Boyle woman named as county’s Volunteer of the Year

A Boyle woman who was one of the founding members of the Citizens Information Service in the town was named as the county’s Volunteer of the Year at an awards ceremony recently.

Teresa Sweeney was one of the founding members of the Citizens Information Service in Boyle in 1979. She has played a critical role in the extension of the service with outreach clinics in Ballaghaderreen and Castlerea.

To this day she continues to volunteer in the Boyle service one day a week and has been an inspiration to the staff, board and fellow volunteers.

At the ceremony in the Hodson Bay Hotel volunteers were praised as crucial and transformative in people's lives.  

The awards, organised by the Roscommon Volunteer Centre (RVC), are supported by the Roscommon Public Participation Network, the Roscommon Herald, and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

MC on the evening was Rachel Hastings, Rose of Roscommon, who welcomed everyone to what was a great evening of music and celebration.

Key note speaker, double Paralympian and renowned athlete Richael Timothy said as a child she loved all kinds of sport.

“At the time I didn’t realise that all the people who helped me were volunteers,” the Ballymoe woman said. She explained that when she was 21 she acquired a brain injury that resulted in her losing the power on the right side of her body. Returning to sport gave her a new lease of life, she said.

“When I got back into sport, it was a volunteer, who gave their time without anything in return, that allowed me to start training again,” she told the ceremony.

Now after representing her country at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Games, she is currently on the Irish High Performance Squad ahead of the LA Paralympics.

“When I was recovering from the brain injury, I learned that an athlete’s success is never theirs on their own. Behind every milestone, every finish line, every medal I have achieved, there was always a volunteer there who made it possible,” she said.

She praised the local coaches who trained her at underage level, experiences which have stayed with her throughout her career.

“It was the volunteers, they were the quiet heroes, who opened the door and allowed me back in. Volunteers don’t just support events, they actually change people’s lives. They create environments that allow people to discover their abilities. They give hope to those who are fighting battles no one else can see, and they also helped me believe that disability was not the end of my story but instead was the beginning of a new one.” 

 She thanked all the volunteers in the room for their time, kindness, and for being the foundation of a “journey like mine. You’re the reason we get to achieve our dreams.” 

Manager at the Roscommon Volunteer Centre, Áine Egan said it was great to see such a crowd, and she said working with the centre has been a “fantastic experience”.

“It has been a privilege to be part of Roscommon Volunteer Centre, and to meet so many wonderful people,” she said. “Volunteers focus on what can be done, and have a strong sense of possibility.” 

She thanked all the event’s sponsors and the judges, as well as the centre’s staff. She also thanked Roscommon Music Generation for providing the wonderful music for the evening.

Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council Liam Callaghan said he was humbled to be asked to speak at the event.

“The volunteers of County Roscommon deserve great credit for the work they’re doing on a daily basis around the county,” the Fine Gael councillor said. 

“Volunteerism comes from a good place, a selfless place of generosity, good will, and believing in the greater good. It reflects the best features of human nature.” He added that Roscommon’s network of volunteers was “the envy of many larger counties”.

Chairperson of the volunteer centre, Angela Gavigan explained that the centre was established in 2019 and that volunteerism in the county has increased significantly in recent years.

“Our register of volunteers has grown from 106 in 2021 to 1,132 today,” she said to a round of applause. “In 2022 there were 147 registered community organisations and in 2025 we have 196 volunteer involving organisations throughout the county.” Ms Gavigan said volunteers were not motivated by money but by “doing small things with great love”.

“Volunteers’ motivation is intrinsic and volunteers engage in voluntary activities because they enjoy it, they get personal satisfaction from it, and from seeing what they do make a positive difference in their part of the world.” 

She added that she felt very blessed to have such a hardworking and caring board and staff at the centre.