This year’s Lord Mayor’s Civic Awards winners were announced during a YouTube broadcast from Cork City Council.

Each year, six people receive the Lord Mayor’s Civic Awards in recognition of their efforts to improve the community.

Breaking with the usual format of the awards ceremony due to the pandemic, each individual winner received their award separately and the presentations filmed.

Cork Mayor Cllr Joe Kavanagh said: “The people of Cork have always been known for their close connection to their community, but the unity of purpose that I have seen in our communities over the past 15 years. month shows that even in times of great uncertainty we are a city of communities and these communities have adapted in ways that deserve our admiration and thanks.

The oldest recipient of this year’s Civic Awards was Joe Mullane and the youngest recipient was eight-year-old Oliver Lynch.

Joe Mullane, 87, who has been involved in the Mayfield community for years, received his award for his commitment to youth and the community through his work with the Mayfield No Name Club.

He was named Honorary Ambassador of the No Name Club in September last year, having held the title of vice president twice and national president in 2004.

Mr Mullane became involved with GAA in Mayfield at a time when the government implemented housing programs in Togher, The Glen and Mayfield which drew thousands of people to Mayfield when they were built in 1968.

As a result, there was an influx of young people into the community, but there was no activity they could get involved in.

Mr Mullane gave the club a helping hand and became secretary of the miners’ committee, going door to door collecting the names and ages of children to form street leagues.

We had hundreds of kids playing hurling and football on a plot in the heart of Mayfield with no goal post we tied a crossbar to a post from the ground.

“After a few years we entered young people into juvenile competitions and we had a lot of success in our own B section at the time,” he said.

The community games were then introduced in 1975 and saw hundreds of young people from Mayfield compete.

Mr. Mullane became Secretary of the Community Games in 1975 and held the title until 2003.

He then became involved in other work in the community through the community association which led to the creation of the No Name Club in 1998.

Now in its 23rd year, the club has welcomed nearly a thousand young people between the ages of 15 and 18 through the club.

“Since the establishment of the No Name Club in Kilkenny in 1978 and expanding across the country in 1983, there has been a significant impact on the lives of its members in clubs across the country.

The foresight, courage and commitment of the founding members, Father Tom Murphy, Eamonn Doyle and Eddie Kehir the Great Howler gave the young people who joined the club the rich legacy of a lifestyle that improved the quality of life. young people, their families and their communities.

“Volunteers do a Trojan horse job by providing an alternative for young people to socialize with their peers in a safe environment and avoid the dangers of getting involved in alcohol and drugs at a young age,” he said. he declares.

He said the No Name Club in Mayfield is a “success” and has given children a safe space where they would otherwise have been “put away”.

He said he was “shocked” to hear the news of his award and said he was “extremely proud” of everyone who has been involved with the club over the years.