NATIONAL AWARD WINNER: Dec 2025:
Congratulations to our own Jimmy Sheehy who had been shortlisted for a Volunteer Ireland Award last October, chosen from around 500 applicants countrywide. There were 11 categories in the awards altogether and Jimmy was shortlisted in the Arts & Culture category, along with two other volunteers. On the night, all shortlisted volunteers will be presented with a certificate and if you win in your category, you will be presented with an Award. This is exactly what happened and Jimmy was presented with a beautifully engraved Plaque - " in recognition of his exceptional volunteerism & dedication to Granagh Players, Granagh Utd.F.C. and Macra Na Feirme". The awards ceremony took place in the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown on Saturday 6th Dec with Minister Jerry Buttimer present to pay tribute to all the wonderful volunteers. Jimmy brought his own supporting fan club, wife Kay of course, daughter Áine and sister Kay.
The nomination form is too long to reproduce here, but here's a summary of what was included;
Macra Na Feirme:
Jimmy was involved in the Granagh branch of Macra Na Feirme, through the 70's, as a member, Volunteer & an Officer. He took part in public speaking, debating, farm tasks, light entertainment & drama, to name but a few of the competitions. He got club members involved in Drama competitions, travelling all around the country to compete. He brought the Club to an all-Ireland final where he won best Producer & a cast member won best Actress. (Stags & Hens).
He also coached a club Debating team to an All-Ireland final & they won the competition outright. The team of four had to research each topic, write their speeches ( no Google or AI then ) and partake in several debates.
Granagh Utd: He was involved with the Club, as a founding member (1990), as well as an Officer and a coach. He saw the need for a soccer club in the parish to provide an outlet for the growing number of young people. The club has evolved and grown over the years, with the purchase of the pitch, flood lighting installed and just recently an updated clubhouse, to cater for the female members.
Youth Club: He produced a play with the local youth club members – ‘Our Day Out ‘. They performed at a Christmas concert and it was a great success. Through this, he was giving encouragement, leadership and skills to these young people at a vital time in their lives.
Granagh Players: He was involved himself, as an actor in the 2008 & 2010 productions. He began producing an annual play in 2009, to help raise funds for our local community centre. He has to read many plays over the Summer and also attends many festivals & plays around the country searching for a play that might suit the cast. When he was farming, with a young family this took up so much of whatever spare time he had. He has recently retired so he says it keeps him busy & enjoys it - while keeping him out of his wife's way..!!
He began with a cast of six and since then, it has grown to over twenty. The people involved are all locals – some who had experience in Macra & some who never knew they could act.! There is great camaraderie and fun while rehearsing, which is a great help when one has to head out on bad wintry nights..
He will find a spot for anyone, either on or off stage, at the last count there were over thirty people involved in the whole production. People get involved as hair stylists, doing make-up, continuity, lighting, sound, in the box office, in the kitchen, in the shop, front of house and outside, looking after car parking. ‘’ It takes a Parish’’... His January productions are now a hi-light for drama buffs, both locally & from farther afield. These nights provide a fantastic community gathering event, meeting up with friends, meeting new people and even our own relations! It draws both young & older audiences, who get to chat over a cuppa at the end of the night. Because of his determination & dedication to keeping the Drama group active, it has allowed the group to donate funds to local organisations as well as charities & good causes. To date that has amounted to over €33,000. The community centre also gains because without the drama, we could not do all the upgrades and improvements required, to keep the centre open, available and a focal point in the parish.
The National Volunteer Development Organisation in Ireland, feel it is essential to acknowledge the phenomenal contribution made by volunteers across the country and the Awards are one of the ways they do this. The Volunteer Ireland Awards are a great opportunity to show the amazingly diverse range of volunteering that happens across Ireland and hope it encourages people to get involved in their community. Well done Jimmy and richly deserved for your many years of commitment to your community.