Tallaght Person of the Year Awards launched

The Tallaght Person of the Year Awards are the oldest community-led Person of the Year Awards in Ireland and are run by Tallaght Community Council (TCC).

After two years online during Covid, the much-loved celebratory awards ceremony is now back “in-person” this year – just in time to celebrate the 39th year of the awards in Tallaght.

The awards are always eagerly anticipated, highly energetic and feed the feel-good community spirit each year in Tallaght.

The awards purpose is to enable individuals and groups across the Tallaght community appreciate, nominate and recognise the many unsung community heroes across Tallaght.

TCC held a formal awards launch last weekend in Molloys in Tallaght Village. Mayor, Emma Murphy, joined volunteer TCC Chair Liz Kennedy and Lee Moroney, the outgoing Tallaght Person of the Year, to officially launch the 2022 awards.

The event was highly energetic as past winners, sponsors, community figures, local businesses and public representatives gathered to officially launch the awards.

TDs Sean Crowe and Paul Murphy attended to lend their support to the community-led awards. TD Francis Duffy was represented by Vanessa Mulhall from his office. They were joined by councillors Teresa Costello, Baby Pereppadan and Brian Lawlor.

Opening the 39th awards, Mayor Emma Murphy described the TCC awards as “very important” and “always vibrant”.

She congratulated TCC on being back in-person with the awards this year. The Mayor encouraged everyone to get involved and to nominate their unsung heroes adding she was very much looking forward to the awards ceremony in The Maldron Hotel in November.

Former Tallaght Person of The Year recipients, Sinead Tighe, Norman Kelly, Donie Anderson, Bridie Sweeney, Lee Moroney and Rose O’Keefe

TCC invite a special guest each year to give a keynote speech at the awards ceremony.

In the last decade, they have been Tallaght natives who have been successful in their field; entertainers, sports men and women, leaders in business.

Their life stories are always interesting and can help inspire others to follow their dreams, knowing success in their chosen field is possible.

The special guest this year is no less impressive or inspirational. TCC proudly announced the 2022 special guest will be Barry Cummins.

Barry is an accomplished author and a busy RTÉ reporter.

He is a well-known face and voice on Primetime each week as their security correspondent. Barry was at the launch and spoke affectionately of his childhood in Birchwood, his fond memories of school in St Marks and a perhaps less than dazzling sports career with St Marks Celtic.

He will be sharing these and more insights into his life and his very successful career next month at the awards ceremony in The Maldron Hotel.

After holding their category trophies for a record three years, the 2019 alumni of category winners handed back their perpetual trophies to TCC. They were presented by Barry Cummins with their forever winners’ trophies at the launch.

“We are thrilled to be able to gather here together today, for the first time since 2019, to launch the 39th Tallaght Person of the Year awards.

“It is emotional and also really exciting! We urge everyone to think about all those unsung heroes who rose to the challenge, particularly during Covid and nominate them for the awards this year,” Liz Kennedy, TCC Chair 2022/23 said.

“ Our brand-new website is live, and you can nominate for all nine awards categories online now – www.tallaghtcommunitycouncil.ie . There is no limit as to how many different people or groups you can nominate during the nomination window.

“We know being nominated means a lot to each nominee, so a few minutes of your time can make a hugely positive impact in someone else’s life. Saying thanks is very important and extremely powerful.”

Follow Tallaght Community Council on their social channels to stay up to date on the 2022 awards.