Uachtar\u00e1n na h\u00c9ireann, President Michael D. Higgins this evening presented this year\u2019s Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad at a ceremony at \u00c1ras an Uachtar\u00e1in. The MC for the event was Doireann N\u00ed Bhriain.<\/p>\n
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This year\u2019s ten recipients are:<\/p>\n
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The Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad recognise the service given to this country or to Irish communities abroad by those who live outside Ireland.<\/p>\n
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The Awards were established by the Government following the 2011 Global Irish Economic Forum as a means to recognise the contribution of members of the Irish diaspora and were first awarded in 2012. To date, 120 people have been conferred with the award.<\/p>\n
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Speaking at the ceremony, President Higgins said:<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe Presidential Distinguished Service Awards enable us, as a nation, to recognise those members of our global family who have contributed, in their different ways, so significantly to Ireland\u2019s reputation on the international stage as a country that understands the migratory experience, its challenges, responsibilities and the part that transience plays in all of our shared lives.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n This evening\u2019s awardees follow in the footsteps of all those others, heralded or unheralded, feted or forgotten, whose quiet determination to make a contribution beyond the self makes us all proud of them and whom we also remember here today.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n That spirit of generosity, and those qualities of an inward being and an inclusive outward gaze which so exemplify the best of our Irishness, have been practically and magnificently demonstrated by our honoured guests through their lives, their work, and their contribution of distinguished service to Ireland and to Irish communities abroad.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Mar Uachtar\u00e1n na h\u00c9ireann, may I thank you deeply for representing Ireland so well, and for your personal efforts, service, sacrifices, and contribution to the achievement of excellence in your various fields. Mo bhu\u00edochas libh uilig.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n In order to be eligible for consideration for a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad, nominees must be habitually resident outside the island of Ireland and are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:<\/p>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0III.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0have a track record of sustained support and engagement with Ireland and\/or its international reputation and\/or Irish communities abroad over a period of not less than 5 years;<\/p>\n \n The scheme is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with nominations made through Ireland\u2019s network of Diplomatic Missions. A High Level Panel makes recommendations to Government on awardees.<\/p>\n \n Citations for this year\u2019s recipients:<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Arts, Culture, and Sport<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Seamus Coleman<\/strong><\/p>\n Seamus Coleman is regarded as one of Everton’s best-ever signings and Republic of Ireland’s most-respected players.<\/p>\n Seamus Coleman is the captain for both the Irish national football team and Everton Football Club, having joined the latter in 2009 from Sligo Rovers.<\/p>\n Originally an excellent Gaelic footballer, Seamus started his football career with St Catherine’s in his hometown Killybegs, before progressing to join League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers.<\/p>\n He holds the Everton record for most-ever Premier League appearances and his overall total for the club in all competitions now stands at over 420.<\/p>\n Internationally, Seamus earned honours with Republic of Ireland\u2019s youth sides before making his senior international debut against Wales in 2011.<\/p>\n Seamus was named the permanent Ireland captain in September 2016, following the international retirement of Robbie Keane, and he has since amassed 73 senior caps for his country.<\/p>\n \n Aduke Gomez<\/strong><\/p>\n Aduke Gomez is an Irish-Nigerian dual national, whose career spans a trajectory of legal, banking and public sector experiences.<\/p>\n In 2020, Aduke initiated and moderated the Bloomsday discussion \u201cFrom Joyce to Soyinka\u201d hosted by the Embassy of Ireland in Nigeria. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she produced a series of plays on Zoom, including \u201cThe Journey Home\u201d, which was also presented at the Irish Centre in London and featured a Nigerian director and three Irish actors.<\/p>\n Aduke organised and moderated a panel discussion at the 2023 Annual Conference of Lagos Studies Association on \u201cExploring Heritage Connections: Ireland & Nigeria \u2013 Colonial Struggles and Beyond\u201d and she is interested in exploring the connections between Irish and Nigerian writing. She is the editor of two poetry collections commissioned by the Embassy of Ireland in Nigeria namely, \u201cThings Fall Apart: The Centre Cannot Hold \u2013 a collection of contemporary Irish and Nigerian voices inspired by the legacy of William Butler Yeats\u201d and \u201cTrailing a Sea-Weed Cord: Contemporary Irish and Nigerian Poets on Wole Soyinka\u2019s Ulysses; Notes from Here to my Joyce Class\u201d.<\/p>\n \n Rosalind Scanlon<\/strong><\/p>\n Rosalind Scanlon is a playwright, theatre director, and film producer, including producer of Irish Arts Festivals and events in the UK.<\/p>\n Notably, Rosalind is the Founding Artistic Director of the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, London, which opened in 1995 and is acclaimed as \u2018the premiere Centre for Irish arts and culture in the UK\u2019. It is renowned for its year round programme of Irish music, theatre, cinema, literature, lectures, talks and exhibitions, all of the highest quality.<\/p>\n Rosalind was also a winner of The Irish Post Award 1989 and a recipient of The Freedom of the City of London 2024.<\/p>\n \n Prof. Enrico Terrinoni<\/strong><\/p>\n Enrico Terrinoni holds a PhD in Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama from University College Dublin where he worked on a thesis on Joyce and Neoplatonism under the supervision of Declan Kiberd. He is currently Professor in Residence at the Italian National Academy \u201cLincei\u201d and Chair of English Literature at the Universit\u00e0 per Stranieri di Perugia.<\/p>\n Enrico has\u00a0 translated many Irish authors such as Brendan Behan, James Stephens, Oscar Wilde, GB Shaw and James Joyce, for which he has won several prizes<\/p>\n Enrico was Visiting Fellow at the Keough-Naughton Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame in 2019, Mendel Fellow at University of Indiana in 2008, Visiting Scholar at Marsh\u2019s Library, Dublin, in 2011, Government of Ireland Scholar at UCD between 2001 and 2003, and Visiting Professor at the National Taiwan Normal University in 2022. His biographical study of Joyce\u2019s time in Rome won the Francesco De Sanctis Prize, the Viareggio-Repaci Prize and the Perosa Prize for English studies. His latest work is a biographical study of Joyce\u2019s friendship with writer Italo Svevo, La vita dell\u2019altro, which won the Fiuggi Storia Award in 2023. He is the President of the James Joyce Italian Foundation.<\/p>\n Enrico\u2019s first novel, A Beautiful Nothing (2024) was dedicated to Shane MacGowan. It is a mystery book on Joyce\u2019s short stay in Rome between 1906 and 1907.<\/p>\n \n Business and Economic Development<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Orla Kiely<\/strong><\/p>\n Irish designer Orla Kiely has walked the world from the Minimalism of the 1990s into a colourful world of 21st century pattern. Her work is inspired by the pattern of the 1950s and 1960s, with her use of signature patterns, natural motifs, colouration and big bold outlines.<\/p>\n She gained experience working in New York, Dusseldorf, Toronto, and London. Taking inspiration from mid-century design and print, Orla further developed her brand to incorporate handbags, accessories, homewares, wallpapers and fashion.<\/p>\n Orla has collaborated with some of the world\u2019s most powerful brands including Uniqlo, Clarks, Marks and Spencer, Citroen Cars, Target, Belkin, Jaspal Thailand, John Lewis, Itochu, and Style Corporation Japan who look after her stores in Japan.<\/p>\n Orla has received a range of prestigious awards during her career, including two of the UK Fashion Export awards in 2001 and 2008 and the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year award in 2004. In 2015, she was made a Fellow of The British Institute of Design and in 2016 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of The Creative Arts Norwich and the title of Visiting Professor of Textiles at the Royal College of Art, where, as of 2017 she is a Senior Fellow. Her designs have even graced an Irish stamp in 2010 and 2024, solidifying her status as a fashion icon.<\/p>\n \n Charitable Works and Advocacy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Sr. Teresa McKeon<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2024 Sister Teresa McKeon celebrated her 70th year of continuous service to the people of Sierra Leone, mainly in the field of education. A member of the St. Joseph of Cluny congregation, Sr. Teresa arrived by ocean liner in Sierra Leone in 1954, having just obtained her teaching degree in UCD.<\/p>\n Sr. Teresa\u2019s long and distinguished career led to her receiving the Order of the Rokel from the President of Sierra Leone in 2017. The citation highlighted her dedicated and meritorious service to the state in the fields of education and the development of women.<\/p>\n Sr. Teresa\u2019s first role in Sierra Leone was as teacher, and then principal, of St Joseph\u2019s Secondary School in Freetown, where she worked for 20 years. Following a period as Province Leader in West Africa, she moved to Bo District in the south east of the country. During the Sierra Leonean Civil War Sr. Teresa was forced to move to Guinea to carry on her work, providing continued service to Sierra Leonean refugees living in camps along the border between the two countries.<\/p>\n During her five years in exile, Sr. Teresa focused on supporting women and children, including through the provision of enterprise and literacy skills. On returning to Sierra Leone after the war, she was based in the Kono district. In addition to continued work in provision of primary, junior and secondary education over 20 years, she established and delivered adult education courses in the areas of business, financial management, nutrition, catering and tailoring to thousands of women and men, providing them with access to jobs and economic opportunities in a challenging economic context.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, Sr. Teresa was unable to travel from Freetown to attend the ceremony. Sr Angela Mbalu Bangura is collecting the award of her behalf.<\/p>\n \n Inclusion & Equality<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Mary O\u2019Neill<\/strong><\/p>\n Mary L. O’Neill is an attorney and the managing partner at O’Neill, Huxtable & Abelson APC in Los Angeles, CA.<\/p>\n She has been involved in Irish affairs for several decades, lobbying for the Morrison Visas, assisting immigrants and providing support to the Irish Consulates in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She is a member of the Irish American Bar Association (IABA) in Los Angeles, serving on its Board of Directors since 1986 and as President in 1989.<\/p>\n Since 2000 Mary has supervised the IABA’S Externship programme each summer, which brings students from six of the Irish law schools (including Queen\u2019s University) to Los Angeles to work in the chambers of Federal District Court Judges and to observe state court proceedings. Over one hundred and fifty students have participated in the programme, which also supports the inclusion of women and persons who identify as LGBT+ in the legal profession.<\/p>\n In 2022 Mary was named as Irish Woman of the Year for the City of Los Angeles recognising her \u201ccommitment to fostering a strong relationship between the City of Los Angles and the Irish community\u201d.<\/p>\n \n Irish Community Support<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Pam O\u2019Mahony<\/strong><\/p>\n Originally from Kilkenny, Pam qualified from Trinity College Dublin as a Social Worker and worked in Kildare before heading to Sydney in November 1989, looking for a year of adventure. She got that and 34 more years of it into the bargain!<\/p>\n Pam started her adventure by connecting into the GAA, becoming Secretary of the Central Coast GAA in 1993. She was voted Club Person of the Year in 1994 and was appointed the inaugural Australasian Gaelic Games Ladies Football Manager in 1995 (as well as being a player). She then moved up to being PRO for the NSW GAA.<\/p>\n In 1997 Pam and her husband, Ned Sheehy, changed careers, taking over The Illinois Hotel in Sydney where Pam was Licensee and Bean an Ti. Known as a \u2018home away from home\u2019, Pam and Ned made sure that any Irish person who came to Sydney had help finding a job, a bed and made friends. The hotel became a central location for Irish Community groups \u2013 the meeting place for the NSW GAA, the Sydney St Patrick\u2019s Day Organisation, the Great Irish Famine Memorial Committee, and the Irish Welfare Bureau (now the Irish Support Agency), amongst others.<\/p>\n Pam\u2019s love of and involvement in community includes the Sydney St Patrick\u2019s Day Organisation, where she has successfully raised thousands of dollars and served in many positions, including Vice President & Fundraising Coordinator. She has also volunteered as the Sydney Rose of Tralee Selector and Mentor, and \u2018Ireland Calling\u2019 Radio. Pam was awarded a Community Hero Award in 2019 by the Irish Friends of Labor St Brigid\u2019s Day Celebrations.<\/p>\n \n Peace, Reconciliation, and Development<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \n Senator Patrick Leahy<\/strong><\/p>\n Senator Patrick J. Leahy is a former US Senator for Vermont, who retired in January 2023 after 48 years of service. He is currently one of the longest-serving US Senators in American history, casting nearly 16,950 votes in his Senate career. The grandson of an Irish stonecutter whose forbearers immigrated to America, Sen. Leahy spent much of his career as a leading proponent of funding the International Fund for Ireland.<\/p>\n During his political career, Sen. Leahy served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate twice, from 2012-2015 and from 2021-2023.<\/p>\n Sen. Leahy has long been regarded as the Senate\u2019s foremost leader on human rights issues in US foreign policy. Some of his crowning achievements include The Leahy Law, which bars US foreign aid support to units of foreign militaries that violate the rights of their citizens. He also established the Leahy War Victims Fund, which is used by USAID throughout the world to help civilians maimed by landmines and other weapons of war.<\/p>\n \n Stella O\u2019Leary<\/strong><\/p>\n A native of Dublin and graduate of University College Dublin, School of Library Science, Stella O\u2019Leary emigrated to Washington D.C. to archive a collection of rare Irish books and manuscripts at the Catholic University of America, where she co-authored the reference volume, Classical Scholarship: An Annotated Bibliography.<\/p>\n Inspired by the Northern Ireland peace negotiations of President Clinton and Senator George Mitchell, O\u2019Leary organised Irish Americans to highlight the need for US support for the Peace Process. She subsequently accompanied President Clinton and First Lady, Hillary Clinton, to Ireland to assist in building support for the peace process, especially with Northern Ireland women.<\/p>\n With the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, O\u2019Leary continues her mission: persuading American legislators to maintain their support for peace, justice and prosperity in Ireland by promoting the International Fund for Ireland. She was appointed by President Obama as Observer to the International Fund for Ireland, and in 2020, President Biden renewed that appointment.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Uachtar\u00e1n na h\u00c9ireann, President Michael D. Higgins this evening presented this year\u2019s Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad at a ceremony at \u00c1ras an Uachtar\u00e1in. The MC for the event was Doireann N\u00ed Bhriain. This year\u2019s ten recipients are: S\u00e9amus Coleman, Republic of Ireland international football captain Patrick Leahy, Former United States Senator…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-3","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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