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Mayor of Tralee Terry O’Brien with Tralee Municipal District Award recipient James Finnegan (right) and Cllr Johnnie Wall who proposed him for the honour. Photo by Dermot Crean
A NUMBER of people were honoured on Thursday night at the Tralee Municipal District Awards held in Council Chambers in Kerry County Council buildings in Rathass.
This was the first time in five years that the awards, which began in 2018 were held. They are given to individuals and groups who have achieved great success in recent times or have done exemplary work in the community.
Tralee Municipal District Manager, Niamh O’Sullivan, welcomed all to the ceremony where the recipients were Rory O’Flaherty, the Garveys Tralee Warriors U20 team, Garda Mary Gardiner, Seán Lyons and James Finnegan.
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Cllr Mikey Sheehy nominated Rory O’Flaherty who, at aged 15, won Gold and Silver medals at the European Taekwondo Championships in Madrid in November.
Mayor O’Brien said Rory put in so much work to achieve his goals, especially in such a hard discipline as Taekwondo. He said some people are very quick to put down young people, but Rory sets a great example for the youth of the town. He looked forward to the Council hosting more receptions for Rory in the years to come.
Cllr Sheehy also nominated the Garveys Tralee Warriors U20 team for achievements including becoming the Under 20 National League Champions in 2023.
Mayor O’Brien commended the recently formed team for their achievements and the hard work they and their coaches have put in. He basketball is thriving in the town and the formation of a women’s team need to be looked at.
Garda Mary Gardiner was nominated by Cllr Deirdre Ferris for for her role as a community garda in Tralee and her fundraising activities over the past few years.
Mayor O’Brien said Cork native Mary, a neighbour of his, does sterling work as a Community Garda, providing a great link to the community and comfort to people. He said Mary’s work was especially important during COVID.
Mary is also deeply involved in basketball and has raised tens of thousands of euro for cancer charities during her battle with the illness in recent years.
Cllr Johnnie Wall nominated James Finnegan for his community and volunteering work in the promotion of Tralee and for his fundraising 1,000 day walk from January 2021 to September 2023, where he raised money for charities.
Mayor O’Brien said James became an integral part of the sporting and voluntary community in Tralee since coming to Kerry. He said James is involved with Kerry International Film Festival, the Rose of Tralee festival and others and is well deserving on the recognition.
Cllr Wall also nominated Mayo native Sean Lyons for his work in the community over the years, since he made Tralee his home decades ago.
Mayor O’Brien said Seán was a great help to him when he became a councillor many years ago. He said Seán has championed the underdog. Through his involvement with the Tralee International Resource Centre he played a critical role in supporting integration and providing services for asylum seekers in the town.
The recipients were delighted to receive the recognition and posed for photographs with councillors and family members after the ceremony. Scroll down for photos…
Cllr Deirdre Ferris with Garda Mary Gardiner and family Tom, Oisín and Aoife Bourke at Council Chambers on Thursday evening. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Mayor of Tralee Terry O’Brien with Tralee Municipal District Award recipient Sean Lyons and Cllr Johnnie Wall who proposed him for the honour. Photo by Dermot Crean
Cllr Mikey Sheehy with Tralee MD Award recipient Rory O’Flaherty at Council Chambers on Thursday evening. Also included is Seoide Larkin, Rory’s grandmother Kathleen Moriarty, dad Brendan O’Flaherty and grandmother Anne O’Flaherty Photo by Dermot Crean
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Representatives of the Garveys Tralee Warriors Under 20 team who received Tralee Municipal District Awards on Thursday evening in Council Chambers. Included is Rick Leonard, Adam O’Keeffe, Evan Boyle, Gary Lynch, Eddie Sheehy and Luke O’Hea. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mayor of Tralee Terry O’Brien and Tralee Municipal District councillors with Tralee MD Award recipients at Council Chambers on Thursday evening. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Mayor of Tralee Terry O’Brien with Tralee Municipal District Award recipient Garda Mary Gardiner and family Aoife, Tom and Oisín Bourke. Photo by Dermot Crean
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