Former Finn Harps manager Ollie Horgan will launch the 2022 Donegal Sports Star Awards.
The launch will take place on Monday evening, 9th of January in the Mount Errigal Hotel.
Horgan will also make the presentations to the 1982 Donegal Sports Star Award winners who will be special guests to mark the 40th anniversary of their successes. The Awards will once again be sponsored by Donegal County Council.
Ollie Horgan has been one of the biggest names and most colourful figures in Donegal sport for nearly a decade.
The Galway native has been widely acclaimed for the magnificent job he did at Finn Park with one of the smallest budgets in the League of Ireland.
Horgan created his own little bit of club history becoming the longest serving manager in one term at Finn Harps with his nine-year reign a record that will take some beating. He was also the longest-serving manager in the League of Ireland when the 2022 season concluded.
Horgan was recently appointed as Assistant-Manager with his hometown club Galway Utd.
The St. Eunan’s College schoolteacher kept Harps in the Premier Division for six of the last six seasons which was widely acknowledged as an extraordinary achievement.
As well as launching the 2022 Awards Horgan will also make the presentations to the 1982 Donegal Sports Star winners who will be special guests to mark the 40th anniversary of their successes.
He will be joined for that part of the event by the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Liam Blaney and Chief Executive John McLaughlin along with the Donegal Sports Star Awards Chairperson Grace Boyle.
The Donegal Sports Star Awards function will take place on Friday 27th of January in the Mount Errigal.
Chairperson Grace Boyle expressed her delight that Horgan had accepted the committee’s invitation to launch the 2022 Awards. “Ollie Horgan has given great service to Finn Harps and has left a lasting legacy that supporters of soccer in Donegal won’t forget. Not alone that but he has been behind a lot of the successes at St. Eunan’s College over the years. As a committee we are delighted that Ollie will be with us to perform the official launch and also make the presentations to the 1982 winners. I also want to wish him all the best in his post as the Assistant Manager at Galway Utd.”
Ollie Horgan’s Trojan work with Harps saw him honoured twice at the Donegal Sports Star Awards in the space of three years. He won the Special Recognition Award in 2016 and in 2018 was the recipient of the Manager of the Year accolade. “It’s nice to be asked to do the 2022 launch and to make the presentations to the 1982 winners. I have had the privilege of getting two Donegal Sports Star Awards there in recent years. The Donegal Sports Star Awards Committee have to be given great credit for recognising not only the stars of 2022 but remembering the winners of 1982 with this 40th anniversary event celebration” Horgan said.
Included below is a list of the 1982 winners who will be honoured at the 40th anniversary event:
Overall
John Campbell, Ballybofey (Clay Pigeon Shooting)
Athletics
Hugo Duggan, Milford (Athletics)
Appreciation
Tom Conaghan, Donegal Town (GAA)
Badminton
Sylvia Kearon, Raphoe (Badminton)
Boxing
Stephen Friel, Buncrana (Boxing)
Canoeing
Brendan, Dalton, Bundoran (Canoeing)
Clay Pigeon Shooting
John Campbell, Ballybofey (Clay Pigeon Shooting)
GAA
Martin McHugh, Kilcar (GAA)
Golf
Fr. Brendan McBride, Portnoo (Golf)
Hall of Fame
Brian Anderson, Ballybofey (Boxing)
Martial Arts
Kathleen Gallagher, Carrigart (Martial Arts)
Motorsport
Eamon Harvey, Letterkenny & Sammy Fisher, Ramelton (Motorsport)
Rugby
Stephen Laughlin (Rugby)
Soccer
Eddie McGinley, Kilmacrennan (Soccer)
Surfing
William Britton, Rossnowlagh (Surfing)
Table Tennis
Athena Gallagher, Fanad (Table Tennis)
Secondary School
PCC Falcarragh
Best Secondary School Sports Girl
Carmel Kelly & Sinead McLaughlin, Loreto Convent Letterkenny
Best Secondary School Sports Teacher
Fr. Michael Sweeney PCC Falcarragh
Best Secondary School Sports Boy
Eddie McGinley, PCC Falcarragh
