GolfNow Belfast Sports Awards 2025 honours sporting heroes

As well as a host of awards, two athletes were inducted into Belfast City Council’s Sporting Hall of Fame – footballers Marissa Callaghan and Michael Halliday.

Celebrated at the awards ceremony in Belfast City Hall were winners:

• Pathways to Club (sponsored by Active Belfast) – St Malachy’s Old Boys Youth FC
• Healthy Lifestyle (sponsored by Active Belfast) – St. Michael's Primary School Well-being Ambassadors
• Junior Coach of the Year (sponsored by GLL) - Órlaith Pimley (St Malachy's Old Boys Youth Football Club)
• Young Aspiring Coach of the Year (sponsored by GLL) - Brendan Irvine (Ulster University Boxing Club)
• Senior Coach of the Year (sponsored by GLL) - Peter Hill (Larne Swimming Club)
• Female Coach of the Year (sponsored by GLL) - Maebh Cassidy (St Dominic's Grammar School)
• Disability Coach of the Year (sponsored by GLL) - Ivor Jess (Spokes in Motion Wheelchair Tennis Club)
• Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by BRS Golf) – Anthony Mitchell (Cycling Ulster)
• Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by BRS Golf) – Hazel McKee (Balmoral Golf Club)
• Junior Team of the Year (sponsored by Belfast City Council) – Lagan Valley Jr Women Cross Country Team (Lagan Valley Athletics Club)
• Senior Team of the Year (sponsored by Belfast City Council) – Queen’s Women’s Hockey 1st XI (Queen's Hockey Club)
• Young Athlete of the Year (sponsored by Commonwealth Games) – Louis Rooney (Star Boxing Club)
• Young Athlete of the Year (sponsored by Commonwealth Games) – Amy Hunter (Instonian's Cricket Club / Cricket Ireland)
• Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored SportsMedicine NI) – Jack McMillan (University of Stirling)
• Sports Personality of the Year (sponsored by SportsMedicine NI) – Rebecca Shorten (Imperial College Boat Club)
• Disability Athlete of the Year (sponsored by SportsMedicine NI) – Elizabeth Thompson (Clarendon Bowls Club)

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, said the GolfNow Belfast Sports Awards celebrated all the winners’ sporting achievements and accolades this year and recognised all the sport and physical activity that goes on in the city.

"The GolfNow Belfast Sport Awards recognise our coaches, athletes, volunteers and all those who quietly go about their roles to make sport and physical activity happen,” said the Lord Mayor.

"2024 was a thrilling year for sport with successes in and on the water, gymnasium, the pitch, the track and the fairways. And of course most notably with Northern Irish athletes bringing home 7 medals from the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"Belfast City Council is committed to continued investment in the health of our citizens and sport and physical activity is a priority for us as we continue to deliver the city’s community plan, The Belfast Agenda. We have invested £105 million in our Leisure Transformation Programme designed to transform leisure services across Belfast and have recently celebrated 10 years of partnership with GLL/Better managing our Leisure Centres and spreading the health and wellbeing message to our citizens. We continue to invest into sport in the city and our future athletes through our £300K Support for Sport annual funding programme helping clubs, coaches and communities with education, good governance and grass roots development.

"It is great to see such a variety of sports represented at the awards this year. A huge congratulations to all our worthy winners and local sporting heroes as they shine a spotlight on sport from the very top of sporting competition to grassroots level.”