Drogheda’s annual annual Mayoral Awards ceremony was held last night in the splendid surroundings of the Highlanes Gallery when senior executives of Louth County Council and Councillors of the Borough District of Drogheda gathered to witness Mayor Michelle Hall present eleven individuals with Civic Awards.
Addressing the recipients ahead of the presentations, the Mayor said: “Tonight we mark your commitment to improving the community of Drogheda and wider area and many of you do this in an unpaid role.
“Nominees tonight work to empower others, children and young people, older people, people of a migrant background, workers, female students. You work to protect our natural environment, protect our flora and fauna, you remind us of the delicate nature of our planet and ask us to mind it better.
“You raise the voices of the silent. You record the faces of our residents. You seek to improve lives through your skills, experience and perseverance.
“This privileged role of being an elected representative in Drogheda gives us the pleasure of seeing your work first hand and we want to acknowledge that. “Know that we see you and we appreciate the hard work, the extra hours and know that you do make a difference. Drogheda needs people of your calibre, you’re an inspiration to others.”
“As Woodrow Wilson said, there’s no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.
The eleven award recipients are listed belowwith hteir citations.
Drogheda Soroptimists
Soroptimist International is committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide. In working together, they forge true friendship among ourselves.
Alistair McAllister, Drogheda Tidy Towns
Ann Carolan
Ann has been a tireless volunteer in her local community in Tullyallen following her career in the Irish Defence Forces.
She has campaigned for safer roads in the village, abseiled hotels for Irish Guide Dogs, led the Belnumber Wood Walkway project, which has enhanced the lives of many who visit the village and Townley Hall.
Ann works with Tullyallen Access the Glen, Tullyallen Tidy Towns, Tullyallen Community Hall Restoration Group and Glen Emmet’s GFC.
Ann never looks for praise or attention but it’s volunteers like Ann who are the backbone of many communities. Tullyallen is a better place to live due to Ann’s hard work and can-do attitude.
Chloe Kelly – Ballsgrove Youth Club
Recognising the need for services for children and young people in her area, Chloe Kelly at 17 years old, founded Ballsgrove Youth Club in November 2021 while studying Community Work in Drogheda Institute for Further Education.
It started with two members and has presently, 47 children and young people from 7 to 14 years old, who engage with the Ballsgrove youth club each week, which is located in St. Nicholas GFC.
They engage in a diverse range of activities such as games nights, anti bullying initiatives, kindness weeks, movie nights, bingo nights and program based activities such as friendship and minding themselves.
Chloe, in conjunction with Youth Work Ireland also offers a homework club with the parents of all 18 kids reporting drastic improvements in their school life participation.Back in October they completed the “We Love Ballsgrove” mural in collaboration with Love Drogheda.
At 19 Chloe is following her passion further and now currently in her first year of Dundalk Institute of Technology studying Community Youth Work while continuing her volunteer work.
Ejiro Stratton – Hands 4 Unity
Hands4Unity CLG was founded in 2019 in Drogheda. Their mission is to create a more inclusive, equal and open society by engaging in activities that foster a better understanding of different ethnicities, religions and cultures.
The organisation has actively engaged in works that create local, national, and global initiatives which promotes the value of unity, through education, dialogue, and increasing public awareness of the impact of bias, and making resources available to empower individuals and enhance the lives of others.
They have managed to bring the migrant communities together and have also helped them to actively engage with the host community. They have not only done projects here in Drogheda but they have extended their helping hands to communities in the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Cameroun both in Africa and England.
Andy Spearman – Drogheda Life
Andy has had a long career in photography and journalism dating back to the 1970s in Drogheda when he started developing film in Crimmins Studio in Shop Street. He worked in Dublin and Drogheda for various newspapers including The Drogheda Express where the last story he covered was about the Pope’s visit to Drogheda in 1979.
He worked in the humanitarian organisations GOAL and Plan reporting from horrendous humanitarian disdasters in Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Andy started up Drogheda Life over a decade ago and since the beginning his online newspaper has been an important source of daily news and opinion pieces for Drogheda people living both at home and afar. He often works 7 days a week and in all weathers.
Andy is a wonderful supporter of local causes and brings us interesting stories from our rich cultural history. He writes opinion pieces to fight against injustice and unfairness standing up for our community.
Overall, Andy has been of service to the community of Drogheda and our diaspora over many years always standing up for us and promoting our great town in so many different ways.
Bobby McCormack – Development Perspectives.
Development Perspectives are an award-winning charity founded and based in Drogheda by Bobby McCormack and Mog Downey. Their mission is to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change through transformative education and active global citizenship with a vision to live in an equitable and sustainable world. They are the lead partner in a Saolta, Global Citizenship Education programme with Irish Aid, AONTAS, Concern Worldwide, Irish Rural Link and Maynooth University.
Development Perspectives are one of Ireland’s most active organisations focusing on all aspects of development such as Global Goals, Storytelling, Sustainable Living Skills and the Hero’s Journey. DP were part of the pan-European project “Supporting the Integration of the Resettled (STIRE)” to foster cooperation and partnership between resettled migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and their respective host communities in Ireland.
CEO Bobby McCormack won a Global Citizen Award and the charity won an SDG Champion Award from Dóchas in 2017 and in 2022, they won the AONTAS STAR Award for Social Inclusion with their podcast Amplifying Voices. They currently employ 11 staff.
Eric Donovan – boxing champion
For his achievement in Boxing and work in Mental Health. Eric retired from boxing in November 2022 as the reigning EU Super Featherweight Champion.
During his last fight, Eric looked as if he was beaten in earlier rounds but his never-give-up attitude saw him achieve deserved victory in the end.
This fight was a reflection of Eric’s life where he has faced challenges with his addictions. Eric has beaten his demons and uses his experiences to help others with their mental health, self-discovery and reaching their potential.
His work in this area, as in his boxing, shows his strength, courage and resilience.
Austin Byrne – trade union representative and paramedic
Austin Byrne As a Unite trade union representative and paramedic with the National Ambulance Service, Austin Byrne was recently awarded from a medal from UNITE marking over 20 years playing with the National Ambulance Service Pipe and Drum Band.
Austin through his voluntary efforts has made a significant and positive contribution to the development of the Trade Union Movement in Drogheda and County Louth.
Aine Walsh- Boyne Valley Camino
Áine has been volunteering with many different organisations in Drogheda for decades. Her academic background is in environmental science, therefore much of her volunteer work is involved in that sphere.
With her fellow group members, Áine developed the Boyne Valley Camino Trail which has secured ORIS funding to develop way markers, signage, benches and a website. They linked it to an old Celtic Camino way with Ay Coruna in Spain, which is promoting tourism for both countries and is a fundraiser for many charities.
Áine conceived the idea for the Drogheda Walks which includes the 1200 steps and walls walks.
She has been conducting a yearly Coastwatch survey for over 20 years and has been involved in successful national actions to protect the Boyne estuary, including securing a cessation of damage to the mudflats and salt marshes and winning compensatory land for wildlife through court action.
She is a member of Louth Nature Trust and volunteers each summer as a warden for the Little Tern Conservation Project in Baltray and carries out the Annual Daubenton (Waterway) Bat Survey in Drogheda to form part of the ‘batlas’ of Ireland. She has volunteered with Drogheda Tidy Towns for many years in different roles.
Ann Kierans – Drogheda & District Support 4 Older People
Ann has been working in Drogheda & District Support 4 Older People for over ten years and according to her colleagues, she is one of the reasons for the success of this charitable organisation.
Over this time, she has gained the respect, knowledge and confidence of their clients, and the statutory bodies that she works with. Ann helps applicants with the ‘Fair Deal Scheme, organises lifts for hospital visits, is an expert on social welfare benefits, and many other aspects of the various services offered by DDS40P.
Ann is kind, very empathetic, hard working and resourceful which contributes significantly to the health, safety and wellbeing of older people living in our area.
