Nominations Open For Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Awards 2021
Donegal County Council remains committed to continuing to celebrate and forge links with the Irish diaspora with a unique awards ceremony which takes place in Donegal every year, despite the ongoing challenges presented by the global pandemic. With the 2020 event having to be postponed the Council will seek to host an event whether physical or virtual in Donegal this Autumn and any decision taken will be in line with public health guidance.
The awards recognise groups or individuals that have excelled in their field, while honouring their contribution to Ireland and its diaspora. Nominations can be made at www.donegaldiaspora.ie and the closing date for nominations is 31st May 2021.
There are so many people of Irish and Donegal ancestry in the worldwide diaspora who deserve to be recognised in the country of their ancestors; this award is about acknowledging the achievements of those inspiring individuals. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate exemplary individuals or groups who have made a significant difference in Irish communities around the world.
Michael Tunney, Head of Enterprise Donegal said: “The Tip O‘Neill Irish Diaspora Award is a great way of fostering relationships with our diaspora around the world. The Donegal Diaspora Project works to promote and engage Donegal’s global community, and this work has never been more important in the past year, keeping us connected, while the pandemic has forced us to stay apart. The project links people from all parts of the world to Donegal and to each other, creating networks of mutual interest and benefit. Not only does the Tip O‘Neill Irish Diaspora Award recognise and honour people who have excelled in their field, it also gives us the opportunity to highlight to our diaspora the ongoing opportunities and developments in the county. This is particularly important now as more of our people are looking at the possibility of returning to live and work in Donegal.”
The Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award was initiated in 2012 as a means of commemorating the centenary of the birth of the late Tip O’Neill who was a liberal Democrat and an influential member of the US House of Representatives. His maternal grandparents were native to county Donegal and his legacy continues as his son Tommy O’Neill seeks to become the next US Ambassador to Ireland under the Biden administration.
Nominations for the Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Awards close on 31st May 2021 and for more information contact JoAnne Kilmartin, Donegal Diaspora Executive on hello@irishdiasporaaward.com