Lord Mayor honours community groups at awards event in City Hall

Six individuals and six organisations in Cork were honoured this week at the annual  Lord Mayor’s Civic, Culture, Community, and Voluntary Awards.

The awards, held on Wednesday at Cork City Hall, saw 12 nominees recognised across a range of categories for their outstanding contributions to the arts, climate action, social inclusion, sport and community development.

Among those recognised with a civic award were Patricia Cotter, a community worker with the SICAP Programme in Cork City Partnership; Damien Cuffe for his community-led restoration of the Moore family home in Ballincollig after a fire last year; Bob O’Donovan, known to most as “Handsome Bob”, for his contribution to soccer in Cork; Olive Morris for her dedication to supporting young people and families; Victor Tabone for his long-term service to Togher Community Association; and John Wiseman for his role in revitalising boxing in Cork.

The Community and Voluntary Award winners included:

The Graffiti Theatre Company in the arts, culture and heritage category;

Togher Tidy Towns in the climate action and sustainable development category;

The Dillon’s Cross Project in the community development and lifelong learning category;

Cork City Athletic Club in the recreation, sport, health and wellbeing category;

Boxing Clever Cork in the social inclusion, advocacy and integration category;

Saoirse — Ethnic Hands On Deck in the social enterprise innovation category.

The overall award on the night was presented to Cycling for All Cork, and the Lord Mayor’s Culture Award was jointly presented to Evelyn Grant and Gerry Kelly in recognition of their lifelong contribution to music, education and community engagement in Cork.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Fergal Dennehy, said the winners represent the best of what this city has to offer its citizens.

“But, in truth,” he added, “all nominees and shortlisted organisations reflect this.”

A special Community Spirit award was also posthumously presented to the late Mark O’Connor, who died earlier this year, and was one of the inspirational founding members of the Cork Dragons.

“Mark’s infectious enthusiasm, energy and humour touched everybody around him and changed their day, week and sometimes life,” said Mr Dennehy.

“It is a huge honour for me to give this award to his family and to let them know we share in their loss and mourn his passing and to let them know how much he meant to the entire city.”

Mr Dennehy also thanked The Echo for serving as media partners and sponsors of the event.

Editor of The Echo and Irish Examiner John O’Mahony said the stories shared and acknowledged at the awards speak to what makes this city, and its people, so great.

“It’s so important that we celebrate and recognise those who give so much of themselves, so often selflessly and tirelessly, to their organisations, communities and the city as a whole and yet ask so little in return,” said Mr O’Mahony.

Chief executive of Cork City Council, Valerie O’Sullivan, said the awards are about acknowledging and rewarding those individuals and organisations for all they do to make Cork a great city to live in.

“Without people and groups like this, Cork City Council simply could not do this work,” she added.