LGFA announces 2021 Volunteer of the Year winners

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association is pleased to announce the winners of the prestigious 2021 LGFA Volunteer of the Year Awards, in association with currentaccount.ie.

Administrators, coaches and media are among those honoured across 10 categories, with the scheme now in its fifth year.

The award winners will be acknowledged at a special awards function at Croke Park tomorrow (Friday) evening. The event will commence at 7 p.m., with Dáithí Ó Sé performing MC duties.

LGFA president Mícheál Naughton will be present on the night, along with currentaccount.ie representatives, including Mr. Seamus Newcombe (CEO).

The 2021 winners are as follows:

- 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)

Worthy recipient

The Overall Volunteer of the Year Award winner, Kathleen Colreavy from Naomh Mearnóg in Co. Dublin, will receive the Lulu Carroll Award.

This award is named after the late Lulu Carroll, a 2001 All-Ireland senior medallist with Laois who sadly passed away in 2007 following a battle with cancer. During her glittering career, former All-Star Lulu also won eight Leinster senior titles with Laois, six county senior titles with Timahoe, and a provincial crown with her club.

Kathleen is a worthy recipient of the Lulu Carroll Award due to her sterling work with her local club, Naomh Mearnóg, and with the Dublin LGFA in assistant secretary and female liaison officer roles in recent times.

The Volunteer Hall of Fame winner, Mary Hernon from Milltown, Galway, has given phenomenal service to the promotion and development of ladies football in her club, county and province. She is currently vice-chairperson of the Galway LGFA board, Connacht Council secretary, chairperson of the National Regrading Committee, and she also serves on the National Disciplinary Committee.

Paying tribute to the winners, Mr. Naughton commented: “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. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of each and every nominee, whose details we received.

“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.

“We’re also very pleased to be in a position to welcome our sponsors, currentaccount.ie, to Croke Park. They are also sponsors of our All-Ireland Club Championships, which concluded recently for the 2021 season, and they are at the very heart of communities in Ireland, providing an invaluable service through local credit unions.

“This is a wonderful partnership, and one we’re most proud of. Thank you to CEO Seamus Newcombe and his team for their loyal support.”

Commitment

Speaking on behalf of currentaccount.ie, Mr. Newcombe said: “The Volunteer of the Year Awards celebrate the dedication, the passion, and the time commitment put in by grassroots volunteers across the country, and we are delighted to be sponsoring these awards and celebrating their efforts.

“Volunteer-run organisations like the LGFA and credit unions are at the heart of communities throughout Ireland.

“Both organisations are characterised by their not-for-profit ethos and the local community volunteers who give freely of their time to develop and enhance their services for their members.

“Indeed, currentaccount.ie is delighted with this partnership with LGFA. Credit unions and LGFA have a common purpose – to enhance the lives of members and communities, and share similar values based on integrity, inclusiveness, fairness and innovation.

“The sponsorship of these awards and our sponsorship of the All-Ireland Ladies Club Championships and All-Ireland Club 7s blitz day reflects our member credit unions’ commitment to supporting and strengthening local communities solely for the benefit of the people living in these communities.”

Mr. Newcombe concluded: “As we move into a post-Covid world, our member credit unions look forward to continue building better, brighter and more financially stable futures for communities across Ireland.”