TOUGH TASK Clew Bay People of the Year Awards judges Pat O’Brien, Luzveminda O’Sullivan and Pat Connolly had a hard time picking the winners.
Neill O'Neill
JUDGING has now concluded on the inaugural Clew Bay People of Year Awards being organised by Westport Lions Club to coincide with their thirtieth anniversary year in 2017. For the last three decades the voluntary executive committee and members of Westport Lions Club have been working selflessly to to fulfil the ethos of the founders of the global Lions Club movement -‘to serve’, - and in the centenary year of Lions Club International this will be marked by recognising others in local communities, who have also given tirelessly to others.
The Clew Bay People of the Year Awards, of which The Mayo News is a supporting partner, will be a signature event on the Westport 250 calendar, which will see a series of special events mark the quarter of a millennium since construction commenced on the town of Westport.
The Clew Bay People of the Year Awards will take place on March 24 in The Castlecourt Hotel and all are welcome to join the party and rejoice in honouring and celebrating some of the wonderful people, groups and projects which enhance the lives of all living in the Clew Bay area. All proceeds from the night will go to Westport Lions Club who have specifically identified the Gena Heraty Haiti Fund and Mayo Mountain Rescue to be the main charity benefactors from the awards.
Westport Lions Club received 68 nominations from right around the shores of Clew Bay for the awards and judging took place last week. The three judges had a difficult job in selecting the winners, highlighting how so many individuals and groups represent and embody the ethos of Lions Club International locally, in giving their time, energy and passion to those in their communities.
The judges were Pat Connolly of Galway Lions Club, a past District Governor; Pat O’Brien from Ballina Lions Club, who is Connacht Regional Chairman and Luzveminda O’Sullivan, the 1998 Rose of Tralee winner and charity advocate, who is a native of Castlebar.
The ten awards will be presented on the night at a gala dinner and one of these winers will also be chosen as the ‘2017 Clew Bay Person of the Year’.
Speaking after the judging process had concluded, President of Westport Lions Club, Darren Cawley, said the feedback from the judges was that they had an enormous challenge in selecting the winners.
“They said it was a huge challenge to only choose ten winners from all the entries. They said there are many unsung heros in the area and that in creating these awards, Westport Lions Club are trying to acknowledge, honour and embrace this - a job that was made all the more difficult by the standard and level of entries. They described this as a true reflection of our community and the ethos of volunteerism that exists locally in the towns and villages around Clew Bay. However, they had to make a decision, and these ten winners were those that they felt stood out amongst the dozens of nominees to represent all that is best about the community, the environment and the cultural and social fabric of the Clew Bay area.”
For more information about tickets contact Emma on 087 9546622 or Caroline on 086 8745314. Tickets for the event are €50 and include a champagne reception which begins at 7pm, a four course meal, the awards ceremony and entertainment late into the night.
And the winners are
• Achill Sports Network
• Mayo Cherishing the Irish Diaspora
• Martin Keane, Westport
• Cuan Modh Day Centre and St Dominick’s Housing Associations, Newport
• Parkinsons Association of Ireland - Mayo Branch
• Youth Award: Chloe O’Malley, Louisburgh
• Des Cafferkey and Peter Carney of The Clew Bay Pipe Band
• Madeline Jordan, Westport
• Mary Walsh, Westport
• Martin Curry, Westport
MORE
In the two weeks leading up to the Clew Bay People of the Year awards, The Mayo News will publish brief profiles of each of the winners.
Clew Bay People of the Year named
