It’s a sell out: Capacity crowd set for 40th Donegal Sports Star Award

WITH OVER A week to go until the event, the ‘full house’ signs have already been posted for the 2016 Donegal Sports Star Awards. 

This year marks the 40^th birthday of an event first held in 1976 and a capacity crowd of around 600 will attend Friday-week’s big bash in the Mount Errigal Hotel.

Irish sporting icon Ronnie Delaney – the 1956 Olympic gold medallist – will be the special guest on the night, while the winners from the first Awards in ’76 and the first committee are also set to be honoured.

Picture caption: A selection of former overall and category winners at last week’s launch. Picture by Geraldine Diver.

Delaney was also the special guest at the first Awards and his attendance, in the 60^th anniversary year of his win in Melbourne, comes as a big coup.

This year, over 190 people have been nominated for awards in 40 categories.

Just a week after ticket bookings opened the huge interest that was anticipated in the event was officially confirmed last night night.

Donegal Sports Star Awards Chairperson Neil Martin told a committee meeting that there are no more seats left for the anniversary function.

“The committee has been informed by the Mount Errigal Hotel, the venue hosting our awards, that there are no tickets left,” Martin said.

“While we are delighted that the success of the Donegal Sports Star Awards has seen the function sold out for the second year in a row the committee is conscious that there are more people who would like to have been there on Friday week but unfortunately there is simply no seats left.”