still in the coming months be looking at areas where possible improvements can be made to the presentations subject to the appropriate resources being available.
First up over the summer months plans will be initiated to contact the 1983 winners who will be honoured at a 40th anniversary event during the launch night. Work on the actual 2023 Awards will start in September with the first focus of attention being on the Primary and Secondary School categories. Schools are asked to note that it is only achievements and participation levels in the academic year from September 2022 to June 2023 that will be eligible for consideration by the judges. All non-school achievements are judged over the calendar year of 2023.
Chairperson Grace Boyle emphasised the importance of schools being aware that it was now time for them to looking at preparing nominations as their will be an earlier deadline for those categories when it comes to the 2023 Donegal Sports Star Awards. “The same as last year there will be an earlier deadline for schools nominations. We will be setting a date when we meet after the summer break. It’s also important to remember that the winners of the primary small and large schools and second schools is not just judged on achievements it also takes overall participation by pupils and the variety of sports that are available. We will get the ball rolling over the summer by contacting the 1983 winners who will be our guests at the launch in early January. It’s another of the 40th anniversary events that have proved so popular since we started doing them pre-Covid” Ms Boyle said.
