Mallow and District Hall of Fame and Community Award winners
Announced CHOOSING THE RECIPIENTS PROVED TO BE A TOUGHER TASK THAN EXPECTED DUE TO THE ‘HIGH STANDARD OF NOMINEES’
THE “amazing” work of a north Cork-based first responder group and the dedication of a couple who have been described as “the backbone” of a local athletics club have been honoured with prestigious accolades.
The organising committee of The Corkman and AIB sponsored 2019 Mallow and District Sports and Leisure Awards this week unveiled The Doneraile, Buttevant and Mallow (DBM) Community First Responder Scheme as the winner of their 2019 Community Award.
They also announced that Tim and Esther Fitzpatrick of Liscarroll AC, will become their latest Hall of Fame inductees, celebrating their dedication to the club over more than a quarter-of-a-century.
The recipients will be presented with their awards at a glittering ceremony taking place in the Springfort Hall Hotel, Mallow, on Saturday, March 2.
Speaking to The Corkman this week committee spokesperson Roisin Moriarty said choosing the awards winners was no easy task given the “exceptionally high standard of nominees this year”.
“Because of this, the deliberations took longer than expected but we are delighted to have chosen these worthy winners who have done so much tremendous work over the years for the communities they serve,” said Roisin.
Established in 2014 by Gerard Sheehan, DBM’s modus operandi is as simple as it is effective, with a trained team of volunteers on call 24/7 to respond to calls to the HSE’s Ambulance Control relating to cardiac arrest, chest pain, choking or stroke.
If an ambulance tasked at the same time arrives to the scene first the responders will stand down. If not the team will treat and stabilise the patient until the ambulance team arrive.
“Its primary aim is to provide an early response through primary lifesaving treatment and support. Since its foundation, the scheme has responded to more than 800 calls. Two local families still have their loved ones with them as a result of their interventions,” said Roisin.
“We are very proud to announce the DBM First Responder scheme as this year’s Community Awards winner. They do amazing work on a daily basis, that a lot of people in the community would be unaware of. We believe the award will act as a wonderful platform to create awareness of groups like the first responder scheme,” she added.
Tim and Esther Fitzpatrick have been associated with the Liscarroll Athletic Club for the past 26 years. Esther is club secretary, a position she has held since 1992, and Tim is PRO, with both also actively involved in the coaching side at the club.
Esther is currently the Munster Athletics administration secretary and both Tim and Esther are and have been members of the National Juvenile Committee of the Athletics Association of Ireland for many years.
“The Fitzpatricks became involved in the club when their own children were starting out in athletics and over the years have helped give hundreds of young people the confidence and ability to compete at the very highest level of the sport,” said Roisin.
“They are always there on competition days to encourage the children to believe and achieve their goals. The Fitzpatricks are truly the backbone of this very successful club and it is for this reason that we are delighted to announce them as the 2019 Hall of Fame inductees,” she added.
Meanwhile, the deadline for the receipt of nominations for the 2019 awards has been extended until Friday, February 1. As in previous years, nominations are being accepted across three categories: Youth, Adult Sport and Club Person of the Year, with Hall of Fame and Community Awards being selected by the organising committee.
“We are once again calling on the people of Mallow, Mourneabbey, Kilshannig, Ballyclough, Buttevant, Doneraile and Killavullen to nominate the unsung heroes they believe are worthy of recognition for their hard work and achievements that inspire those around them and make their communities such great places to live and work in,” said Roisin.