Lord Mayor's Community and Voluntary Awards nominees named

The nominees for the 2025 Cork Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards have been announced.

The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 7, at a gala event in the Concert Hall, City Hall, and will be streamed live on Cork City Council’s website, corkcity.ie, and on the council’s YouTube channel.

Also taking place on the same evening will be the presentation of the Lord Mayor’s Civic Awards and Culture Award 2025.

Speaking of the Community and voluntary awards, Lord Mayor Dan Boyle said: “While it is never an easy task to choose a shortlist from among such an impressive selection of organisations and in truth all organisations are worthy of our attention.

"But I feel those we have chosen are a cross-section of what is best across the broad scope of community and voluntary sector in our wonderful city.”

Uplifting

Gráinne McGuinness, the editor of The Echo, described the awards as one of the most joyous and uplifting events in Cork city each year.

“There are so many people doing tremendous work all around the city, and most of the time their work is unsung,” she said. 

“It’s great to have this opportunity to celebrate the people who make our community and our city what it is."

The Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Award nominees are:

• Arts, culture, recreation, and heritage: Céilí Cois Locha; Mexican Community, Cork; Mockie Ah.
• Climate action, active travel & sustainable development: Ballyphehane Community Association; Blackpool Tidy Village Group; Save Our Bride Otters.
• Community development, and lifelong learning: Ballyphehane Horticultural Course and Community Garden; Clogheen Kerry Pike Community Association; Mahon Community Committee.
• Recreation, sport, heath, and wellbeing: Cork Dragons; Mayfield Men’s Shed; The Change Café — Menopause and Women’s Health Initiative.
• Social inclusion, advocacy, and integration: Brij; Cycling For All Cork; Nasc; UpCork.
• Social services, charities, and environment: Down Syndrome Cork — Field of Dreams; South Parish Old Folks Club; The Hut Youth Project.

The Civic Awards recipients are:

• Siobhan O’Dowd - In recognition of her long-term contributions on community development, inclusion, life long learning and LGBTI+ activism in Cork.
• Maria Young - In recognition of her dedication to environmental sustainability by the encouraging to all of working and interacting with nature.
• Joanna Dukkipati - In recognition of her commitment to supporting and empowering migrant communities through encouraging cultural expression.
• Nora O’Donovan - In recognition of her advocacy and efforts in championing the rights of older people in Cork.
• Jimmy Crowley -  In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the musical landscape of Cork, as a collector and performer of the city’s cultural heritage.
• Graham Clifford - In recognition of his work with Sanctuary Runners, promoting solidarity and inclusion through sport.
• Culture Award recipient: John Spillane - John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, storyteller, poet, dreamer and Irish language enthusiast. His most recent offering Fíoruisce, an Irish language folk opera based on an imagined folk history of Cork’s famous lough, recently won the 2025 folk album of the year award.