There were smiling faces all round at what could easily be renamed the Feel Good Awards, writes Róisín Ingle
WHEN CYSTIC Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley (21) received a People of the Year award in Dublin at the weekend she was "shocked and thrilled" to find she had a past connection with the famous person who turned up to present the gong.
In 2000, when she was just 14 and having a difficult time in hospital, she had written a fan letter to singer Andrea Corr who not only wrote back but sent her a tin whistle from her collection.
"You're amazing," Corr told a beaming Tinsley on Saturday night as they hugged like old friends. It was a moment that summed up the 34th annual event, which judging by the shining eyes and smiling faces of the thousand-strong audience, could easily be renamed the Feel Good Awards.
Tinsley, one of 1,200 people with Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland, was in sterling company that included the three medal winning Olympic boxers, Northern Ireland's first police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan, Boyzone's Keith Duffy, the late showman Joe Dolan (receiving a posthumous award) and Scouting Ireland. She was honoured for her campaign in The Irish Timesand other media outlets to improve services for people with the disease.
"It's an award that recognises everyone with CF, all those people who spoke out this past year and said the facilities available just weren't good enough," she said yesterday. "We now have eight dedicated en suite rooms for patients in St Vincent's, but there is still a long way to go."
The glittering awards ceremony at City West - organised by Rehab and sponsored by Quinn Healthcare - was coming down with celebrities and VIPs, including Gráinne Seoige, who presented the show live on RTÉ, singer Daniel O'Donnell, broadcaster George Hook, gardener Diarmuid Gavin and Tánaiste Mary Coughlan. But the less familiar names, the everyday heroes, drew some of the biggest cheers of the night.
Rose Uí Shuilleabháin from Dunmanway was named Teacher of the Year for her "extraordinary courage and coolness" in caring for one of her pupils who had collapsed due to a cardiac arrest at a cross-country championship. She administered CPR, saving the boy's life. Danny Ross sat grinning at her table, a living, breathing reminder of the consequences of her quick thinking. "I just did what anybody would have done," said Uí Shuilleabháin.
Seven-year-old Ronan Hayes from Co Cork won his award for saving the life of his younger sister Emily, who fell into a septic tank in their Castlemartyr garden a year ago. While his father ran for help, he managed to keep hold of a long wooden stick which Emily grabbed at the other end.
"I just kept saying 'Hold on Emily, you'll be OK'," he said. His hands were bleeding with the effort of keeping his sister above the waterline but when his father returned with a makeshift ladder, his sister was pulled to safety.
Another unsung hero (up until now) was septuagenarian Robert McLoughlin, who received his award from Dickie Rock for Jomac productions, which has been entertaining hospital patients, senior citizens, people with mental health issues and the homeless since 1952.
Broadcaster Marian Finucane presented Fr Shay Cullen with the International Person of the Year award for his campaign over the past 40 years which has helped thousands of victims of the sex industry, along with jailed street children and exploited young workers in the Philippines.
Pop star and actor Keith Duffy was another recipient, not for Boyzone's comeback success, but for his work with the Irish Autism Association, which was sparked by the realisation seven years ago that his daughter Mia was autistic.
The three Olympic medal-winning Irish boxers - Kenny Egan, Darren Sutherland and Paddy Barnes - went up to collect their awards from Barry McGuigan to rapturous applause. Gráinne Seoige asked whether they all had "cousins they'd never heard of coming out of the woodwork", and Sutherland told the crowd how he could no longer go to a supermarket without being asked for his autograph.
The night of relentless good news stories ended with all the winners onstage swaying to Joe Dolan's Good Lookin' Woman.
Roll on next year.