Awards celebrated the 450,000 volunteers contributing to
sport in clubs and communities across Ireland
The Federation of Irish Sport recognised a volunteer from
each county, an ‘outstanding contribution’ award and a ‘team of volunteers’ at
the awards ceremony
Galway’s Derek Niland was honoured at the ‘Volunteers in
Sport Awards’, hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport in partnership with EBS,
yesterday (Tuesday 12 November) in Farmleigh House Dublin.
Derek received the Galway sports volunteer of the year award for his
commitment to the Galway Corinthians Rugby Club. The award was presented by
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD.
Derek has contributed countless hours to volunteering with
Galway Corinthians and has had a lifelong love of rugby.
The Volunteers in Sport Awards were created to recognise the
contributions, commitment and dedication of the 450,000 volunteers who give
their time to Irish sport each year.
This equates to approximately 37.3 million hours of volunteering across
Ireland’s 14,000 registered sports clubs and associations.
A total of 34 awards were presented at the ceremony,
including 32 county-level awards, an overall ‘outstanding contribution’ award
and a ‘team of volunteers’ award. Swim
Ireland’s Mary Dunne received the outstanding contribution award and Limerick
based ‘Women on Wheels’ received the ‘team of volunteers’ award.
Commenting at the awards, Mary O’Connor, CEO of the
Federation of Irish Sport, said:
“Sport matters. It contributes to our health, binds us
together as a community and supports the economy, while bringing a sense of
pride to us all.
“This would not be possible without the volunteers who share
their time and expertise on pitches, tracks, gym floors and swimming pools across
the country each and every week. To this
end, the Volunteers in Sport Awards is an opportunity to recognise and
celebrate these volunteers.
“I would like to extend my congratulations to all our award
nominees as we celebrate their contribution to sport across Ireland today.”
Also speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Tourism
and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD said:
“It was a real honour for me to attend the Volunteers in
Sport Awards. As somebody who has been involved in sport at an amateur level since
I was a child myself, I have always marvelled at the commitment that so many
club members show to their communities up and down the country.
“It is a real privilege to recognise the contribution made
by those who do so much for others in fulfilling the less glamorous but most
definitely vital and often overlooked tasks involved in almost any sport you
can imagine. The men and women honoured today may not be household names across
the country but in their own communities they are real treasures. I was
delighted to speak to many of them today. My thanks to the Federation of Irish
Sport and all those who made this ceremony such a memorable occasion for all
the recipients.”
For more information, visit www.volunteersinsport.ie.
