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Date: 31 May 2025
Guests at the awards ceremony in City Hall included Olympians, athletes, volunteers and coaches of all ages and abilities from across Belfast.
As well as a host of awards, two athletes were inducted into Belfast City Council’s Sporting Hall of Fame – Marissa Callaghan (Football) and Michael Halliday (Football).
The award winners were:
- 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)
- Hall of Fame (sponsored by Belfast City Council) – Marissa Callaghan (Football) and Michael Halliday (Football)
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.
“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, 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 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.”
Inducted into the Council’s Sporting Hall of Fame, Marissa Callahan is a trailblazer in women’s football and a dedicated ambassador for sport. Marissa made her international debut for the Northern Ireland women’s national under-19 team in 2002 and progressed to earn her senior cap in 2010. She captained Northern Ireland at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022—an historic moment as the team competed in a major tournament for the first time. Marissa retired from international football in 2025 with an incredible 91 caps, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire. She was awarded an MBE in The Kings New Years Honours List in 2025.
Also inducted into the Council’s Sporting Hall of Fame, Michael Halliday began his footballing career with East Belfast and then he moved to Glentoran, a club he has supported all his life, where he played for 11 years and won numerous trophies. He made his debut towards the end of the 1999/2000 season. Signed as a midfielder, Glentoran manager Roy Coyle soon converted him to centre forward and over the next ten years he made 468 appearances, scoring 141 goals. He won fifteen winners' medals, including three league titles and two Irish Cups.
Olympic medalists Rebecca Shorten and Jack McMillan were awarded Sports Personality of the Year.
Former Methodist College Belfast pupil Rebecca Shorten and her teammates became World and European Champion in the coxless fours. Rebecca competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the Women’s Four where the team secured a silver medal. Rebecca continues to inspire the next generation of rowers in Belfast as she often returns to Methodist College’s boathouse.
Jack McMillan, past pupil of Belfast INST, competed as part of the men’s 4X 200 freestyle relay at the Paris 2024 Olympic games as part of team GB where they won gold. Jack has become only the second Northern Irish swimmer ever to win an Olympic gold medal in 128 years.