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Shortlisted Organisations for the Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards 2025 Announced

16/04/2025

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Dan Boyle has announced the organisations shortlisted for the 2025 Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards, which is sponsored by The Echo.

The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday 7 May at a gala event in the Concert Hall, City Hall which will be streamed live on Cork City Council’s website www.corkcity.ie and on Cork City Council’s YouTube channel.

The Lord Mayor’s Civic Awards and Culture Award 2025 will also be taking place on the same evening. The Civic Awards are made to individuals who have made a significant personal contribution to the life of the city. The culture award is presented to someone whose life work has represented the city on a global stage enhancing the city’s cultural significance worldwide.

Speaking of the community and voluntary awards specifically, Lord Mayor Dan Boyle said: “While it is never an easy task to choose a shortlist from among such an impressive selection of organisations, and in truth all organisations are worthy of our attention, I feel those we have chosen are a cross-section of what is best across the broad scope of community and voluntary sector in our wonderful city.”

The categories and shortlisted organisations for the Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards are as follows:

Arts, Culture, Recreation & Heritage
  • Ceili Cois Locha
  • Mexican Community, Cork
  • Mockie Ah
Climate Action, Active Travel & Sustainable Development
  • Ballyphehane Community Association
  • Blackpool Tidy Village Group
  • Save Our Bride Otters
Community Development & Lifelong Learning
  • Ballyphehane Horticultural Course and Community Garden
  • Clogheen Kerry Pike Community Association
  • Mahon Community Committee
Recreation, Sport, Heath & Well Being
  • Cork Dragons
  • Mayfield Men’s Shed
  • The Change Cafe - Menopause and Women’s Health Initiative
Social Inclusion, Advocacy & Integration
  • Brij
  • Cycling For All Cork
  • Nasc
  • UpCork
Social Services, Charities & Environment
  • Down Syndrome Cork - Field of Dreams
  • South Parish Old Folks Club
  • The Hut Youth Project

The recipients for 2025 of the Lord Mayor’s Civic Awards are:

Siobhan O’Dowd

In recognition of her long-term contributions to community development, inclusion, lifelong learning and LGBTI+ activism in Cork.
Maria Young
In recognition of her dedication to environmental sustainability by the encouragement to all working and interacting with nature.
Joanna Dukkipati
In recognition of her commitment to supporting and empowering migrant communities through encouraging cultural expression.
Nora O’ Donovan
In recognition of her advocacy and efforts in championing the rights of older people in Cork.
Jimmy Crowley
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the musical landscape of Cork, as a collector and performer of the city’s cultural heritage.
Graham Clifford
In recognition of his work with Sanctuary Runners, promoting solidarity and inclusion through sport.
The 2025 Culture Award recipient is John Spillane
John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, storyteller, poet, dreamer and Irish language enthusiast. His most recent offering Fíoruisce, an Irish language folk opera based on an imagined folk history of Cork’s famous lough, recently won the 2025 Folk Album of the Year Award.
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