Celebrating local achievement

The annual Nenagh Municipal District Awards evening was held on Thursday, November 20, at the Civic Offices, Nenagh.

Awards were presented by Cathaoirleach of Nenagh Municipal District, Cllr Phyll Bugler, on behalf of the members of Nenagh MD to 21 recipients across seven different categories.

The awards seek to recognise the efforts of groups and individuals who make a significant contribution to the Nenagh district through what they do and through their achievements. The awards span the works of voluntary committees in areas as such as Tidy Towns, Residential Estates, Heritage Groups and Burial Grounds. They also include particular achievements in the area of sports and a number of individuals who are involved in fundraising and community working quietly in the background.

The awards to Tidy Towns committees are based on those that show the most improvement in the national SuperValu Tidy Towns competition across the population categories. In 2025 the committees involved were (a) Toor, who increased their marks by 18 and were awarded the Endeavour Award – Toor had the highest increase in marks across all the categories in the Nenagh Municipal District; (b) Rathcabbin, who are in Category B based on population between 201 and 1,000 and increased their marks by 14 and (c) Ballina-Boher in Category D based on population between 2,501 and 5,000 - they increased their marks by 10.

SPECIAL AWARD

A special award on the night went to Terryglass Tidy Towns Committee to mark their gold medal success in the Entente Florale Europe Jubilee competition in 2025.

The residential estates committees who received awards for enhancement and maintenance of their estates, together with showing pride in their areas and promoting community spirit, were (a) Tullow Heights, Newport where a group of widows aged 70 to 95 look after their area with pride; (b) Drom na Coille, Nenagh, who installed a defibrillator and ran community BBQs during the summer to bring people together and (c) Slieve Felim, Rearcross, who have provided new initiatives such as the polytunnel and planting areas to promote biodiversity.

The burial grounds committees were praised for their work in maintaining burial grounds and ensuring that they are places of tranquillity where people can visit the graves of those who have passed on. Those honoured on the night were (a) Ardcroney Old, (b) the Cloughjordan Development Group CLG, who look after Cloughjordan, Kilruane, Ballygibbon and Grawn, and (c) Cragg. On the night there was particular remembrance of the late Jim Coffey, who looked after Cragg and was buried there during the week.

SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS

Awards for sporting achievements went to two individuals - Patsy Farrell, Riverdale Pitch & Putt Club, who won the National Strokeplay All-Ireland Intermediate Pitch & Putt Championship 2025, and Catherine Dunne, Riverdale Pitch & Putt, who won the National Ladies Over-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship 2025.

Two clubs were also honoured – (a) Knigh United FC in recognition of their significant contribution to football across all age divisions and their achievement of the FAI Club Mark Entry Level award acknowledging best practice in club governance, child welfare and coaching, and (b) the New Institute Snooker Club in recognition of the Club’s contribution to the game of snooker since their establishment in 1887 and their success in running events including the Nenagh Snooker Open, which is a significant event on the national snooker calendar.

Individuals recognised for their efforts were (a) Donal Meaney for his contribution to the Newport Community and, in particular, for his commitment, dedication, vision and tireless work in developing, improving and supporting Newport Community Centre; (b) Mary Doyle for her significant contribution to the community through her commitment over many years to Care of the Aged and fundraising for Daffodil Day and (c) Trish O’Shea in recognition of her significant contribution to the community and fundraising for children’s charities.

Awards in the Heritage category were given to (a) Silvermines Historical Society in recognition of their dedicated research and publications, which ensure the recording, preservation and celebration of the local history and folklore of the Silvermines area, and (b) Ormond Historical Society in recognition of their dedication, ongoing research and educational efforts towards the recording, preservation and promotion of the rich historical heritage that Nenagh has to offer. Special mention was made of the work by the four ladies from the Silvermines Group in digitisation of gravestones in a number of graveyards in their area and the significant contribution to heritage made by John Flannery and Danny Grace from the Ormond Historical Society.

NENAGH 800 MEDAL

On the night there was a special presentation of a Nenagh 800 medal by the Chairperson of the Nenagh 800 Committee, Rosemary Joyce, to Donal A Murphy in recognition of the massive contribution he has made to Nenagh over many years including with Nenagh Olympic Athletic Club, Nenagh Heritage Centre, Relay Publications and the Ormond Historical Society.

The two remaining awards were for the North Tipperary Agricultural Show Committee and the Nenagh Women’s Traveller Group. The North Tipperary Agricultural Show Committee received the award in recognition of 150 years of the Agricultural Show and their role in connecting generations of local families, farmers and communities. The commendation for the Women’s Traveller Group said their award was ‘in recognition of their efforts to promote and honour the identity, traditions, stories and culture of Traveller women and to ensure its preservation for future generations’.

The Nenagh Traveller Women’s Quilt Project is a culturally rich adult learning initiative developed through Family Learning Adult Literacy sessions facilitated by Tipperary ETB in collaboration with North Tipperary Development Company. Beginning in September 2024, the project brought together 13 Traveller women who sought to express their identity, heritage, culture, and lived experiences through a collaborative art piece, a quilt. Each week, the group met to sew, share stories, and reflect on their culture, culminating in a vibrant, interactive quilt featuring themed pockets representing Faith, Hope, Remembrance, Style & Beauty, Music & Stories, and Crafts & Traditions. The initiative empowered participants to reclaim their narrative, celebrate their community, and foster pride in their Traveller identity. It was supported by tutors, ETB staff, and community partners, and showcased the transformative power of adult learning rooted in cultural expression.

The quilt is on display on the walls of the concourse in the Civic Offices on the Limerick Road in Nenagh and can be viewed during working hours, Monday to Friday.

The evening was a celebration of people and what they contribute to making their areas a better place to live, work, visit and carry on a business.

Photographs of all the award recipients appear in this week's Nenagh Guardian newspaper