TEMPLEBREEDY SOS (Save our Steeple) is the latest monthly winner of this year’s Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Awards.

The campaign was set up to conserve St Matthew’s Church and graveyard in an eco-friendly manner and sheep and goats have been brought in to uncover historic graves.

Some 90% of the graveyard has been invisible for 60 years or more and in some cases, as families couldn’t afford headstones, the graves were completely hidden.

Hundreds of volunteers, including the Camden Fort Meagher volunteers, have uncovered many marker stones and these are being recorded on a Historic Graves website.

Goats were part of Templebreedy SOS’s work last summer, but now sheep have taken control.

For protection, the sheep are surrounded by high fencing, which is moved every seven to ten days to greener pastures.

The group was nominated for the Community Spirit Award as they have given great pleasure to the volunteers, locals, visitors and people living abroad who know that their ancestors’ graves are being looked after.

Cork International Hotel general manager Eoghan Murphy said: “This one-of-a-kind, distinctive initiative is not only an eco-friendly sustainable effort but also a great way to unearth and preserve historic graves.

“The perseverance and hard work by the volunteers has brought a positive change to this area.

“We are delighted to honour Templebreedy SOS with the latest monthly award and we hope they continue with this excellent work.”

The judging panel for the Community Spirit Awards are made up of Carmel Lonergan, group director of operations at Trigon Hotels; Nicola Radley, senior executive officer of the municipal district, operations, and rural development at Cork County Council, and Vincent O’Donovan, publisher of The Carrigdhoun newspaper.

The awards aim to celebrate and recognise the remarkable people within our community who selflessly give their time, talent and dedication to benefit others.

Nominations are now open for next month’s awards via corkinternationalairporthotel.com