They've made their mark ...

VOLUNTARY South Westmeath Hospice Committee Nine people who have most definitely left their mark on Athlone in the past decade are the committee members of the South Westmeath Hospice. While there is still no opening date for the South Westmeath Hospice building, located on the grounds of St Vincent's Hospital, the committee has worked tirelessly to bring the project to fruition. The committee members are Patricia Braiden, Ted Carty, Paul Connellan, Maura Harten, Tom Higgins, Tony Lowry, Michael Lucitt, Dr Rose Kirby O'Hanlon and Hazel Reid. The committee was formed in 1994 to increase the provision of palliative care service to people in the South Westmeath area. While the hospice committee funds palliative care services, its biggest undertaking in the past decade was to fund the building of a new hospice on the grounds of St Vincent's Hospital. Construction work on the building was completed at the end of 2008 and the committee then continued its fundraising efforts into 2009 in a bid to kit out the unit. The €1.25m unit consists of four single bed rooms with en-suite, assisted bathrooms and toilets; a standard medical treatment and office accommodation for nursing staff; a dayroom/dining area for patients and a family room for patients to avail of. It will also act as a base for the home care team and suitable office accommodation for a multi-disciplinary home care team including nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, bereavement support worker and a secretary. A day care centre and out patient facility will also be located on the same site. There had been some fears last year that the HSE would not fund staff costs for the unit, as had been the original agreement, but the HSE has since confirmed its intentions to staff the unit. BUSINESS Gallico Developments Gallico Developments, spearheaded by John O'Sullivan, Jim Keane and Tom Donohoe, left a lasting impact on the landscape of the town by creating the Athlone Towncentre. The €345 million, 300,000 sq ft, shopping development opened in November 2007, bringing retail outlets such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Zara to the town for the first time. The Towncentre development was conceived in 2002. After purchasing the three and a half acre site of the Royal Hoey Hotel - which was demolished during the construction of the centre - Mr O'Sullivan completed a deal for further lands from Athlone Town Council. Additional lands were then purchased in order to increase the size of the development. "It's all about scale," said Mr O'Sullivan in 2008. "If we had done a smaller development we would have attracted retailers further down the totem pole. To attract the retailers at the top of the totem pole we needed something of this scale." In 2008, the Towncentre's four-star Sheraton Hotel was opened, and the Gallico developers were nominated in the Rehab 'Athlone People of the Year' awards. However it was the developers' misfortune that the shopping centre's opening coincided with the start of Ireland's economic downturn. Indeed, just days after the centre opened, a Dublin property group's €345 million plan to purchase the Athlone Towncentre was abandoned due to turmoil in the financial markets. ENTERTAINMENT Donna and Joe McCaul Donna and Joseph McCaul may not have contributed to the shape of Athlone as it enters a new decade, but for much of the past decade, they may well have been two of Athlone's most famous citizens. The duo from Marine View made history by becoming the first locals to represent Ireland in the Eurovision in Kiev in 2005, having emerged victorious from the You're A Star television programme. And although, they failed to reach the final, they represented Athlone and their country with pride and distinction abroad - and they brought unbridled joy and fun into the lives of a large section of the local population for a short period. More than that, they showed what it's possible to achieve with commitment, talent and the support of friends, family and the wider community. PUBLIC SERVICE John Walsh It's rare that a public servant helps to shape the growth and development of a town, but Town Clerk John Walsh's 26-year stint at the helm of local government in this town has ensured he has had a pivotal role to play locally. Mr Walsh served as a council official in Westport and Skibbereen before moving to the midlands in 1983 and has been the leading local government official in Athlone since. When feted with a surprise presentation to mark his 25-year anniversary in 2008, he said: "I've been a Town Clerk for the last 36 years and it's a job I really enjoy. Time flies when you're having fun and it doesn't seem like 25 years since I first came to Athlone." The role of town clerk in so many other local councils has been downgraded but John Walsh has ensured the town council in Athlone continues to promote and mould the future of the town in a myriad of progressive and innovative ways. He has played a pivotal role in advancing many of the changes which have occurred in Athlone during his tenure, such as the development of the Civic Centre, the Regional Sports Centre and the Athlone Towncentre project - all projects which have developed in the last ten years. Never one to seek the limelight, his low key persona should not detract from the significant role he has played in driving the town into the second decade of the 21st century. SPORT Páidí " Sé When Kerry football legend Páidí " Sé was sensationally appointed as Westmeath manager towards the end of 2003, the hype machine soon kicked into overdrive. Westmeath reached the O'Byrne Cup final the following January and a record crowd flocked to Cusack Park. And even though Páidí's new charges narrowly lost to old foes Meath in the final of the pre-season competition, the heightened interest in Westmeath football was already very evident. However, some disappointing defeats followed in the National League campaign. Yet the team turned the corner in their final league game, as victory over Mayo safeguarded the county's place in Division 1. Always known for getting the bit between his teeth in time for the championship, Páidí's motivational powers and big match experience proved crucial in Westmeath's historic success in 2004. Victories over Offaly, Dublin and Wexford saw Westmeath reach their first Leinster senior final since 1949. In the Leinster final, Páidí faced his old mentor and friend Mick O'Dwyer, who was then manager of Laois. It took two games to decide the outcome at Croke Park, but Westmeath finally secured their first-ever Leinster senior title, sparking unbridled celebrations in every corner of the Lake County. In the All-Ireland quarter-finals, Westmeath were ended by Derry, but that couldn't take the gloss from a glorious year.