Moate CS teacher to be honoured with LGFA award

Fidelma Quinn of Moate Community School has been chosen as one of the winners in the 2021 LGFA Volunteer of the Year Awards.

The Moate CS teacher and football coach has been selected as the School Coach of the Year. Fidelma is one ten winners in the awards scheme, organised in association with currentaccount.ie.

The award winners will be acknowledged at a special function at Croke Park tonight (Friday), February 11. The event will commence at 7pm, with broadcaster Dáithí Ó Sé performing MC duties.

A native of Ballygar, Co. Galway, Fidelma is a daughter of Josephine and the late Kevin Nolan. Fidelma previously played with St Brendan's in Galway and has represented Moate ladies in recent years. Her late father Kevin managed many teams over the years and Fidelma certainly inherited his passion for the game.

Fidelma is married to Fergus and the couple live in the Castledaly area with their three children, Aoibheann, Oisín and Fionn.

Moate CS have enjoyed considerable success in ladies football in recent times, with Fidelma very much at the heart of it all. Fidelma was a coach with Moate CS teams which won two Leinster Senior 'A' titles, in addition to an All-Ireland Junior ‘B’ crown in 2019.

Moate retained their Leinster crown with a thrilling win over Loreto, Navan last month and are now preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final against the Ulster champions. Fidelma is joined in the management team by Niall Daly, Michelle Doyle and Patrice Smyth.

Cormac McNally of Roscommon LGFA is also among the award winners, while the Overall Volunteer of the Year award winner, Kathleen Colreavy of Naomh Mearnóg (Dublin), will receive the Lulu Carroll award. This award is named after the late Lulu Carroll, a 2001 All-Ireland medallist with Laois who sadly passed away in 2007, following a battle with cancer. See below for all the winners.

Paying tribute to the winners, Ladies Gaelic Football Association President Mícheál Naughton said: “We’re delighted once again to announce and honour the winners of our LGFA Volunteer of the Year awards, in association with currentaccount.ie.

“Having held our 2020 awards in a virtual setting, it’s wonderful to be in a position where we can welcome our winners, guests and representatives from currentaccount.ie to Croke Park. This is an evening that has become one of the most enjoyable on our annual calendar, and we’re looking forward to seeing everybody on the night.

“During incredibly challenging times, our winners have provided magnificent and selfless service to the LGFA, in various roles.

“We received huge numbers of nominations in each category, and settling on a list of winners was not an easy task, I can assure you.

“Without the work of our volunteers, our Association could not function as it does. Our winners and nominees, are a credit to themselves, their families, clubs, counties, provinces and international units. We thank them most sincerely," Mícheál added.

2021 LGFA Volunteer of the Year Awards

Young Volunteer of the Year – Chloe Callaghan (Termon, Donegal).

School Coach of the Year – Fidelma Quinn (Moate Community School, Westmeath).

Club Coach of the Year – Bert Gilmartin (Old Leighlin, Carlow).

Local Journalist of the Year – Derrick Lynch (Clare FM).

PRO of the Year (Élena Byrne, Kilkenny LGFA).

Club Committee Officer of the Year (Carolyn Mullane, Passage West, Cork).

County/Provincial Officer of the Year (Cormac McNally, Roscommon LGFA).

International Volunteer of the Year – Eva Scanlon (Tir Chonaill Gaels, London).

Overall Volunteer of the Year (Lulu Carroll award) – Kathleen Colreavy (Naomh Mearnóg, Dublin).

Volunteer Hall of Fame – Mary Hernon (Milltown, Galway).