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The Fexco Kerry Heroes of 2019 at Radio Kerry offices on Monday morning.
SEVEN Kerry Heroes of 2019 were announced this morning on Radio Kerry’s ‘Kerry Today’ programme.
The awards, which are supported by Fexco, were presented to Dr Patricia Sheahan and the staff at UHK Palliative Care Unit; the Kerry Senior Football Team and Peter Keane; Jack Fitzpatrick of the St Mary of the Angels Parents’ and Relatives’ Association; Dr Susan Mary Lawlor of State of Mind, the Kerry Camogie Team (Clanmaurice); Margaret and John Quilligan, and Ryan Murphy.
The winners were presented with specially commissioned original awards created and sponsored by Louis Mulcahy Pottery. Following a call out to listeners to nominate who they felt deserved to be recognised, over 40 submissions were received.
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The judging panel of Susan McCarthy and Helena Buckley of Fexco along with Fiona Stack and Treasa Murphy of Radio Kerry had the unenviable task of choosing seven to be honoured as the Kerry Heroes of 2019.
Dr Patricia Sheahan and the staff at UHK Palliative Care Unit, were nominated by Haulie and Carol Liston, and by Denise Murphy.
In nominating the Palliative Care Unit, Carol wrote: “My mother Catherine Liston passed away last May. I will never forget the trust that mom placed in Dr Sheahan. The care, kindness and love that was shown to mom under Dr Sheahan’s care was incredible. At the time I was heavily pregnant with twins; they were born two weeks before mom passed away. My family and I will never be able to thank Dr Sheehan and her team for the help they gave our family at the time.”
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The Kerry camogie team were nominated by Kathleen Fitzgerald who wrote: “Two All Irelands from this very disciplined and dedicated panel. The final whistle in Croke Park provided memories that will never be forgotten.”
Ryan Murphy, aged 10, was nominated by Joanne Morgan who praised the Ballyduff boy for raising money for Kerry Hospice and Palliative Care “to the tune of €8,000 and still counting. He wanted to honour his late dad, Jim, who spent his last weeks in palliative care.”
The Kerry Senior Football Team and Peter Keane were nominated for uniting the county, giving us belief and making everybody proud to wear the Kerry jersey.
Laura Fitzpatrick nominated her father Jack because he “spearheaded a campaign to stop the closure of St Mary of the Angels residential facilities, so his son, my brother Bernard, and other residents could stay in their home. He formed a parents’ and relatives’ association which helped raise over €400,000 to improve and maintain St Mary of the Angels.”
Sylvia Coffey nominated her aunt and uncle, Margaret and John Quilligan, who became her and her siblings’ parents when their own father and mother were killed in a crash. Sylvia wrote: “When I was 10, my parents were killed in a crash leaving five of us, from the age of 12 down to nine months old orphaned. My aunt and uncle took us in, they wouldn’t allow the family be broken up. I can’t begin to tell you the happiness and love we felt in that small house because of them.”
The State of Mind mental health organisation nominated its co-founder in Ireland, Dr Susan Mary Lawlor for her continuous efforts to help raise awareness of mental fitness throughout GAA clubs in Kerry and in the county’s community at large. Dr Lawlor co-founded the organisation in Ireland with her late brother Dr Martin Lawlor.
