Volunteer award winners praised for contribution to the county
Members of the Roscommon Roscommon Volunteer Board, Ivor Heavey, Mary Hennigan, Cllr Liam Callaghan, Cathaoirleach Roscommon County Council, Angela Gavigan and Anthony Shally, at the Roscommon Volunteer Awards. Pic: Gerard O’Loughlin
The five winners of the 2025 Roscommon Volunteer Awards were hailed for their massive contribution to the life of the county at the presentation of the awards in the Hodson bay Hotel earlier this month.
Numerous organisations and individuals were shortlisted for the awards and they were also praised at the ceremony.
The winner of the ‘Volunteer of The Year’ was Teresa Sweeney from the Citizens Information Service One of the founding members of the service in Boyle in 1979, Teresa has played a critical role in the extension of the service with outreach clinics in Ballaghaderreen and Castlerea.
The main aim of the organisation is to empower the public to access all services and schemes which they have an entitlement to and to support individuals, families and communities to improve their quality of life and participation in society.
As a volunteer board member and advisor, Teresa has helped thousands of people over the years. Her approach is always empathic, ready to listen and understanding.
She will always have a kind word for people who use the service, oftentimes at a time of stress in their lives. 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.
Accepting the honour, Teresa thanked everyone, and praised all the volunteers in the county.
Winning the ‘Voluntary Board member of the Year’ award was Andy McDonnell for his remarkable and lasting impact as founder and visionary of the Melting Pot in Roscommon Town.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, this is a remarkable milestone that reflects Andy’s unwavering commitment to creating a space where everyone feels valued, supported and connected to others.
He was praised as an exceptional individual whose passion insight and experience continually inspire everyone involved.
Infinity Friends, a vibrant social club founded in 2022 by Claire Early and Hilda Duignan for children and teenagers who are autistic, was the winner of the ‘Social Inclusion Initiative’ category.
By securing and developing a state of the art clubhouse, fitted with a sensory and movement room, tabletop games, a myriad of arts and crafts the project is providing countless opportunities for autistic children to build friendships and make meaningful connections through play. The club, which is based in Thomastown, South Roscommon, currently provides a safe and accepting space for over 100 children and their families with social clubs running weekends and after school during the week.
Joe Nally of the Roscommon Drama group won the ‘Community Cause Champion’ category.
In the year 2000, Joe took the initiative to resurrect a drama festival in the county after 27 years. The Roscommon Drama group will be celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2027 and at the heart of its success is Joe Nally.
Joe is a wonderful example of a team player who knows how to lead by example. His approach to the organising and development of the festival over the past 18 years is grounded in a diligent, humble and collegiate manner, encouraging all voices to be heard on the organising committee in a respectful and inclusive way.
The festival has gone from strength to strength over these years, drawing full houses and attracting drama groups from Donegal to Wexford and Cork to participate.
The Mote Park Conservation Group won the Environment- Change Maker award.
Teresa Lynch and Linda Kelly are both members of the Mote Park Conservation group. The project they have spearheaded aims to promote and protect the native red squirrel.
The project has seen the provision of supplementary feeding stations in seven sites across the 700 acre location.
Regardless of weather conditions, Teresa and Linda religiously top up the feeders every week and monitor activity. As a result of their endeavours Mote Park has seen the numbers increase from a handful 28 years ago when the project was started, to a thriving population today, which is spreading out into the wider hinterland.
