Top accolades go to Oisin Mullin and Maeve Gallagher
By Stuart Tynan
With no Young Sports Stars Awards taking place this year due to Covid-19, The Connaught Telegraph will be taking a trip down memory lane reviewing each of the five awards ceremonies that have taken place to date. The final ceremony we look at is the 2019 Young Sports Stars Awards event, held early last year - before the onset of the pandemic
THE fifth and most recent Connaught Telegraph Young Sports Stars Awards took place in Breaffy House Hotel on March 10, 2020.
A record 13 sports were recognised through more than 40 individual awards, as well as three for teams, with sports including basketball, karate, boxing, Gaelic football, soccer, golf, motorsport and handball all honoured on the night.
The Mayo Under 12 girls team were fitting winners of the Eric O'Reilly Memorial Cup. They became the first Mayo side at any age level to win the prestigious Gaynor Cup, and went through the entire tournament unbeaten in the process.
Knockmore's minor football team, who completed a league and championship double, were crowned male team of the year, while the second year basketball team of St. Mary's Secondary School, Ballina, won their second national title, and so claimed the female team of the year award.
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Maeve Gallagher was named the 2019 Outstanding Young Sportswoman - for the second time in three years.Image 2 of 3
The second year basketballers of St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina, were named the female team of the year at the 2019 Connaught Telegraph Young Sports Stars Awards. PHOTO: MICHAEL DONNELLYImage 3 of 3
League and championship titles for Knockmore’s minors saw them crowned the 2019 Connaught Telegraph Young Sports Stars Awards male team of the year. PHOTO: MICHAEL DONNELLYA total of seven individual special merit awards were handed out on the night also, of which James Lynskey (karate), Conor Walsh (soccer), Alison Long (soccer), Amy Mahon (soccer), Hazel Finn (basketball), Jacques Lusson (volleyball) and Arron Hughes (volleyball) were the winners
Maeve Gallagher won the Melissa Patterson Perpetual Cup for Outstanding Young Sportswoman for the second time in three years, having made history by becoming the first Irish athlete to represent Ireland in three different sports in three European Championships.
The winner of the Darragh Doherty Perpetual Cup for Outstanding Young Sportsman was Oisin Mullin, a fitting winner as he is a first cousin of the late Darragh Doherty.
The other main award winner, selected by The Connaught Telegraph readers, was John William Burke, in recognition of his achievements at the US Kids European Golf Championships in Scotland in May 2019.