Local legends say thank you to our volunteers
A host of local legends, including Johnny Logan and Colin O’Donoghue have come together to say a huge thank you to those in the county who have given of their time to make the lives of others better.
So many events have fallen victim to the global pandemic, and this week should have seen the start of National Volunteering Week right across the country.
Now taking place in September, the hugely active and creative volunteer sector in Drogheda and Co Louth as a whole are still marking the date by thanking volunteers and showing them how much they are appreciated by their community.
“National Volunteering Week is a time when we celebrate the contribution of volunteers in our communities, who have been an essential part of the response to the COVID-19 crisis,” says Gráinne Berrill, Manager of Louth Volunteer Centre. “Every day, all across Louth there are volunteers delivering groceries, meals, prescriptions and newspapers to people who are vulnerable or cocooning; there are children writing letters to older people; there are volunteers making masks to protect vulnerable people; voluntary services such as the Red Cross are bringing people to essential hospital appointments; not to mention people checking in on neighbours who are on their own and so much more.”
Louth is known as the Land of Legends, with stories from the Táin cycle and legends such as Fionn MacCumhaill and the Salmon of Knowledge all coming out of the wee county. But legends walk among us every day – volunteers.
“We couldn’t allow what should have been the start of
National Volunteering Week, and the first day of the first phase of reopening Ireland, pass without thanking our local volunteers, who are legends in our own communities,” adds Grainne. “So we put out a call for local legends to say a few words of thanks and appreciation. The really positive response is a sign of the high regard volunteers are held in.”
From the world of sports Ireland stars Steve Staunton and Rob Kearney were quick to send in a video, as did Louth GAA Captain Bevan Duffy and Louth LGFA Captain Aoife Byrne. Drogheda United was also eager to express their thanks to volunteers in the community with Sean Brennan thanking volunteers for their ‘unbelievable work’. They also had a fantastic response from stars from the world of entertainment and the team were thrilled when they received a video from Drogheda boy Colin O’Donoghue who has played literal legend Captain Hook in Once Upon a Time and is now starring in The Right Stuff. Zoe Conway was another and Johnny Logan – especially with this being Eurovision Week - he even sang Hold me Now before thanking all Louth volunteers for looking after us all.
You can submit stories, photos and videos on the website www.volunteerlouth.ie More details at info@volunteerlouth. ie or 0419809008.