Vote for Lily

Now in her 90th year, Enniskerry Resident Lily Kavanagh’s name is synonymous with Wicklow Community Games. So many local children have been welcomed by Lily in Enniskerry and surrounding areas, affording the children the chance to represent Wicklow in the Community Games and on the Leinster and National stage and everyone is very grateful to her.

Anyone who would like to thank and reward Lily can do so by taking two minutes to go online and vote for her in the Aldi Community Games National ‘Golden Volunteer Awards’.

Involved since the group’s inception, Lily has given unfailing service for 45 years and is grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to have worked with so many wonderful people.

Lily was one of a small group that started Community Games in Wicklow in 1972. With no money and a lot to learn, things progressed slowly but with fundraising from céilis and cake sales, home-made hurdles, hand stitched running vests and medals on credit from O’Kelly’s jewellers in Bray, Lily and her friends staged the first Wicklow County Community Games athletic finals in Bray in the summer of 1973.

Encouraged by the success of their first games they arranged start up meetings throughout the county to which Lily trekked tirelessly in a big brown Fiat 125. When Lily’s late husband Robert was asked what time she’d be home, the reply would be: ’Not if I was the wisest man in Ireland could I answer that.’

Lily had clearly struck upon something that resonated through the towns and villages of Wicklow and as each took up the flag, many more sporting and cultural activities were made available and more and more children were introduced to the excitement of Community Games – including a young swimmer from Bray called Gary O’Toole.

Lily rarely missed a meeting, a competition, an awards night or indeed an opportunity to fly the blue and gold of Wicklow. Now that she’s slowing down (a little), Lily is not always able to travel to evening meetings but all information is faithfully relayed, allowing her to continue to share her experience and judgement to ensure that decisions made are in line with the values of the Community Games organisation.

In recognition of her pivotal role in the development and continued success of the organisation, Lily was honoured as Life president of Wicklow Community Games. Lily is a woman who understands the importance of strong community bonds in maintaining a healthy happy society. As grandmother and great grandmother to 24 children she also knows the importance of organisations aimed at the promotion of ‘men’s sana in corpora sano’ in young people.

Anyone who can spare two minutes is asked to log onto independent. ie/goldenvolunteer/#poll and give her your support.