Organisers of Crosshaven triathlon honoured with Community Spirit award

Local Cork shop owners have been described as ‘beacons of spreading joy and unity’ as they are recognised for continued efforts for their community.

Crosshaven Centra owners, Bernard and Ann Lynch are the latest winners of the Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Awards.

The Lynch’s have been organizing the annual Crosshaven triathlon for the past 20 years, which raises funds for local clubs, schools, charities and organisations in the Cork village.

The Community Spirit Awards by Cork International Hotel recognises an outstanding contribution or special achievement made to the community by a group or individual.

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

Those who nominated Bernard and Ann Lynch for the award described the annual triathlon as, “a truly unique gathering that brought the community together with many people volunteering their time to ensure the event was a success.”

2024 marks the couple’s final year of organising the event, as they plan to pass the baton to the Crosshaven Tri Club, who will take over the organising of the event for future years.

General Manager of the Cork International Hotel, Eoghan Murphy said; “Bernard and Ann Lynch are very worthy recipients of a Community Spirit Award, as they have been beacons of spreading joy and unity among their community in Crosshaven over the past 20 years.

“The annual triathlon enabled the community to raise funds for not only local enhancement but also to build community spirit. Their contributions have truly made a positive impact on Crosshaven and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bernard and Ann for their efforts over the years,” Mr Murphy continued.

The judging panel for the Community Spirit Awards are made up of a mixture of representatives from the public and private sector within the community.

The judging panel for this award was Carmel Lonergan, Group Director of Operations of Trigon Hotels, Nicola Radley, Senior Executive Officer, Municipal District Operations & Rural Development at Cork County Council and Vincent O'Donovan, Publisher of The Carrigdhoun Newspaper.

Nominations are now open for next month’s awards.