North Cork activists honoured
Two activists have been honoured for their contribution in their North Cork communities.
Gerard Sheehan, founder of the Doneraile, Buttevant, Mallow (DBM) Community First Responders Scheme, and Tim Sheehan, Mallow Development Partnership, have been honoured with the Cork Persons of the Month award for June.
Although they share the same surname, they are not related.
The DBM Community First Responders Scheme, established in 2014 by Gerard Sheehan, has attended over 900 call-out’s and is a committed 24/7 service assisting victims of heart attack, stroke, choking and cardiac arrest. Gerard, a qualified CFR instructor, leads the group, arranging training classes, and maintaining equipment and defibrillators, giving people in North Cork an increased chance of survival. He is heavily involved in fundraising efforts too.
Tim Sheehan, former Station Master of Kent Station, has dedicated decades to community activism in Mallow.
Tim started volunteering in Mallow at a young age, looking after the natural hot spring spa water pool and became one of the leading activists and fundraisers for the fund raising project, raising funds that helped build the Mallow swimming pool which opened in 1967. Tim served as chairman of the inaugural Irish Red Cross Water Safety section in Mallow, and went on to organise life-saving classes at the Bulwarks on the River Blackwater for decades. Since then, he has been involved with various social clubs and sporting organisations and was a leading member of the Mallow Development Partnership.
Gerard Sheehan said: “It is truly heart-warming to see the work of the Doneraile, Buttevant and Mallow Community First Responders recognised by the Cork Person of the Year Awards Scheme.”
Tim Sheehan added: “The work I’ve done would not have been possible without the support of the people of Mallow. I am accepting this award on behalf of the many volunteers I worked with over the years.”
Awards organiser Manus O’Callaghan said people like Gerard and Tim are an inspiration and thanked them for their great work over the years. Gerard Sheehan and Tim Sheehan will now have their names go forward for possible selection as Cork Persons of the Year 2019.