Department of Arts Sport and Tourism Announcement

Sparks

From the ICPSA Website. I have to say, we were disappointed that there were no nominees in the NTSA either.

Department of Arts Sport and Tourism Announcement.
Friday, February 16, 2007

Minister John O Donoghue T.D. through the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism has recently presented the inaugural recipients of the "National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport" with their awards.

It is a pity with the long history of outstanding voluntary contributions to the development of the sport of clay pigeon shooting by members within our Association that we did not receive a single nomination to the ICPSA National Executive for consideration with regard to the 2006 awards despite requests for people to do so.

Perhaps the following press release will spur us on to rectify this situation in 2007...



(Back Row Left to Right: Paddy O'Brien, Carmel Winkelmann, Harry Brooks, Eric Reilly, John Flynn, Michael Logue
Front Row Left to Right: Kathleen Sythes, Ronnie Delany, Minister O'Donoghue, Elizabeth Foley)

Unsung heroes of Irish sport finally step into the limelight at gala Farmleigh event.

Volunteers who for years have been the unsung heroes of Irish sport finally stepped into the limelight today (25 January 2007) when they were honoured as the first ever recipients of the new 'National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport'.

The winners of the eight awards were announced and presented with their awards by John O'Donoghue, T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism at a gala function held at Farmleigh House in Dublin.

Scores of the 400,000 people who volunteer their time each year in sustaining and developing sport in Ireland were nominated for the awards scheme since it was launched last August by Minister O'Donoghue to recognise, at national level, the role that volunteers play in their chosen sports and communities.

The task of choosing the award winners was undertaken by a selection committee chaired by Olympic gold medal winner Ronnie Delany and comprising representatives of the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland, the Paralympic Council of Ireland, the Federation of Irish Sports, the National Youth Council of Ireland, the Task Force of Active Citizenship and the County Cork Sports Partnership.

The eight award recipients who are aged between 33 and 80 years have made a remarkable contribution to the development of Irish sport. Some of them have volunteered their services for over 50 years. Their efforts have attracted and encouraged hundreds of people to enjoy athletics, sailing, the Special Olympics, Community Games, skiing, GAA, rugby and soccer (Profiles attached).

Announcing and congratulating the award winners Minister O'Donoghue said: "I am delighted to recognise the immensely important role that volunteers play in sport and to celebrate the well deserved success of the eight award winners. Their boundless enthusiasm, commitment and dedication have been an inspiration to generations of people participating in sport and are an example for us all to follow. Volunteers are the lifeblood of sport in Ireland and it is fitting that we now have a national awards scheme that recognises the enormous contribution they make not just to their clubs but to society at large."

"The 'National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport' present a wonderful opportunity for clubs and sports group to nominate individuals who give voluntary service to sport. In many ways these individuals are the true heroes of Irish sport as they encourage people to participate in sport and inspire those who will eventually go on to play in our national stadiums and to represent the country internationally in competitions up to and including the Olympic Games," he added.

Minister O'Donoghue described the 'National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport' as a first step in acknowledging the valuable contribution made by volunteers in sustaining and developing sport in Ireland in all its forms. "This new awards scheme is intended to raise the profile of volunteerism in Ireland and it is my hope that the awards will provide encouragement to existing volunteers and to those who can make a contribution by volunteering either their time, support or experience to the ongoing development of sport in Ireland."

National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport-Biographies of the winners

John Flynn Nominated by North Tipperary Sports Partnership

John Flynn has been the driving force behind Moyne Athletic Club in Tipperary since the early sixties. He has played a pivotal role in improving facilities in the club, catering not only for young emerging talent but also for those who wish to improve their general health and fitness. One of his great achievements was overseeing the huge voluntary operation to lay a 400m all-weather track which was completed in 1994.

John spends two nights a week working in the gym and another two evenings coaching young athletes. He has been coaching juveniles for over twenty-five years. He recently encouraged women to participate in the Women's Mini Marathon, acting as coach, mentor and even bus driver. In order to encourage exercise in the wider community, John has also devised a series of sports challenges to encourage adults in the area to walk, run and cycle one evening a week during the month of June each year. Moyne Athletic Club is the oldest surviving athletic club in Co. Tipperary and this reputation is largely due to the tremendous voluntary service of John Flynn.

Paddy O'Brien Nominated by Meath Local Sports Partnership

Paddy O'Brien has been involved in the promotion of Gaelic Games in Meath and particularly Navan for over half a century. During this time, he has filled a variety of roles including chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and coach of Navan De La Salle and Navan O'Mahonys hurling and football clubs, as well as serving on the Meath County Board. Paddy has also helped out with stewardship and gate collection at Croke Park and many other Leinster venues.

He has contributed immensely to the community encouraging youngsters to participate in Gaelic Games. Many of the players he has coached over the years have gone on to achieve All-Ireland honours with Meath. His retirement has merely spurred him on to become even more involved in a voluntary capacity, as juvenile coach and grounds coordinator.

Harry Brooks Nominated by the Irish Rugby Football Union

Harry Brooks has served Clontarf Rugby Club in a voluntary capacity, on and off the field, for fifty-three years. A true ambassador for sport and for volunteering, Harry served as Club President in 1981/1982 and was made an Honorary Life Member of the club in 1986.

Harry has also taken scores of new players "under his wing", especially those who have arrived from overseas, and the the fact that many former players still maintain contact with him is a great testament to his impact on the club over the generations. Harry recently made Clontarf's floodlight facilities available to Na Fianna GAA club highlighting his commitment not only to rugby but to the promotion of sport in general. He previously achieved the distinction of being named Leinster Rugby's Volunteer of the Year.

While he is best known to generations of players for "running the line" Harry is especially regarded for his outstanding work in single-handedly maintaining the clubs pitches. Although he is now 80 years old, Harry gave up the summer of 2006 to undertake all of the remedial pitch work without employing a contractor, saving the club significant expense. His weekly schedule of pitch repair, rolling, grass cutting and pitch marking is now part of his almost legendary weekly schedule at the club.

Eric Reilly-Nominated by Mayo Sports Partnership

A native of Mayo, Eric Reilly has been volunteering with Erris United Soccer Club in Belmullet for the past fourteen years. Eric is currently manager of the senior, under-18 and under-10 teams. Initially there was no under-10 league in Mayo but Eric took it upon himself to organise under-10 training and challenge matches with other clubs. Eric has also served as Vice-Chairman, Public Relations Officer and Youth Secretary for the past number of years in addition to coaching, transporting teams, cleaning the clubhouse and maintaining pitches. He was at the forefront of the fundraising effort in the 1990's to purchase a field, develop it and build a clubhouse and is now planning an extension to the playing area.

Eric, who is married with three children, always manages to find time to play a leading role in the ongoing development of Erris United and his voluntary efforts played a huge role in the club receiving The Meitheal Muigheo Award in 2006.

Carmel Winkelmann-Nominated by the Irish Sailing Association

Carmel Winkelmann has been instrumental in the promotion and development of sailing in Ireland for several decades. As Chairperson of the ISA Junior Organiser Committee, she was a founder of the ISA Training Schemes and organised the first ISA Junior Training Scheme in Ireland in 1967. Carmel currently plays a vital role in the ISA Race Management Advisory Committee ensuring that race management personnel in Ireland operate to the highest international standards. For the past twenty years, Carmel has also organised racing for Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Twice a week over the summer months, one of the biggest racing series takes place in Dublin Bay with over 300 boats and several hundred sailors competing.

Over the years, Carmel has proved to be most innovative in all her volunteer and committee work. Her commitment and dedication has had a major impact on sailing not only in Dublin but throughout the whole country.

Michael Logue-Nominated by the National Community Games

Michael Logue has been involved with the Cranford Athletic Club in Donegal for over forty years and has been the driving force behind the organisation and development of Community Games in the area since 1987. During that time Cranford has won an impressive 32 medals at national level. Fourteen of these medals were gold and Michael personally trained the indviduals who collected 12 of them. He has worked tirelessly at local level, county and national level for the greater good of the sport and had provided local children of all ages and skills with the opportunity to compete on the national stage and to become national champions.

His commitment to promoting Community Games at local and county level while also acting as a national official and county co-ordinator at the National finals is matched by a commitment to always making time to coach local children. His efforts have helped young local cyclists to an impressive 32 medals in the past 19 years. Michael has ensured that even in a small rural area of Ireland, people from different backgrounds and of different abilities can be brought together to participate and compete in a variety of sports including badminton, athletics and indoor soccer. His selfless dedication was rewarded in 2005 when he received a Volunteer Recognition Award and he continues to set an example for others to follow.

Kathleen Sythes-Nominated by the Ski Club of Ireland

Kathleen Sythes has been voluntarily teaching skiing in Ireland for over thirty years and has played a leading role within the Ski Club of Ireland, teaching blind skiers, Special Olympics World Winter Games athletes and disabled and special needs skiers. Her involvement in teaching blind and visually impaired skiers began over 21 years ago when she learned how to ski blindfolded so that she could help a blind nine year old youngster who had won a Ski Club raffle for free skiing lessons to avail of his prize. That youngster is still skiing today.

Kathleen has enabled many people to enjoy a sport that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to do. She have been involved in the National Council for the Blind Ski Challenges since 1994 and has overseen fourteen trips for blind skiers to Austria and managed their training on a voluntary basis

Kathleen has been working with Special Olympic athletes since 1994 and was head coach to the Irish team that won ten Special Olympics World Winter Games medals in Canada in 1997. She also led the Irish team to further hauls of medals at the 2001 Games in Alaska and the 2005 Games in Japan and is currently preparing the Irish team for the 2009 Games in the USA.

Kathleen's impact on skiing in this country has been tremendous and the fact that Ireland is a serious force to reckoned with at the Special Olympics Winter Games is a testament to her tireless devotion to the sport.

Elizabeth Foley-Nominated by Special Olympics Ireland

Elizabeth Foley has been volunteering in the area of Special Olympics for more than twenty-five years. During that time, she has volunteered at area, regional and national games, has travelled extensively as support to Team Ireland, and has assisted in the staging of the 2003 Special Olympics held in Ireland. If versatility is the mark of a true volunteer, then that mantle rests easily on Elizabeth's shoulders as, among many other undertakings, she has coached, umpired, been involved in committees, recruited other volunteers, made tea, and fundraised.

In the 1980s, she founded Glenalbyn Special Olympics Table Tennis Club which has now become the Carmona Cougars. Many of the athletes have achieved medals over the years from club participation ribbons to World Games gold. More importantly, however, through Elizabeth's tremendous voluntary effort, all can be said to have achieved their true potential.