The recipients of this year’s Fexco Kerry Heroes awards have been announced.
Over the last month listeners to Radio Kerry were invited to nominate the individuals or groups they considered made them proudest to be from the county over the past year.
The awards are sponsored by Fexco and the eight recipients received pieces designed by Louis Mulcahy Pottery.
Patsy McCarthy was honoured for saving the life of neighbour John Carroll when the river Feale in Killocrim burst its banks on November 23rd.
The outdoor staff of Kerry County Council and the members of the Local Inter Agency Response Team have been honoured for their response to weather emergencies.
Garda Mark Cushen and Garda Ryan Hill helped save the life of a seven-week-old baby. In August, Donna O’Loughlin from Athea contacted Listowel Garda Station when baby Precious became unresponsive. Both gardaí brought Precious to UHK where she made a full recovery.
Students at Presentation Secondary School, Tralee, Ciara, Saoirse and Laoise Murphy were honoured for their ground-breaking medical emergency app – ACT.
Mike Moriarty nominated members of the community in Fenit for saving his life when he had a cardiac arrest on November 16th. Mike was clinically dead for 20 minutes. Una Forde, Cara McMorrow Moriarty, Terry Sheehy, Denise Lynch, and Josh Lynch were part of the community who helped save Mike’s life that day.
Brendan O’Brien, who’s chair of Tralee Tidy Towns, is honoured for leading a dedicated group of committed volunteers in achieving success in the Tidy Towns competition.
Jean O’Sullivan from Tuosist was nominated by her daughter Rebecca for the love and care she gives to her son, Rebecca’s brother, Michael. 12 -year-old Michael has additional needs and Jean has become deeply involved with his school, St Francis’ Special School in Beaufort, through fund-raising and helping other families.
The Kerry Senior Ladies and management team have been honoured for winning the All-Ireland for the Kingdom after 31 years.
Radio Kerry general manager, Fiona Stack said that the nominations show how lucky we are to live in a community where so many groups and individuals step forward to help others.
She congratulated the winners and the multiple other nominees to the Fexco Kerry Heroes Awards, and thanked listeners for bringing their stories forward for recognition and allowing us end the year celebrating those that make us proud to be from Kerry.
