Community spirit alive and well in the west

THE Kilrush Town Council Mayoral Endeavour Awards and the annual Cissie Roughan awards were presented in the town last Tuesday.
Kilrush Town Council said, in a statement, they recognise the concept of rewarding excellence and with this in mind they introduced a Special Mayoral Award in Kilrush for 2010.
“It was felt there was a wealth of talent in Kilrush, across a broad spectrum of activities and Kilrush Town Council would like to reward such excellence and to encourage people to continue to challenge their minds,” a council statement explained.
The mayoral awards were presented under the following categories: innovation, academic, sporting/cultural and community/voluntary. The award winners were as follows:
Innovation
Vincent O’Halloran, Chapel Drive, Kilrush, who was a founder member of the Inis Cathaigh Comhaltas Ceoltóirí festival in Kilrush in 2008 when the Éigse Mrs Crotty festival was discontinued.
Academic
Michael Shannon of Cappa Cove, Kilrush, who received the overall award at the Scifest competition at Limerick Institute of Technology in October 2009.
Cultural
Joe Kiely of Frances Street for his very active involvement in Kilrush Choir and for the beautiful music and singing they have performed over the years.
Community/
voluntary
Martina McMahon, Ballynote East, who plays a very active role in the community. She contributes time and energy in support of the children with special needs and is a willing volunteer when fund raising is required. A cheque for €200 was presented to each category winner.
Meanwhile, Joe Kiely was the overall winner of the Cissie Roughan Awards. This scheme was instituted in 1993 and honours the memory of the late Cissie Roughan, former member of Kilrush Town Council, and the first woman elected to the Town Council in Kilrush.
This year, there were 12 nominees, in total, for the civic awards, drawn from a variety of areas of endeavour – community, sporting, cultural and charity fundraising work. The Cissie Roughan nominations are a way to enable ordinary people to acknowledge friends and neighbours for their good works.    
The other award winners were as follows:
Marion Burke, St Mary’s Athletics Club
Marion joined St Mary’s Athletics Club in recent years having previously been a runner in her youth with St Senan’s AC. She has had numerous achievements over the years winning a Munster award at intermediate level in the past 12 months. She was also third in the All-Ireland final held in Tullamore. Her daughter, Chantelle, won gold in the girls’ U-10 in the national Community Games final.   
Anne Hayes and
Vincent O’Halloran,
Kilrush Comhaltas
Ceoltóirí Éireann
Both Anne and Vincent have been involved in the promotion of traditional music in Kilrush for numerous years. Anne was a member of the former Kilrush branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and was very much involved in the setting up of the present branch. Two years ago, when the Éigse Mrs Crotty music festival came to an end, they called a meeting immediately to organise an alternative festival for mid-August.  
Councillor Ian Lynch
Through his involvement with the Kilrush RNLI service, he is on 24-hour call, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year to answer the call of those who may need assistance on our local waterways. Ian also established the defibrillator training programme in the town and arranged for defibrillators to be located in various locations in the community, while he also organised the Kilrush Family Festival this summer.  
Susan Bermingham,
Kilrush Ladies’
Football Club
Susan is the children’s officer and is and underage head coach for the club. Her work has provided the opportunity for girls of all ages and from every corner of the community to participate. 
Susan’s patient, kind and inclusive approach has helped over 150 young girls in keeping with the clubs motto ‘Friends for Life’.  
Tommy Scully,
Chapel Drive
Tommy was nominated for his dedication to the maintenance of the Protestant Graveyard in Crawford Street, Kilrush over numerous years. He shows a great sense of pride in his work and gives his time freely to this.
Bridín Griffin, O’Gorman Street
Bridín was nominated for her dedication and hard work over the years in the maintenance of the flowerbeds located at the grotto at the Pella Road Cross.
Geraldine Rush
and Catherine Tobin
Both Ger and Catherine have been involved with the Kilrush Choral Society for the past five years. The society’s musical is held annually and requires great commitment from both in the organisation of this production. Catherine travels from her home in Athy each weekend.  
Anne Glynn, Cappa.
Anne was nominated for the care and assistance she provided to a person that was injured following a slip on ice during the cold weather last year. Her daily occupation as a nurse shows her caring nature and commitment to the community.
Jimmy Dobson,
Beech Park
Jimmy was nominated for his work with the Kilrush Badminton and Kilrush Shamrocks minor club. He gives his time generously to the promotion of badminton and football in the town. Jimmy was very much in involved in the organising of a Badminton Charity League in 2010 with the proceeds going to the Friends of Clare Mental Health Services.