Silver jubilee of Mayo People of the Year Awards
SPECIAL celebrations are planned later to mark the 25th anniversary of the Mayo People of the Year Awards.
Details of the event were revealed at a press conference in Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar, by the cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Councillor Richard Finn.Â
The awards are organised annually by RehabCare, Mayo County Council and The Connaught Telegraph, and all the proceeds raised go towards the development of facilities by RehabCare in Mayo.
Councillor Finn said: “There are various categories in the awards, including the Hall of Fame section, which was introduced 2004 to  recognise the work of an individual or group who have given years of unstinting service to their organisation, community, county or country, and this will again be part of the proceedings.
“In order to recognise the contribution of young people to our society a young person or youth group of the year will be presented with an award at the gala banquet in Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar, on Saturday night, November 25.†Â
Edel Cadden of RehabCare Mayo said: “The good thing about these awards in that it give us in RehabCare a platform to showcase our services, to showcase the people that we support on a daily basis with disability, both intellectual and physical.
“When we can come in to work to the morning and see a person with a disability getting on with their daily lives and enjoying what they do, then we know that we have done our work right.â€
The closing date for the receipt of nominations is Monday, October 9, and the recipients will be announced on Wednesday, October 18.Â
Nomination forms are available from RehabCare, Breaffy Road, Castlebar, from the offices of the Connaught Telegraph on Main Street, Castlebar, and from Mayo County Council.
* Pictured at the launch at Breaffy House Resort were Fr. Frank Fahey, PP., Ballintubber, the 2016 Hall of Fame award winner, with Janet Cobbin-Hinchion from Claremorris and Kenya, Jaqui McCormack, Ballinrobe, Dora Murphy and Chris Barnicle. Photo: Frank Dolan.