Heart of Gold winners Eoin Finn and Bobby O’Keeffe.
Recognising the best Tallaght has to offer
Garda Sergeant Emer Lamon was crowned the 2025 Tallaght Person of the Year last Saturday at an awards ceremony that recognised some of the very best that Tallaght has to offer.
Presented by Tallaght Community Council (TCC), the 42nd Tallaght Person of the Year awards took place at the Plaza Hotel on Saturday night, November 22, where a number of special category awards were also handed out to people and groups who have truly made a difference this year.
Over 240 nominations were put forward for the nine categories at the awards, which were hosted this year by MC Sharon Keegan, a local entrepreneur.
The most special award on the night, after the main event, was the Heart of Gold Award for young people under the age of 18 who “make a huge impact and contribution”.
All eight nominees for the award were honoured this year, for their “help, kindness and support that they give to our community”, TCC member Mary Butler said.
The eight winners include Grace Donegan, a 10-year-old Kilnamanagh girl who suffered a sudden brain bleed in January 2024; three-year-old Jack Dennehy, who was born with “a severe disability”; Ethan O’Connor, who helps care for his younger brother Cayden (and recently featured on RTÉ’s DIYSOS); siblings Tommy and Grace Dickson, who were both born with an extremely rare mitochondrial disease; Lexi Fallon, a young soccer player from Fettercairn currently being treated for a rare brain cancer, and best friends Bobby O’Keeffe and Eoin Finn, who have raised over €14,000 for cancer research after Bobby’s niece Frankie was diagnosed with leukemia.
Speaking to The Echo, Bobby thanked all who had donated and who had nominated himself and Eoin.
“The night was not what I was expecting, I never would have thought [we’d go] from running to raise a few bob to winning the Heart of Gold category and raising over €14,000,” he said.
The Arts and Culture Award was won by chairperson of the Now and Then Production company Jason Nagle, a multi-denominational youth and adult music and drama group in Castle Park.
BK Deli in Fortunestown was awarded the Business Award in a hotly contested category for owner Joyce Kavanagh’s “hard work” and customer care.
The Sgt Andrew Callanan Community Award, named for a member of An Garda Síochána who gave his life in the life of duty in Tallaght, was awarded to the Volunteer Coffee Shop at Tallaght University Hospital, who beat out 51 other worthy nominees.
The Michael Dooley Environment Award was presented to “one-woman army” Denise Delappe, who has spent years picking litter around the Oldbawn, while another Oldbawn group, Walk Service took home the Learning and Innovation Award for their services for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.
The Lost Boys Walking Group, was awarded the Jim Lawlor Special Needs and Carers Award.
Stephen Heaney, chairperson of Tallaght RFC, and Mary McGuigan, youth leader of the 168th Tymon North Scouts (for 43 years) were awarded the Philip Preston Sport Award and the Maurice McConnell Youth Award respectively.
Speaking during the awards, TCC chairperson Liz Kennedy reminded all the nominees that just by being nominated, “you are a winner already”.
“Every [nominee] gets the same level of recognition, for the lucky category winners we ask that you accept the award on behalf of all the nominees in your category,” she said.
The last presentation of the night saw outgoing Person of the Year Glenda Murphy Smullen handing over the chain to Sergeant Emer Lamon, now the 42nd Tallaght Person of the Year.
Based in Tallaght Garda Station, Emer was nominated for this year’s award based on her work with Little Blue Heroes, which supports children with serious illnesses and fulfils their dream of becoming honorary members of An Garda Síochána.
“I’m totally in shock, I wasn’t expecting it but I am so honoured to be nominated and I will represent Tallaght well, I promise,” she said in her acceptance speech.
