Launch of Westmeath Examiner Community and Sports Awards
The team at the Westmeath Examiner would like to thank the sponsors who are supporting the new Westmeath Examiner Community and Sports Awards 2024, and say that we were delighted to meet them at the launch event in the Mullingar Park Hotel last week.
The awards are designed to acknowledge the work done by individuals, groups and sporting clubs in our community, and everyone is invited to nominate those who they think are deserving.
A beautiful spring morning warmed the gardens at last week’s launch in the Mullingar Park Hotel, where the Examiner team (Claire Vaughan, sales; Mary McGuigan, Celtic Media; Damien Maher, sports editor; and Brian O’Loughlin, editor) greeted the guests, and hotel staff provided welcome tea and coffee.
Representing the sponsors were Conor Fagan, CK Recovery Hub, Mullingar; David Scally, administrator, and Kevin McGillicuddy, communications officer, Westmeath Sports Partnership; Ciaran Murtagh, managing director, Shay Murtagh Precast; Sandra McCann, office manager, Darren Holmes, director, and Andrea Buckley, marketing executive, ORS; Niall Mitchell, marketing executive, Breedon Group, and Garrett Ghee, plant manager, Breedon Cement, Kinnegad; Mick Garvin, regional manager, Atlantic Care, and Jonathan Acton, managing director, Atlantic Care Ireland; and Annette Barr Jordan, Westmeath County Council. Also present as a guest was Frank Mescall, chairperson of Westmeath GAA County Board.
Mary McGuigan, Damien Maher and Brian O’Loughlin addressed the guests. Mary gave the formal welcome and expressions of gratitude to the sponsors and in particular to those who had taken time out of busy schedules to attend the launch. Damien and Brian added their thanks, and gave brief explanations of the award categories – see below.
Award Categories
Social Enterprise of the Year
A social enterprise or social business does not have profit has its only goal; instead it seeks to maximise profits while maximising benefits to society and the environment. Profits are principally used to fund social programmes. Do you know of a business who would deserve this award? If you do, please nominate it today.
Club of the Year
This award will go to a club who make a difference to their locality and the people who live there. It could be a sporting club or a social club, but it will be a club who matter.
If you would like to acknowledge a group who make a difference and enhance local lives, nominate them now and give them the accolade they deserve.
Carer of the Year
Caring is a role that can be unrecognised or under-recognised, but without the work of these exceptional people, society would not function and the healthcare system would be under even greater pressure. It might a family member or someone else who goes beyond the call of duty – if you would like to see them receive public recognition for their efforts, nominate them today.
Unsung Hero
The unsung hero in your community is the person who does great work but receives little or no recognition for it.
Mostly, such people are not interested in the recognition; they do what they do because they love doing it and because they know it makes their community a better place.
Their preference to remain in the background does not mean, however, that we ignore them; we appreciate what they do, and this award gives a chance to show that publicly.
Young Sports Star of the Year
For the young sports star we will consider the dedication and commitment of young sports people in Westmeath, which is truly extraordinary and this award will celebrate the great talent we have in our community.
It’s something we can all be very proud of and the many young people who participate are an inspiration to everyone.
Outstanding Achievement of the Year
In the Outstanding Achievement of the Year, we will focus on the immense effort people go to in order to achieve great things and the sacrifice they make in their quest for glory.
It’s not necessarily about being successful: these people can be great ambassadors for their sport and for their community and we want to recognise the great impression they are making through their chosen sport.
Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame award is an opportunity to recognise the great leaders we have in our community, those who are there to support our sports people and give the kind of help and advice that is essential. These volunteers are crucial to our great sporting community and it’s great to recognise the contribution they are making.
Team of the Year
Finally, we will honour our Team of the Year. This is open to all clubs in the county and we will look at why our chosen team is deserving of such an award. All sports will be considered, including Gaelic football and hurling, camogie, rugby, hockey, basketball, angling, golf or darts, or indeed any other discipline deemed worthy of an award.
Team sport brings great joy to so many and can give small parishes and communities a great sense of identity and pride.