Charlie Lapsley is to be honoured at the Donegal Sports Star Awards launch in the New Year.
He received an award in 1984 for his hockey successes that season.
An all-round talented athlete, Lapsley played Tennis and Badminton for Donegal and also had a low handicap in Golf.
But Hockey was always his first priority and he was just 22 when he received the Donegal Sports Star award for Hockey in the Milford Inn, nominated along with Vincent Devenney and Lindsay McCorkell.
Lapsley was featuring for the Raphoe Hockey team at the time and received the Most Consistent Player of the Year and the Club Player of the Year that season.
“You hope you’re going to win the award but you never really think you will until it’s announced,” Lapsley said on winning at the awards.
“But I suppose you look back at your achievements and at that age you don’t think much of it but as you get older and have the memory of it.”
At the time, the club was competing towards the top of the Senior League Section II and were promoted back to the top tier two years later.
David Craig, Davie Cowan and the late Uel Blair were part of the coaching team at the time
Lapsley had got his first taste of first team hockey at just 16 and it was a highlight at an early age as they faced Lisnagarvey in the Irish Senior Cup, a team full of Irish internationals.
“When I was 16, we had five teams and I was on the thirds but during the summer of 1978 I got to play with the first team during the summer, David Craig was captain and he then put me into the first team.
“With people leaving the school and everything we’d go through stages where we’d have a good team and then there’d be times when we wouldn’t have been as good.
“But at that time we would have been very competitive, we were going between Senior I and Senior II at the time, we’d go up for a few players then lose players and we’d drop back down.”
The Royal & Prior, where Lapsley attended, was where he got the first taste for the sport.
They were the only school in Donegal that played hockey and Raphoe were the only club in the region, so there were plenty of long journeys for away games and vice versa for the opposition.
“Teams didn’t want to travel to us, only a few now but there would also be teams that wouldn’t miss coming down and they’d come there for the weekend.
“But it wasn’t just about playing, it was a fantastic upbringing and it was good for making friends and the people you met that you’re still friendly with.”
Lapsley will be one of many award winners from 1984 that will be celebrated on their 40th anniversary at the Launch for the 2024 awards, which takes place on January 6 in the Mount Errigal Hotel at 6pm.
The 1984 Donegal Sports Star Awards took place in the Milford Inn on Friday, November 9th. Irish Olympian Danny McDaid was the Special Guest and the M.C. was the late Hugh Strain. It was the first year that a category for disabled athletes was introduced, and the winner was Lifford man, Noel McAuley. The then 35-year-old who was blind finished runner-up in the 200m Regional Special Olympics Finals in Galway. Noel sadly passed away last July.
Charlie Lapsley and the other 19 winners from 1984 will be honoured at the launch of this year’s Donegal Sports Star Awards Banquet on Monday, 6th of January in the Mount Errigal.
1984 Donegal Sports Star Award winners
OVERALL SPORTS STAR Joe Barr Newtowncunningham
ATHLETICS Kevin McBrearty South Donegal Harriers
APPRECIATION Fr. Michael Sweeney Knocfola
BOXING Josie Gallagher Dunfanaghy
CLAY PIGEON SHOOT John Campbell Ballybofey RIP
CYCLING Joe Barr Newtowncunningham
SPECIAL ATHLETE Noel McAuley Lifford RIP
GAA Joyce McMullan Four Masters
GOLF Brian Patton RIP
HALL OF FAME Anthony McGinley Annagry (Cycling) RIP
HOCKEY Charlie Lapsley Raphoe
MARTIAL ARTS Bernadette Gallagher, Carrigart
MOTOR SPORT Seamus Doherty Letterkenny
RUGBY Ray Finn Letterkenny R.F.C.
SOCCER Liam Sweeney Fanad Utd
SQUASH Danny McLaughlin Letterkenny
TEAM Donegal Vocational Schools GAA
SPORTS GIRL – Siobhan Gallagher, Sacred Heart Convent, Ballyshannon
SPORTS BOY – Joe Higgins, St. Eunan’s College
SPORTS TEACHER – Frankie Rodgers, Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana
SECONDARY SCHOOL Gweedore C.S. Gweedore
