Community Hero awards presented to local volunteers

A COMMUNITY Hero awards night was held in County Hall to honour the many heroes throughout South Dublin County.

The event which was held in the Council Chambers, was attended by Councillors and their Community Hero nominees who celebrated the wealth of community and volunteer work across the county.

Each Councillor nominated a community hero from their electoral area and the Mayor spoke about each of the heroes work, their contribution to their community and then presented them with a small token of appreciation.

Speaking at the event Mayor Emma Murphy said: “I decided to hold these “Community Hero Awards” as the level of community work can sometimes go unnoticed, in fact it may only be noticed in its absence.

“It’s important to acknowledge as many members as possible of our community who give their time and energy to benefit all our lives and make South Dublin an amazing place to live. The measure of any location is the people that inhabit it.

The Kilnamanagh Clean and Green Team receive their award from Mayor Emma Murphy and Councillor Charlie O’Connor

“I asked my fellow Councillors to nominate an individual or group from their electoral area who they thought deserved recognition for making a difference to the lives of their community.

“I’m happy to say that each councillor struggled to nominate just one individual or group, such is the wealth of community spirit and action within South Dublin.”

The twenty-seven Community Hero Award winners were: Mary Stagg Ong from Palmerstown; Terry Carthy from Heatherview, Tallaght; Joe Maughan from Sacred Heart FC; Marie Mulligan from Fettercairn Youth Club; Des Bannon from Clondalkin; Clondalkin Tidy Towns; Connie Kiernan from Liffey Valley Park Alliance.

The Adamstown Cricket Club; Lucan Festival; Lucan Tidy Towns; Alan O’Flaherty of Dodder Valley Cycling; Rathfarnham Concert Band Society; The Stepping Stone Forest volunteers; Teresa Harford from Firhouse; Katherine McKenna from Tallaght; Jen Donohue from Web Project Ballyboden.

Tony Delaney from Whitechurch Boxing Club; Jimmy Conlon from Wanderers GAA Club, Ballyboden; Prospect Manor Residents Association; Tara De Buitléar of Tallaght Community Council; Tymon North and St Aongus Tidy Towns Group; Tom and Linda O’Connor from Templeogue; Women’s Collective Ireland in Lucan.

Darkness Into Light Committee; Vincent Dolan from Clondalkin Youth Band; James Casserly of Jimbos Accessible Adventures and Kilnamanagh Residents Association Clean and Green Team.