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The Newry and Mourne Civic Awards took place last night in the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre.
Sixteen inspirational individuals were honoured this year and included Crotlieve natives Josephine and Sean O'Hare; St John Bosco boxers Kane and Jake Tucker; Runner Aslinn Crossey; Sacred Heart boxers Jordan Chambers, Cathal Jennings and Conor Wallace; Swimmer Peadar Connolly; Angler Ashlyn McCabe; Dancers Mia Lyons Magill and Marie-Claire O’Connor; Crossmaglen community stalwart Edna Hand; Bessbrook community volunteer Derek Livingstone; Burren community worker Teenie Wilson and Housing Executive Manager, Jim Bagnal.
The Awards are designed to honour individuals and organisations who have in their own unique way have been wonderful ambassadors for Newry and Mourne.
Speaking at the Awards Ceremony Mayor Michael Ruane said “I speak on behalf of the Council and the community when I say we are immensely proud of the remarkable people who are present here tonight.
These awards give us the opportunity to officially thank you for your hard work and commitment. It is a privilege to be able to pay homage to you, both for your achievements and for the wonderful work you do on a voluntary basis.
We want each of you to know that you are the pride of Newry and Mourne and that your achievements do not go unrecognised.
We in Council have an important role to play and I am proud of my Council’s record to date in the provision of cultural and leisure facilities as well as our financial contributions to the community and voluntary sector. This we believe will enhance and enrich the lives of our citizens and will encourage and foster the talents which are evident in our community.
To all of you may I say thank you and well done. On behalf of my Council I wish each and everyone of you great success and I have no doubt you will all continue to be great ambassadors for the Newry and Mourne area.
Josephine and Sean O’Hare
We are all well aware of the sterling work both Josephine and Sean carried out for the people of Crotlieve during their time on the Council. Josephine represented the Crotlieve area for 4 terms and had the distinction of becoming the first, and indeed what will prove to be the only woman to be Chair of Council in 1999/2000. When Josephine retired from Council for family reasons, Sean was co-opted in her place and served for three years.
However, tonight Josephine and Sean are being recognized for their tremendous voluntary contribution to Mayobridge. Sean played football for the Club from 13 years of age and started as leader in charge in St. Patrick’s Youth Club in 1973 and worked as a youth worker for 40 years. During that time he also helped in the management and when the youth club and community association joined, he became secretary and later Chairman, a position he holds to this day.
Both Sean and Josephine were very heavily involved in the extension and refurbishment of the Youth and Community Centre in 1999. Sean managed the project and Josephine assisting with sourcing the funding for the work.
Sean has been heavily involved with the Gaelic Club, he has managed underage football teams. In community games he managed ClocMor teams to Ulster titles and 2 All Ireland under 13 football titles, as well as Ulster titles in volleyball, judo and draughts.
Josephine after coming to Mayobridge played camogie winning 2 County medals and after he playing days she coached both under age and senior teams for 25 years. She was Chair of the Mayobridge Camogie Club for many years and represented the Club on the Down Camogie Board. She has also been a youth worker in the Mayobridge Club for many years, taking part and organizing exchanges, as well as being involved in the wide variety of activities offered to the local youth. She then moved into the management of the Club, retiring a few years ago after 30 years service.
Kane and Jake Tucker
Kane began boxing at the St. John Bosco Boxing Club at the age of 6 and from a young age he showed promise boxing well in all his exhibition contests. All young boxers can’t officially compete until the age of 11 and Kane entered the 9 County Novice Championships and had his first contest on the 5th October 2011. This contest ended with Kane stopping his opponent in the second round and to date Kane has stopped 10 of his 29 opponents before the final bell and he was awarded the John Fearon Memorial Trophy for the best Bosco ABC boxer last season when along with his brother Jake they made history in becoming the first two brothers to win an Irish title within 24 hours of each other.
Jake began boxing at the very young age of 5 and from the minute he lifted a pair of boxing gloves it was evident that he would win an Irish title. His natural ability at such a young age was unbelievable and after his first competitive season won the Albert Uprichard trophy being voted by all the coaches in Armagh and Down as being the best boxer in the counties.
Both Kane and Jake have amassed an impressive list of title, I have counted at least 30 titles between them, and have represented their country on numerous occasions. Both boys now train weekly with the Irish Elite Schoolboy team in Dublin’s high performance gym.
Asilinn Crossey : Running
Although Aislinn was awarded the Junior Sports Award in last year’s Sports Personality Awards, it was felt that her achievement in winning the Irish National Senior 800m title should not go unrecognized.
Aislinn has been running in cross-country Championships since she was 12 years old and it soon became obvious that her talent would take her further than local competition. Since then she has won numerous championships and I have been told there are a number of possibilities on the horizon for Aislinn including the World Junior Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Cathal Jennings, Jordan Chambers and Conor Wallace, Sacred Heart Boxing Club
Cathal Jennings
Cathal jointed the Sacred Heart ABC just 2 years ago when he was almost 16. Under the guidance of his coaches Seamus and Owen he pregressed quickly and entered his first competition in September 2012 when he won the Antrim Novce Intermedite title, followed by the Ulster Novice Intermediate title. Cathal went on to win the All Ireland Novice Intermediate title in January 2013.
Cathal has also presented Antrim again a Scottish select team. He was selected to represent Ulster in Lemesia International Box Cup in Cyprus where he defeated the Ukrainian No. 3. This season Cathal has won many titles and with the continued support of his coaches he hopes to build on these achievements and have even greater success in the years ahead.
Jordan Chambers
Joran has been boxing nearly 4 years and has successfully achieved great titles. He has won 3 Ulster titles, 3 Mid Ulster titles and 2 All Ireland Titles. He also represented Ireland in Cyprus this summer and he won best boxer when representing Ireland again America in the Belfast last November.
Conor Wallace
In September last Connor Wallace completed his hat-trick of All-Ireland titles at the National Stadium in Dublin. He is also a five time Ulster Champion as well as winning numerous other titles.
Conor has also represented Ireland on five occasions in Russia, Cyprus, USA and England and he is at present training in Dublin with the Elite Squad for the 2016 Olympic in Rio.
Peadar Connolly : Swimming
Peadar is a member of the Down Syndrome International Swimming Swimming Organisation and his first experience of DSISO was back in 2008 when he travelled to the World Championships as an Independent NI Team under the supervision of his parents Peter and Patricia along with Kevin Murray from Armagh Special Olympics Club.
Peadar’s achievements at that event were noted by Team Ireland after winning 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze medals and he was approached to join Team Ireland. In 2012 Peadar along with Team Ireland travelled to Itlay and his person tally was 1 Gold and 2 Bronze medals.
Since then Peader trains 3-4 times a week in Newry Swimming Pool with his father Peter as his un-official coach and he joins the Ireland team once a month in Dublin to discuss progress and coaching requirements.
Peadar has just returned from Portugal after competing in the European Games which will hopefully lead to him qualifying for the World Championships in Mexico in 2014. Peadar achievements this year in the European Games were outstanding where he won Gold, Bronze and Silver.
And we certainly hope to be cheering Peadar on in Mexico later this year.
Ashlyn McCabe : Fishing
Ashlyn displayed a keen interest in fishing from a very young age. As far back as she can remember her Dad Thomas had Ashlyn and her syster out on the banks of Camlough Lake, teaching them the basics of pike angling. It was always something they enjoyed and right from the start both the girls were entered into many junior pike fishing events.
Her first competition was the Junior Pike Angling Nationals when she was just 6 years old and both she, her sister and cousin all managed to make it to the finals but unfortunately due to bad weather they couldn’t compete in the finals.
However, at the age of 12 Ashlyn again entered the Junior Pike Angling National and although she got to the finals, didn’t win anything. Undeterred, last year, at the age of 13 she again entered, this time moving up an age group to join the Under 18 category.
68 boys and girls from all over Ireland competed for the title and although heavy rain and wind made fishing conditions difficult, Ashlyn went on to top a highly competitive field and take the Under 18 Title and be placed first in her team event. She is also the first female to lift the cup and the first to bring the title to Newry.
Mia Lyons Magill and Marie-Claire O’Connor : Dance
Two young ladies and 11 years old, both have been dancing since they were 4 and are students of Morgan Theatre Arts. In July 2013 they beat off stiff competition from all over the world to be crowned World Champions in the Tap Duet section of the Dance World Cup in Brighton. Their success was even more remarkable given that they were the youngest competitors and were competing against others 3 years their senior.
They were honoured to be chosen to represent Northern Ireland and to perform their winning number at a Grand Gala Evening to close the Dance World Cup.
This is not the girls only success. Mia also came fourth in the solo tap section and Marie-Claire came fourth in the solo song and dance section. In 2012 Mia won the solo tap section and marie-Claire came second both in the tap and song and dance sections.
More recently both girls have been chosen to dance with the English Youth Ballet in their production of Sleeping Beauty in the Grand Opera House in April.
Edna Hand: Community : Crossmaglen Rainbow Club
Edna joined the Rainbow Club which is an non-denominational Club, almost 40 years ago which was then known as Crossmaglen Committee for the Handicapped. The Club provides recreation and social outings for people with disabilities, older people and anyone who wishes to come along. They hold a weekly Social Club known as “The Thursday Club”, seasonal parties, outings and summer holidays.
Most importantly support is offered to carers and the Committee can act as advocates for Carers on wider issues, e.g. Day care provision, etc.
The Club aims to promote normalization and acceptance of people with disability, enabling them to enjoy life and take their rightful place in their community and in Society.
Edna had a fulfilling career as a Social Worker with the Southern Trust and is a wife, and grandmother to 6 grandchildren. She enjoys her work as a volunteer with the Club and has served as an Officer for most of her time there. She enjoys the support of fellow committee members who have become true friends and says – Its all a Team Effort and it works well.
Derek Livingstone: Community
A native of Bessbrook, having worked with Bessbrook Spinning Company until its closure, Derek has played a valuable role in community life within the south Armagh village.Always seeking to make a contribution, in a voluntary capacity, he has used his motivational and influencing skills to keep things ‘ticking over’ for many organizations. He was a founding member, tutor and Pipe Major of Bessbrook Crimson Arrow Pipe Band and has been involved with Bessbrook Bowling Club since its inception. For most people, he is however best known as the caretaker of Bessbrook Town Hall.
In the most underrated position, he is dependable and trustworthy and always available to open up the building and prepare it for the events and groups that use the building. He is the embodiment of what good community relations is all about. Never a complaint, he is the man working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure community life seamlessly goes about its business.
Teenie Wilson
Teenie has been a community worker at the Burren Heritage Centre since 1998, prior to which she worked in a voluntary capacity for Hilltown Community Association. Teenie returned to education at the age of 45 and gained her Diploma in Community Development Practices.
Teenie was the main catalyst for the groups set up under the umbrella of Burren Community Forum, which included a Farmers Group, weekly music session, computer classes, as well as other classes.
Teenie has contributed to the local community by arranging fund raising concerts, supporting local charities, bi-annual clean up days and carol services. She is a great support and help to all the groups in Burren like the Busy Bee Play Group, Carrick Preschool, Burren Womens Group, Burren Luncheon Club to name but a few.
She is a link between the local community and a range of loal authorities, funders and voluntary sector providers and is also responsible for the production of the weekly bulletin which is a vital resource for the local community, raising public awareness on issues relevant to the community and providing details of what is happening in the area.
Jim Bagnal : District Manager the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Jim joined the Housing Executive in Feb 1976 and having first worked in the Kilkeel District came to the Newry area office in the late 70s/early 80s when plans were developed to redevelop Dominic st and High Street in Newry and High Street in Bessbrook.
He was also involved in the early stages of a strategy to restructure the Derrybeg estate which at that time had almost 80 houses vacant. In the early /mids90s he worked in the Banbridge District office and in the Craigavon Area office as Senior Housing Officer,Area Planner and Area information Officer, respectively. Jim returned to the Newry District office in 1996 and was first the Assistant District Manager and then the District Manager until his retirement in September 2012.
Jim worked with Housing Associations to provide hundreds of new homes across the District; Fathom park was restructured into Quayside Close; unpopular flats were converted in Loanda Crescent, Greenfield Park, and in Kilkeel, the flats at North Street were demolished and derelict properties in Canal street were removed and replaced with new homes. Indeed it is fair to say that there isn't a town or village in the whole of Newry and Mourne which hasn't benefited in some way from the work of Jim and the Housing Executive. However, in Jim’s case, housing provision was not just about bricks and mortar but about people. He worked tirelessly with local communities to address not only their housing needs but their wider expectations.
Jim represented the Housing Executive on the Council’s Multi-Agency Emergency Planning Committee which was set up to go into action in the event of a crisis and indeed during in the big freeze of Christmas 2010 Jim was on the ground to ensure that those people in the Cowan Street area of the town who had to leave their homes were rehoused.
Jim’s legacy has been that he, along with local representatives, has endeavoured to make better housing a central part of improving the lives of the citizens in Newry and Mourne and in this he has surely succeeded.
