3 members of the boxing community are being honoured by the Federation of Irish Sport for their volunteer commitment to their clubs, the wider boxing family and their sport.
The awards, supported by the Sport Ireland National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships recognise 36 exceptional volunteers from every county in Ireland for their unwavering dedication to sport and physical activity within their local communities.
These inspiring individuals will be honoured at a special awards ceremony on Thursday, 26 February 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown, where Minister Charlie McConalogue TD. Minister for Sport & Postal Policy will give the keynote address.
The 2025 awards attracted a record number of nominations spanning more than 49 sporting disciplines, reflecting the remarkable diversity and strength of volunteering in sport and physical activity throughout Ireland.
Three awardees are from boxing: Garry Kehoe of Marble City BC has been named the Kilkenny VIS winner; Gary McGillion of Bishop Kelly BC has won the Tyrone accolade while Tony Davitt of Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC Dublin is the inaugural recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tony, from Meath, began his boxing career in 1966 Julianstown BC and had success in both the pro and amateur ranks. As a coached, he has coached for Ireland at various age groups at European and World Championships and prepared Boxing Ireland Olympians for games in Seoul, Atlanta, Munich and Moscow. That’s in tandem with International Olympic Committee coaching appointments in Iraq. Tony’s club, Phoenix of Ballyboughal, has previously said of him “Old school values, world-class knowledge, and a heart of gold. We’re proud to have Tony in our corner, passing on generations of boxing wisdom to our fighters. Every club needs a hero like this — and we’ve got the best there is.”
Boxing Ireland CEO Gary Stewart says “That so many of this years recipients are drawn from boxing is a tribute to the vast community benefit every club brings to their locality. Garry and Gary give of their time to coaching & officiating at local, regional and national level, giving kids and young athletes the best possible training and guidance. Tony Davitt is a legend, not only of Irish Boxing, but of Irish sport. It’s testament to the impact of his decades long life in boxing that he is the first ever recipient of the Federation of Irish Sport Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Gary adds “Congratulations to Garry, Gary, Tony, their clubs and families on their richly deserved awards”
Full list of Volunteer in Sport Award winners, by county
| County | First | Surname | Club | Sport |
| Antrim | Emma | Mongomery | Glens United FC | FAI |
| Armagh | Majella | Crilly | St Brenda’s Camogie Club | Camogie |
| Carlow | Simon | Racklyeft | Carlow Town Hurling and Camogie Club | GAA/LGFA |
| Cavan | Tommy | McMahon | Belturbet Rowing Club | Rowing |
| Clare | Tom | Loughnane | St Cronan’s Athletics Club | Athletics |
| Cork | Kelly | Fitzgerald | Owenabue Special Olympics | Special Olympics Gymnastics |
| Derry | Philip | Johnston | Derry City FC | FAI |
| Donegal | Fergus | McAteer | Mulroy Academy FC | FAI |
| Down | Kathryn | Wylie | Leander Swimming Club | Swimming |
| Dublin City Sports & Wellbeing | Ger | Redmond | Coolock Running Club (CRC) | Athletics |
| Dublin Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown | Patrick | Finnerty | Cabinteely Athletic Club | Athletics |
| Dublin Fingal | Declan | Harte | NAC Masters SC | Swimming |
| Active South Dublin | Patsy | Kelleher | Dublin Lions Basketball Club | Basketball |
| Fermanagh | Daphne | Green | Brookeborough Heber MacMahons Club | LGFA |
| Galway | Arun | Babu | County Galway Cricket Club | Cricket |
| Kerry | Debbie | Quirke | Kingdom Pickleball Club | Pickleball |
| Kildare | Annelies | Goyarts | North Kildare Basketball Club | Basketball |
| Kilkenny | Garry | Kehoe | Marble City Boxing Club | Boxing |
| Laois | Louise | Foster | Kestrels Basketball Portarlington | Basketball |
| Leitrim | Ronan | Butler | St Mary’s Kiltoghert GAA club | GAA |
| Limerick | David | Leahy | Castle United AFC | FAI |
| Longford | Tony | Headon | Longford Rugby Club | Rugby |
| Louth | Andrew | Gallagher | Castletown Belles FC | FAI |
| Mayo | Jes | Gough | Kilmurry Youths FC | FAI |
| Meath | Paddy | Bird | Stamullen Julianstown Badminton Club | Badminton |
| Monaghan | Sheila | Forde | Blackhill Nursery | GAA |
| Offaly | Adrian | Curley | Tullamore Harriers | Athletics |
| Roscommon | Anthony | Shally | Kilbride GAA | GAA |
| Sligo | Rory | Clarke | Sligo Rowing Club | Rowing |
| Tipperary | Sean | Minogue | Riverdale Pitch & Putt | Pitch and Putt |
| Tyrone | Garry | McGillion | Bishop Kelly Boxing club | Boxing |
| Waterford | Kate | Ryan | Tallow GAA & Camogie | GAA/Camogie |
| Westmeath | Bill | Dougherty | Westmeath Minotaurs | American Football |
| Wexford | John Joe | Doyle | DMP Athletics Club | Athletics |
| Wicklow | Lucy | Mooney | Hollywood GAA club | GAA |
| Lifetime Achievement | Tony | Davitt | Phoenix of Ballyboughal, Dublin | Boxing |