 possible, which is proper order. Visit your nearest Audi dealer, where future is an attitude. Are you interested in a career in financial services? John F. Lowry financial services are expanding and we are looking for administrators, trainee financial advisors and experienced financial advisors to join our team. With competitive packages on offer for all positions, why not check out our Facebook or LinkedIn page for more information. If you are highly motivated, enthusiastic and want to work for an award-winning broker, we want you. To apply, send a CV to Lisa at JFL.ie on or before the closing date of the 29th of January. John F. Lowry and Associates Limited trading as John F. Lowry financial services are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. John F. Lowry financial services is an equal opportunity employer. Sport on Highland is brought to you by Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure, with all the equipment you need to get fit this year, including home gym equipment like weights, skipping ropes, resistance bands and exercise balls. Welcome back Saturday Sport on Highland radio. It's 20 to 6. Yes, it's that time of year. The Donegal Sports Star Awards. Well, they're just around the corner next Friday in the Mount Erigal Hotel. Once again, we will see people recognized for various achievements for the year 2022. Delighted to say that I'm joined in studio by Declan Kerr, the PRO of the Donegal Sports Star Awards committee. And Declan, I suppose, first of all, after COVID and all the interruptions, one of the big things this year is you're back at a venue with a live audience, and that makes such a difference. Yes, absolutely Chris. I mean, it's really, really great to be back again after two years of holding the awards virtually. Listen, while that was a success and it went very well, there's nothing to beat the unperson function. But I must say, listen, there was a lot of work went into keeping the event going during those two years. And that's thanks to the committee and Donegal County Council sponsors. But yes, we're back on next Friday evening in the Mount Erigal Hotel for the first unperson function in three years. And we're really looking forward to it. Now just to put it into context, this is the 47th year of the awards and once again, a huge number of nominees. Yes, the 47th awards, it started back in 1976. So it's been a magnificent event over the years. And this year now in 2020, or for 2022, we have had 125 nominees, and there will be over 40 categories. And for so over 40 winners will be recognized on the night, Chris. So 40 categories. Now, when you look through the categories Declan, of course, we see the so called the big sports, we see the GA, the soccer, the rugby. One of the outstanding things about the Donegal Sports Star of the year awards over the years has been really the minority sports and the achievements of people that sometimes have really gone unnoticed and yet they may have won some major event on not just a local national, but maybe an international or world stage. Yeah, that's very true. Some of those sports really go under the radar in terms of media coverage. So I think over the years, we have picked up on a lot of those minority sports in terms of their achievements nationally and internationally. And I suppose one of them that comes to mind, I suppose is Clay Pigeon shooting back in, I think it was 2010, Jim Doherty had success on the world stage. And because of that, he actually got the overall award and he's only one of two from that sport to have won the overall award. The other man, incidentally, is John Campbell, who just passed away there in October, who was the winner in 1982. Yes, the minority sports, we pride ourselves and recognizing their achievement. And I suppose the other thing is inclusiveness. So we also look after the power athletes and those in the special athlete categories as well. So yeah, it's all about it being inclusive. I mean, the higher profile sports like soccer and GA play a huge part in it as well. But yeah, we do, we're very happy to sort of include everybody. And that's what that's the theme of the Donegal Sports Star Awards from day one was inclusiveness and participation right across the sporting spectrum. Now, a number of the awards are individual awards. And then we have awards that just to give example. And it's always I know difficult for the committee to decide things like the coach and manager, because there could be so many. Initially, you often whittle it down to sort of a shortlist. And then you decide from that. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I suppose listen. And then in any year, bearing the two COVID years, there's a lot of coaches and managers who have success, either locally nationally or internationally. So there's a big list initially, then there's a smaller list. And then there's a winner Chris. And that winner will obviously be will not we're not going to name the winner now, but will be revealed next Friday night. Now, because of the nature of some of the awards, and like there's international achievement and historic, some of them we actually know the winners before the actual presentation of them. Yeah, yeah, we have seven Chris that know already that they're going to be getting awards. Patrick Brady from Donegal Town, who is synonymous with rowing in the county. He was a very good performer himself as a competitor in his younger days. But he has been the backbone of the Donegal Bay Rowing Club for, I suppose, well over four decades. And so he's been recognized in the appreciation category. Amber Barrett has been recognized with a new award, which we're calling the historic achievement, I suppose, and recognition of that big evening over in Hamden Park in October, when she scored the goal that set the Republic of Ireland on their way to their first ever women's World Cup finals, which takes place next summer. And I suppose that night, I suppose, it was just the weekend after the Chrysler tragedy. And Amber Barrett really, really told a great story that night afterwards as well in terms of, I suppose, she had close family links with the Chrysleria. So we're recognizing Amber for that, and also for her other achievements during the year. Katrina Jennings had an outstanding year in 2022 in the endurance running with medals at European and World level. Mark Dever had a great year in fishing. He won the national title. He's the first Donegal man to do so. And because of that, he will now captain the Irish team at the World Championships next or this oncoming year. Jimmy Griffin is an interesting one. He won a world skateboarding title in Los Angeles back in June. And because of that, and of course, skateboarding is an Olympic event now. So he's a young man from Convoy doing very, very well on the international stage. And the other one is a very nice one as well. It's really it's two siblings, a brother and sister, Sean Sharkey and Helena Melly, who both won national titles in pool last year. So, so they've been recognized. So that's the seven Chris that know and the rest will be revealed on the night. Yeah. And just going through that again, it shows a sort of diversity that's there. A part of the, one of the highlights I suppose for the night is the fact that there's so many schools involved and you know, kids from national schools, be they small or large, they're going up onto a stage getting an award. The schools section very important. And it's great to see so many youngsters coming through. Yeah, yeah. Lots of nominees and all the categories there in the in the schools area and the schools have been a huge part of the awards since the late 70s. And I suppose for those youngsters that will be there next Friday night, they will be seeing their adult stars there in the room as well. So it'll be something for them to aspire to, to when they're when they look back on it as well. And obviously, it's a motivating factor for them to continue on their respective sports as well. Now the special guest is no stranger to the awards themselves, having been there on a number of occasions in a number of different guises. Yes, she given as our special guest and we're delighted that she accepted our invitation. Obviously, she has a very busy schedule, but he's made time to be with us and we're looking forward to having them there on Friday night. Yes, she himself was a previous winner back in 1992. He took the soccer award. And he also took an international award back in 2009. And he is also a sporting ambassador. So a native of Lifford, she given has has really an international, an Irish international legend, 134 caps for his country, the second most cap player of all time. So yeah, it's great to have she there. And obviously, for all the nominees as well, it would be great to see she given there on the night. Important also to point out that it's, it's a great social occasion. I know from being there down through the years that, you know, those people there who it might be the only time of the year that they meet people from the other sports and, you know, it's a great chance for a catch up. It's the one opportunity in the year where sports from right across the county sporting stars and their friends can and family can come and meet together and suppose relate to some stories about their own respective sports and share stories. And, you know, there's people there that comes every year that maybe are not directly involved in terms of wanting the word or nominated, but they just enjoy the the event and the whole occasion. And I suppose listen, Donegal County Council has been our sponsors over the years for a long number of years. And without their support, I suppose we wouldn't be able to host an awards function of the standard and the stature that we have been able to do. And finally, Declan tickets, it's always an event that gets a lot of attention. Are there any tickets still available? Well, Chris, at this point in time, there's only a small number of tickets remaining, and we would urge especially any nominees who haven't ordered already to do so. We would urge them to do so right away, because we would expect by the beginning of the week that there probably won't be any tickets left. Great Declan, there we leave it. Many thanks for coming into studio. Wish you all the best for next Friday, Manjaro Hotel, the venue for the Donegal Sports Star of the Year awards. It's the right price tiles on wood flooring, half price sale. Get up to 50% of all tiles. Wood flooring, bathware, cladding, everything's reduced.