Sam and Chloe Magee competing in the European Badminton Games in Baku
Magees make it big in Baku
by Declan Kerr
Undoubtedly the headline grabbers in the Donegal Sports Star Awards June review were Raphoe siblings Chloe, Sam and Joshua Magee who brought back bronze medals from the European Badminton Games in Baku. Sam medaled twice first with Joshua in the Men’s Doubles and then in the Mixed Doubles with Chloe. It was the first time that the country’s best known badminton family had scored such a significant international success.
Mark English’s good year continued as the ‘Overall 2014 Donegal Sports Star Award’ winner was second in the 800m at the European Athletics Team Championships in Greece and he was also a member of the Irish 4 x 400m relay team that finished third in the competition. It was their best ever result in the championship finishing sixth out of 12 teams.
The Letterkenny man also finished seventh in an 800m race at the New York Diamond meeting in New York in a time of 1:46:12.
Other June highlights included Trentagh’s Martin Harley returning to the winner’s enclosure after a thrilling success on Goldream in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. And for the first time the Donegal Ladies won the All-Ireland U-21 B title thanks to a super 4-12 to 2-7 victory over Roscommon in Sligo with Milford’s Amber Barrett scoring a remarkable 2-9. The Donegal International Rally saw double success for the county as Letterkenny man Rory Kennedy navigated Garry Jennings to victory in the main event of the weekend while Manus Kelly and Donal Barrett won the National category for the first time.
Meanwhile Donagh Kelly and Kevin Flanagan edged closer to the National Rally Championship title by winning the Raven’s Rock Rally in Waterford in their Ford Focus WRC. Declan Gallagher won the Modified Category in his Toyota Starlet. Bonagee Utd’s Noel O’Donnell, a 2014 Donegal Sports Star Award winner, was a member of the Republic of Ireland Deaf side that won their opening European Championship Group Qualifier 6-0 against Poland in Germany. The Irish then lost to Ukraine before qualifying for the quarter-finals by defeating Hungary 4-0.
At the beginning of the month Letterkenny AC’s Brendan Boyce matched his season’s best at the IAAF Challenge in La Courna with 1:26:47 for the 20km to finish 45th overall. However, the Milford native wasn’t able on this occasion to dip under the Olympic standard time of 1:24:00. Cranford AC’s Eoghan Moore took a bronze medal in the U-14 Javelin at the Ulster Track & Field Championships at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast. Also at the same venue there was medal success for Lifford AC’s Mark Doherty Shot (senior silver), Kathleen Craig Triple Jump (U-19 gold), Alan McGinley 800m (U-17 gold), Niall Quinn U-15 800m (silver), Olivia Cuskelly U-14 2000m Walk (gold), Shane O’Donnell U-15 Hammer (silver),
There were also medal at these Ulster Championships for Letterkenny AC’s David Smith who took gold in the U-14 800m and bronze in the Long Jump; Imogen Hards won silver in the U-14 200m and bronze in the 100m; Donal Farren bronze in the 800m and Edward Grant lifted gold in the U-15 Shot Putt.
Lifford AC’s Brendan O’Donnell, the 2014 Donegal Sports Star Best Secondary Schoolboy’ Award winner, won the Hammer for the second successive year at the annual Tailteann Games Inter-provincials at the Billy Morton Stadium in Santry. And at the same venue Inishowen AC’s Fergal Cox was first in the Javelin. In the Ulster Masters Finals at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast there were 15 medals for Lifford AC. In the M45 category Mark Doherty took gold in the Javelin and Weight Throw while he won silver in the Shot Putt. Gary Gallagher won gold in the M40 category in the Long Jump; silvers in the 110m Hurdles and 200m and bronze in the High Jump. In the M45 category there was gold for Brian Breslin in the High Jump, 110m Hurdles and Long Jump while he also took silver in the 400m. In the M40 category there were three golds for Isabel Breslin in the High Jump, Shot Putt and Long Jump and rounded it off with silver in the 80m Hurdles.
At the end of June Carndonagh’s Labhaoise Clarke won her seventh Irish boxing title in style defeating Mary Geraghty, Fibsboro in the final.
Carn’s Michael ‘Owen’ McLaughlin had an excellent win over Roberto Valenzuala in Boston with the fight being stopped in the fifth round. The St. Eunan’s U-14 Boys side won a national Feile na nGael title but Naomh Conaill Ladies bid for a first All-Ireland Gealtacht title ended in disappointment for the Glenties outfit who lost the Junior Final in Ardara 3-10 to 1-8 against Moycullen from Galway.
The Donegal U-14 Girls booked their place in the All-Ireland B Final with a 2-11 to 0-13 victory over Roscommon in Bawnboy, Cavan. On the last Saturday of the month the Donegal senior football side booked their place in the Ulster Final for the fifth successive year with a 1-9 to 0-10 victory over Derry in Clones with the help of a second half Marty O’Reilly goal. Earlier Rory Gallagher’s side had cruised to an easy 2-11 to 0-8 victory over Armagh at the Athletic Grounds in a quarter-final tie with the goals coming from Paddy McBrearty and O’Reilly while skipper Michael Murphy converted a number of super frees.
But there was a shock defeat for the county minors losing 0-11 to 0-10 against Derry in the provincial semi-final played in Clones. Earlier Declan Bonner’s boys had cruised to an easy 2-11 to 0-8 quarter-final win over Armagh at the Athletic Grounds. The Donegal senior ladies did a demolition job on Down in an Ulster Football Championship quarter-final winning 10-35 to 0-4 with Yvonne McMonagle hitting 6-5 and Geraldine McLaughlin finishing with a personal tally of 2-14.
Former Fanad Gaels and Donegal player Paddy McConigley was a member of the Kilkenny side that defeated Scotland in Edinburgh to win the British Junior Football Championship for the first time ever. McConigley also helped his club Railyard to secure a place in the Kilkenny Senior Football Final.
In Gymnastics there were gold medals for the Senior and Junior Finesse Gymnastics Display Club teams at the Dublin Gym Fleadh at the UCD Sports Complex while there was success for the Gweedore team of Michael O Gioballain, Sean and Noel O Gallchoir finishing first at the inaugural ‘Galf as Gaelige’ at the Dunmurray Springs course near Kildare Town. The Gweedore men came out on top against 11 other teams from the Gaeltacht regions as well as Irish speaking participants from other parts of the country.
Raphoe’s Alexander Tinney and Ben Wallace were selected to play for the Irish U-16 side at the Volvo 6 Nations Tournament in Holland on July 16th. St. Eunan’s clinched the U-14 county hurling double with an 8-12 to 2-2 victory over McCumhaills in the championship final at the O’Donnell Park. The Donegal senior hurlers lost 3-17 to 5-7 in the Ulster Senior Championship at Celtic Park.
In Martial Arts the North West Shotokan Karte Club enjoyed a successful weekend at the English Open Championships in East London. There were gold medals for Inishowen Ulster Karate Federation members Clem McColgan and Joseph Feeney at the European Championships in Liege, Belgium while there was silver for Dara Gill, Conor Doherty, Caolan McColgan and bronze for Shauna McGlinchey and Erin McCole.
North West Snooker Club’s Aidan Devenney won the County title defeating Johnny Connors in the final in Donegal Town. On the June Bank Holiday Monday after a great battle Finn Harps bowed out of the FAI Senior Cup 4-3 on penalties against Premier side Longford Town in Ballybofey in a second round replay. The game had finished 0-0 following extra-time.
Thereafter it was a very poor month for Ollie Horgan’s side whose 12 match unbeaten start to the League of Ireland First Division season ended as Athlone recorded a 1-0 home win over Ollie Horgan’s outfit. Harps also suffered defeats at the hands of fellow promotion contenders Wexford Youths in Ballybofey and Shelbourne at Tolka Park.
The Donegal U-14 Girls won the Gaynor Cup Plate Final in Limerick. Letterkenny Rovers won the U-12 Champions League Final with Nathan Plumb getting the only goal in the local derby against Bonagee Utd at St. Patrick’s Park in Drumkeen. In the middle of te month there was disappointment for Shay Given and Seamus Coleman as the Republic of Ireland could only draw with Scotland 1-1 at the Aviva putting a massive dent in the Donegal men’s ambitions of qualifying for the European Championships.
Greencastle FC won the Inishowen Junior League Top Four Cup Final 4-2 against Sea Rovers at The Warren. And Greencastle’s Roma McLaughlin was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 side that played in the European Championship qualifier group games in Iceland.
Letterkenny referee Marty McGarrigle was honoured locally by his peers after taking charge of a Junior International in March between the Republic of Ireland and Poland at Eamonn Deacy Park in Galway. Also honoured were his linesmen Milford native Joe McHugh and Inishowen’s Eamonn Doherty and Danny McLaughlin.
Letterkenny 24/7s Siobhan Gallagher won the Firmus City of Derry Triathlon while at the start of June there were County Cumann Na mBunscoil titles for Scoile Croine Dungloe; Scoil Fionnan Falcarragh and Scoil Mhuire Na Doiri Beaga at the Donegal Finals in McCumhaill Park.
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