ENNIS woman, Maureen Cronin from Mountain View has proven that age is no barrier when honoured at the 2014 Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards ceremony in Dublin which celebrate those who made a significant, and often unheralded, contribution to society.
RTE personality Brenda Donohue presented the 92-year-old with the ‘Age Is No Barrier Award’.
Maureen was recognised for having played a key role in getting the marriage ban lifted for school teachers in 1950s Ireland. She became a test case for the INTO Teachers’ Union when she defied the ban and carried on teaching in Limerick for a full year without pay, then continuing her career until well after the ban was eventually lifted in 1958.
Proving that age is no barrier, the Kerry native delivers parish newsletters to the local shops, writes poetry for The Clare Champion and plays several musical instruments at parish events. She was also featured on RTE’s programme Nationwide recently.
Speaking at the function Brenda Donohue, RTE said, “I’m extremely happy to present these very special Awards, which celebrate the triumphs of inspirational people and give them the recognition they deserve. Congratulations to all of today’s winners, who have demonstrated bravery, courage and tenacity in the face of adversity and who have enriched the lives of others.”
Stephen Leddy, Managing Director, Hidden Hearing said, “Now in its fourth year, the Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards are an opportunity for the Irish public to honour people in their community for their successes and achievements. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and we’re delighted to pay tribute to these exceptional people who have demonstrated that nothing is impossible.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.