Athlone woman picks up top prize at Cathaoirleach Awards

Athlone woman Mona Joyce last week picked up the top prize at the third successive Cathaoirleach Awards in Mullingar. There was a large turn out for the awards, which were held at Belvedere House and Gardens on Thursday, April 30. Outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr Joe Whelan was joined on stage by fellow Moate man and RTÉ pundit Colm Murray who was on hand to help present the awards, which were bestowed in recognition of service to the community. The TV presenter also gave the key note speech. Five winners were chosen from 37 nominees who received merit certificates and from those five, Athlone community volunteer Mona Joyce was chosen as overall winner. Mona was nominated by the ATK Community Centre in Athlone for her involvement in the development of St Kieran"s Community Centre of which she is now chairperson. On the nomination form Mona"s co-workers described her as 'a tireless worker for the community putting a huge amount of work into the town'. Mona has been chairperson of St Kieran"s Community Centre for a number of years, but has been part of the committee for much longer than that. She has been the main driving force behind all the recent growth which has happened in the centre. Refurbishments such as new showers and toilets, a therapy room, office conversions, and the major project of building, staffing and funding the childcare centre would never have come to fruition, or indeed may never have been thought of, without her work and dedication.  She has a deep love for her community and everyone in it. This is obvious by the variety of activities and clubs which are currently taking place and meeting in the centre. She was described as a true volunteer, a woman with great drive, spirit and determination and a wonderful ability to never give up. Mona was one of the winners of an Athlone People of the Year Award the previous weekend. Mona"s fellow nominees included Billy Martin for work in Environment and Heritage, Mullingar"s Bobby Begley for Youth Development, Streete"s Brian Nerney for Active Citzenship and a posthumous award accepted by his daughter Teresa went to James Bermingham for Arts and Culture. Sadly Jimmy passed away recently. He was described by those who nominated them as 'a dedicated voluntary member of Moate branch of Comhaltas'. Tubberclair, Multyfarnham, Kinnegad Community Council, Dalton Park all merited special mention on the awards list as they progress into the finals of the Pride of Place Awards to be held in July. "We bring the library to you", a project undertaken by Tubberclair Foróige and the Aidan Heavey Public Library in Athlone was accepted by teenager Conor Fox. The project, which provides a library service to housebound people in the area, caught the attention of the judges because of the intergenerational aspects involved. Most of the people who benefit from the scheme are senior citizens who have the books of their choice brought to them by teenage volunteers like Conor. Mae McLynn in Athlone Library co-ordinates this with the young people. This inter-generational project makes a valuable cultural and social contribution to the Glasson/Tubberclair area. For the last three years the Cathaoirleach also singles out one person who has made an outstanding contribution in their field for a "Special Recipient Award". After hearing the Cathaoirleach describe the recipient as someone who played hurling for Castletown Geoghegan and football for St Malachy"s, and held various officer posts for his clubs down through the years, before serving as Cathaoirleach of Cumann Luathcleas Gael na hIarmhí and as having served on the National Committee in Croke Park, the audience was left in no doubt that the winner was Séamus ' Faoláin. Chairman of Leinster and National Scór committees and Irish Language Officer of the Westmeath County Board, Seamus has also contributed bi-lingual articles for both provincial and national programmes and also many other GAA publications. 'In his Alma Mater, he is to the forefront in promotion of the GAA and he teaches Irish in St. Mary"s CBS,' said Cllr Whelan. Of the Cathaoirlech"s awards, Cllr Whelan said that it had been the highlight of his year as Council chairman. 'I know some of the nominees have said they are not worthy of an award and couldn"t believe that someone would nominate them,' he said. 'But each and everyone of you are indeed worthy. Unfortunately there are only a limited number of main awards but I will be delighted later on, to present my Certificate of Recognition to each person that has been nominated. 'It was no easy task to select award winners as each person is a winner in their own right and I hope there won"t be any disappointed people tonight.'