Two young Ramelton soccer stars were among the top sporting achievers in the county in a review of the highlights from the month of May by the Donegal Sports Star Awards Committee.
Just days after signing his first professional contract 18-year-old Kyle-Callan McFadden helped Norwich City to the English FA Youth Cup title after defeating favourites Chelsea over two legs with the decisive second leg taking place at Stamford Bridge.
KYLE MCFADDEN
Another Ramelton man Barry McNamee had reason for double celebration in May as he won the April Airtricity/Soccer Writers Association Premiership Player of the Month Award and the Derry City player went on to make his debut for the Republic of Ireland U-21 side in a friendly in Denmark.
McFadden and McNamee look set to feature at the end of the year when the Donegal Sports Star Awards Committee sit down to decide the winner in the soccer category.
Abroad and after four relatively quiet years Letterkenny cyclist Philip Deignan hit the headlines coming home first in the five day Tour of the Gila in New Mexico.
It was a very good month for boxing in the county with a number of winners at the National Stadium in Dublin including young Carndonagh Boxing Club sisters Labhaoise and Jessica Clarke and Meave McCarron (Carrigart BC) while Finn Valley ABC’s Austeja Auciute won her sixth Irish title and club colleague Michael Gallagher lifted his ninth national gold medal.
Meanwhile, young Bryan McNamee (Convoy BC) defeated the current Scottish and British champion in the annual international McGuigan Cup named after Barry McGuigan. Once again there will be plenty of competition for the county’s top boxer in 2013 when the Donegal Sports Star Award Committee look at the many successes throughout the year.
Ciara Doogan (Gortahork) became the first Errigal Cycling Club member to be named on an Irish Olympic team for next month’s finals in Utrecht, Holland. At the Community Games there was gold medals for Letterkenny’s Christine Russell and Richard Ogujawa along with Odhran Doogan (Cloughaneely).
At the County Gaeltacht Finals on the May Bank Holiday Monday St. Michael’s won their first ever Donegal senior title while the county champions at junior level were Fanad Gaels and Termon were crowned senior ladies champions again. Super sub Amber Barrett scored four second half goals to help the Donegal Minor Ladies team to win the Ulster Football Championship Final while Castlefin’s Karen Guthrie was the sole Donegal GAA women’s representative named in the Division 1 team of the year. Termon’s Geraldine McLaughlin and Eilish Ward (St. Nauls) were members of the Ulster side that won the MMI interprovincial ladies football championship final for the third time in four seasons.
11-year-old Jack Duffy (Foyle Golf Academy) from Buncrana won the ‘US Kid’s U-12 All-Ireland title at Portmarnock G.C. while Letterkenny man Brendan McCarroll (Ballyliffin GC) won a major golfing tournament in Austria (Gosser Open) for the second year in a row.
In the middle of May two Letterkenny gymnasts Meg Carr and Patrick Quinlivan won titles in Belfast at the Northern Region Special Olympics Gymnastics Competition. Letterkenny girl Alanna Gallagher took gold at the Community Games U15 Gymnastics National Finals in Athlone. Early in May in motorsport Donegal driver Donagh Kelly won his first Carryduff N.I. Rally Championship. And on the last Sunday of the month Declan and Brian Boyle (Subaru WRC) returned to winning ways with a fine win in the Cavan Rally.
Letterkenny man Sammy Wasson won gold at the World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation European Championships in Monaghan. In Rugby the Ballyshannon side defeated Strabane 11-8 to win the Ravenhill Cup Final in Omagh. There was great news for Luke Dalton from Fahan who was selected to play for Ireland in the Rugby League Student World Cup in Leeds.
On the first Sunday in May, Lifford Celtic made history winning the Donegal Junior League Premier Division title for the first time while Cranford Utd were promoted to the top flight. Fintown Harps won their first ever Donegal Junior Cup by lifting the Downtown trophy. A 90th minute Eoin Sheridan goal handed Rathmullan Celtic the Brian McCormick Cup in a 2-1 win over Glenea Utd.
Clonmany Shamrocks completed the double in Inishowen by winning the Charlie O’Donnell Cup. Also in Inishowen QPS completed the double by winning 6-1 against Redcastle Utd Reserves in the Fr O’Gara Cup Final while Dunree Utd took the Top Four Cup title with a win over Redcastle Reserves.
On the last Sunday of May goals from the Moville Celtic men Nigel McMonagle and Shane Canning booked Inishowen’s place in the Oscar Traynor final after 2-0 win over Wexford Youths at Maginn Park.
Seamus Coleman reached another milestone in his professional soccer career making his 100th appearance for Everton. And at the end of the month the Killybegs man turned in a man of the match performance in the Republic of Ireland’s draw with England at Wembley. Ciara Grant was a member of the Raheny Utd team that won the Irish Women’s League. Greencastle girls Roma McLaughlin and Sarah Jane McDonald were on the Irish U-16 team that finished third in an international tournament in Dublin.
One of the founders of the Letterkenny Tennis Club Alan Graham (now Omagh TC) was selected to play for the first time on an Ulster side to compete in the All-Ireland Vets Inter-provincials in Templeogue, Dublin. And in the sport of Table tennis Dublin based Letterkenny native Patrick McCloughan was named on the Ireland Veterans O-40s team to take part in the Six Nations tournament in September. On Saturday 25th Letterkenny 24/7 club member Aidan Callaghan won the Rosses Point Triathlon.
In schools athletics Christopher Murray, Mulroy College Milford won gold at the Senior Boys 800m at the Ulster Schools District Athletic Championships in Antrim. Also in Antrim, Abbey VS won the Intermediate U-17 Girls Cup while John Kelly (Royal & Prior) set a new record of 16.12m in winning the Senior Boys Shot Putt. Other winners included Daniel Gallagher (Killybegs VS) Intermediate Boys 3k and 1,500m; Arlene Crossan (Loreto Letterkenny) Junior U-15 Long Jump and 800m; Ciara Donoghue (Loreto Letterkenny) 1,200m Walk; Naomh McGranaghan (Finn Valley) U-15 Hammer; Karen Gallagher (Royal & Prior) Intermediate 1,500m; Hannagh Campbell (Killybegs VS) Intermediate Pole Vault
At the Aviva Stadium on the last Saturday of May Scoil Mhuire Glenties were crowned champions in their category of the Aviva Health FAI Primary School 5’s National Finals.
For further details on the Donegal Sports Star Awards go to www.donegalsportsstarawards.ie
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