Hospice Committee named 2010 Athlone People of the Year

The South Westmeath Hospice Committee was last week unveiled as the 2010 Athlone People of the Year at a gala event in the Radisson Blu Hotel. Eight award winners were honoured on the night and the hospice committee was then announced as the overall winner by compere Brendan Grace. The South Westmeath Hospice Committee received a standing ovation from the 350-strong crowd as they took to the stage to receive their award from Mayor of Athlone Cllr Mark Cooney and Westmeath Independent editor Tadhg Carey. Accepting the award on behalf of the committee Dr Tony Lowry said: "It's been a great honour and privilege for us to be involved with the hospice since 1994. In the last three years we have had such support from the local community." "It's a credit to the community. We're just a front for the people who did the hard work in the community," added Dr Lowry. "To all of you thank you for your help." Each of the award winners spoke briefly to Brendan Grace. Carmel Devaney, who was honoured for her work with the Carers' Association, laughed and joked with the comedian as she accepted her award. Honoured for his work with Moate Boxing Club, Seamus Dorrington said he was delighted to receive the award. "I'd like to thank the Rehab committee for presenting it to me and the people who nominated me," he said. Gerry McHugh, honoured for his work on the local soccer scene said: "This is a huge honour for me. I've enjoyed every moment of my life since I came to Athlone, it's been a pure joy for me. A night like this has been super, it's great to spend a night like this with friends and family, clubs and organisations." Kate Murphy Flynn received an award for her work with the Rebuild for Bosnia charity. She said: "I want to say thanks very much to my family, friends, Rehab, the town council and everybody in Athlone, this award is for them." Kay O'Connell, who received an award for her work with Athlone GAA Club, told Brendan Grace she had so many flowers at the moment she would need half a dozen vases for them. "I want to thank those who proposed me. I'm delighted to receive it. I get great pleasure in looking after the children of Westmeath and the footballers," she said. Tom O'Connor was honoured for his contribution to Irish dancing in Athlone. Accepting his award he said: "I want to thank the organising committee of Rehab, the town council and the Westmeath Independent. Thanks to my two nominators, who are here tonight." Geraldine Parker, who spearheaded a campaign to arm schools and organisations locally with defibrillators after losing her son Tony to sudden adult death syndrome, said a heartfelt and emotional thank you to everybody as she received her award. Padraig Lydon from Rehab thanked all those in attendance as well as the sponsors of the 2010 Athlone People of the Year Awards, without whom the awards wouldn't happen. "The Athlone People of the Year Awards seek to honour the outstanding contributions of people in our town in making it a better place to live, in bringing joy to our hearts and in enhancing the quality of people's lives. I think it's also fair to say that in difficult times that the true grit, character and determination of Athlone people comes to the fore." Addressing the crowd on the night, Mayor Mark Cooney said: "We can now look back on six successful years where ordinary people who have done extraordinary things have been identified by their fellow citizens and publicly recognised and honoured by Rehab at these awards." Paying tribute to the award winners he said: "All of the award winners are motivated by concern for others and this is reflected in the unselfish time and work that they commit to their causes. They are the unsung heroes of our community who go about doing their good deeds in a quiet and unassuming way and do not seek the limelight for themselves. These awards, hopefully, send a message to others in our community which will encourage them to become involved in voluntary organisations and contribute to the betterment of our society. Given the challenges facing our country this contribution is needed more than ever before." Westmeath Independent editor Tadhg Carey said: "It's easy to understand why this event has captured the public imagination. Firstly, it's all about celebrating local people; but it's also about recognising the community and voluntary sector. We all know people like our eight award winners tonight; people who work tirelessly often behind the scenes to keep clubs, organisations and charities ticking over. And in gathering here tonight to honour these particular eight winners, we are really celebrating a vibrant community spirit and a strong sense of volunteerism." "In the Westmeath Independent these awards are particularly close to our hearts as the winners are chosen from nominations submitted by the general public. This is a community honouring its own. As a community newspaper, the Westmeath Independent is particularly pleased to both sponsor and promote this event," he added.