Voting Opens For Cork’s Unsung Hero Of The Year

12 finalists in the running for Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award.

The overall winner of the first Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award is set to be chosen by the people of Cork. There are 12 monthly winners through to the final which will be decided by an online public vote.

Pictured launching the Public Vote for the Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award were Peter Loughnane, Director of Sales Trigon Hotel Group, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Gillian Coughlan, Co-Sponsor Gerald McCarthy of Gerald McCarthy Giftware, Eoghan Murphy, Deputy Manager Cork International Hotel, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher, Jack White, The Carrigdhoun Newspaper and Nicola Radley, Senior Executive Officer, Cork County Council. Pic: Colm Lougheed

The Community Spirit Awards were launched at the start of 2021 to honour the unsung heroes who volunteer and make a significant contribution to their community. Nominations opened to community groups, organisations and individuals in Cork from first-responders to community centres, victim support services to sports groups and those volunteering in the health and disability sectors.

The 12 monthly winners are:

• Carrigaline & District Lions Club

• One Green Village, Crosshaven

• Francis McEveney, Passage West Ladies Football Club

• Jamie O’Toole, Ringaskiddy Tidy Towns

• Elaine O’Regan, Ballygarvan Community Association

• Cork City Missing, Persons Search & Recovery

• The Rainbow Club

• Frontrunners Cork

• Norman Deane, Harlequins Hockey Club

• Bru Columbanus

• Ability@Work’s, Friendly Phones Initiative

• Kilreen Celtic, Underage Coaches

The overall winner will be announced at a special event at the Cork International Hotel.

General Manager of the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan said: “We have been blown away by the calibre of nominations that we have received over the last year. There are so many remarkable people working quietly in every community in Cork selflessly giving up their time to help others. The 12 finalists are made up of volunteers who have raised significant amounts of money for charity, spent thousands of hours cutting grass or have provided vital services to their community. It has been a challenging number of years for everybody which is why we felt it was so important to recognise and highlight the difference these volunteers are making to all our lives.”

The awards are sponsored by The Carrigdhoun Newspaper and Gerald McCarthy Giftware. The judging panel was made up of private and public sector representatives including Carmel Lonergan; Nicola Radley, Cork County Council; Aisling Killilea, Bank of Ireland; Vincent O’Donovan and Jack White, The Carrigdhoun Newspaper.

Eoghan Murphy, Awards Coordinator, Cork International Hotel thanked the judges and sponsors, he said: “We are so grateful to the judging panel for their time and effort each month, it wasn’t an easy job to select the 12 monthly winners such was the high quality of all the submissions. It is wonderful to see such an inspiring mix of groups and individuals in the running to be crowned overall winner and that is thanks to the people who took the time to make a nomination. I would also like to thank the Carrigdhoun Newspaper and Gerald McCarthy Giftware, their sponsorship has made the awards possible. It is now up to the people of Cork to choose the overall winner.”

Online voting is now open, to cast your vote, visit: https://www.corkinternationalairporthotel.com/community-spirit-awards/