Award applauds Josie’s work for the community
The coveted bi-annual award, which is open to contestants from all nine IFA regions in Munster, commemorates the memory of the late Paddy Fitzgerald, former Munster vice-president of IFA and former vice chairman, Cork Marts-IMP, who devoted his life to the betterment of farmers and their families up to his untimely sudden death in 1987.
Michael Berkery, chairman, FBD, joint sponsors with IFA and the Fitzgerald Memorial Trust, presented the 2012 award to Mrs Josie Ahern, Killea, Croagh, Rathkeale at a gathering of more than 200 at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare.
She received a crystal bowl and cheque for €2,000. Each of the finalists were presented with a certificate and cheque for €50.
The attendance included John Bryan, IFA president, Pat Smith, chief executive, IFA, John Dillon, former IFA president and chairman Paddy Fitzgerald Memorial Trust, Chris Hayes, Munster vice-president IFA, Ger Bergin, North Leinster, vice president, IFA and a number of the former winners of the award.
It is the second time in the 20 years of the contest for the award to be presented to a Limerick person.
A pioneer of the home help service, using her bicycle to visit the elderly around her native Croagh, Co Limerick, before she advanced to a car, today the care and concern extended by Josie Ahern to the elderly in her area is regularly extends to transporting them to and from the shops and post office.
Her charitable work was instrumental in founding the first school for dyslexic children in Limerick City quarter of a century when she raising €2,000 for the project. She has since completed five mini marathons to raise €35,000 for the Friends of St Ita’s Home at Newcastle West, raised €11,000 to build a kitchen and dining area for an orphanage in Belarus, and also raised funds for The Samaritans, St Gabriels, The Jack and Jill Foundation, the Metabolic and Neurosurgery units in Temple St Children’s Hospital, Dublin. In her home area she has been to the fore in fund raising for an extension to a new national school and new graveyard.
Her husband passed away unexpectedly 15 years ago, and despite having had to undergo hip and shoulder replacements, she has continues to farm, supporting several IFA campaigns, a drive to save Rathkeale Mart and the challenge to control the deadly Botulism which has ravaged livestock in the county.
The adjudicators in the contest are the 12 members of the organising trust with the result based on the private individual votes of the panel following the presentation by each county chairperson on their nominated finalist.
