Twelve local organisations from the city and county received funding from the Kilkenny Lions Club at a recent presentation in Bollards, Kieran Street, Kilkenny.

George Candler a long time member of the club was MC for the event.

Lions Club President Eddie Holohan thanked the Lions partners, KCLR and the Kilkenny People, whose vital support makes many of the fundraising events possible.

He also expressed the Lions’ gratitude to the people and business community of Kilkenny who have generously supported the various Lions fund raising events, including the Christmas Hamper Appeal auction on KCLR, throughout the past 12 months.

He also thanked Mayor Andrew McGuinness for donating the proceeds of the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Appeal to the Lions Club.

He welcomed representatives from the Kilkenny County and City Lawn Tennis Club to the event and thanked them for donating a considerable amount from their fundraising events to the Lions Club. They were represented by Ivan Powell, Pat Brett and Phil Kenealy.

He referred to the Lions policy of distributing funds throughout County Kilkenny and said that the Lions were very happy to assist such worthy organisations.

He thanked the Lions Committee for organising this event and in particular Philip O’Neill, Marie Kennedy and Philip Tierney.

Cathaoirleach of the Council Fidelis Doherty said that Kilkenny Lions Club has a long history of helping local organisations, with the Club distributing over €800,000 to over 100 organisations over the past 18 years. She acknowledged the incredible charity work and community engagement of the Lions Club throughout County Kilkenny.

 Mayor Andrew McGuinness paid tribute to the Lions for their great work in assisting local organisations over the years and said that the people of Kilkenny were very thankful to them. He also thanked the voluntary work of the organisations who were receiving cheques, as they play a huge role in improving the services available in their communities. He said he was delighted to have given the proceeds of the Mayors Christmas Appeal to the Lions Club, as he knew how respected they were in Kilkenny and that so many local organisations benefit from their fundraising throughout the year.

The Twelve recipients were                                                                        

• Carlow/Kilkenny Homecare                                                               
• SOS Castlecomer                                                                                                                                                                                                          
• Cois Nore Cancer Support Centre                                                                   
• Family Carers Association Kilkenny                                                  
• Ossory Youth            
•  ALONE
• St. Patricks Special School, Kilkenny
• Young Irish Film Makers, Kilkenny 
• Danesfort Community Centre
• O’Gorman Home, Ballyragget        
• Men’s Shed, Thomastown
• School Completion Programme                                                                                         

A new guide published by Lions Clubs in Ireland is designed to assist community groups and voluntary organisations to access grants and other funding for local environmental projects.

The ‘Environmental Project Support Guide’ will be used extensively by almost 100 Lions Clubs in Ireland and is also available to other groups through a download from the Lions Clubs Ireland website. (www.lionsclubs.ie)

Launching the Guide at Kilkenny Castle, the Minister of State for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan TD, said:

‘We are living through a time of unprecedented change and a time of great opportunity to shape that change rather than watch it happen. The publication of the Lions Club guide is both timely and vital as communities across Ireland respond to the great environmental challenges of our time by being the change they want to see.

Importantly too Lions Clubs International once again has its finger on the pulse by wanting to help lead on the bigger picture and enabling change to happen. I welcome Lions commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their desire to work towards a more just and safer planet for all living things’. 

In producing the Guide, the Lions District 133 Environmental Team considered ways to best support Lions to engage in Environment Projects. Lions serve their communities on a voluntary basis but the appropriate use of available funding serves to increase the effectiveness of environment projects and enhances the benefits to communities. The Guide summarises key elements of Local Authority and other Environmental, Climate Change and Biodiversity Community Grants. It details funding streams that are available for carrying out various types of community activities and projects in local communities.

Lions Clubs District Governor, Ann Ellis of Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club, said :

‘An objective for me, during my year as District Governor, and in the context of the urgent need for increased action to protect and restore our environment, was to establish a new District Environment Team to assist Lions Clubs to develop and implement more Environmental projects in their communities. The Guide will provide invaluable assistance, to Lions Clubs and community groups, with their Environment Projects, and I am very proud of the achievements of the new Environment Team in such a short space of time.’

Environment Team Chair, Dan McInerney of Carlow Lions Club said : ‘The Guide is an evolving guidance document and it will be updated regularly. I acknowledge the great work of Philip O’Neill of Kilkenny Lions Club who led the production of the Guide, together with all the Environment Team members’.

The motto of Lions Clubs is We serve and the Mission Statement of the District 133 Environment Team, which produced the Environment Project Support Guide, states that ‘By harnessing the skills and experience of our members, we aim to sustainably protect and restore our environment to improve the well-being of the communities we serve’.

Kilkenny Lions Club to mark World Diabetes Day with awareness event

On Saturday in Kilkenny Golf Club, Kilkenny Lions Club and Kilkenny County Council launched a significant environmental initiative funded by the Council’s Waste Prevention Program. Read the full article on the Kilkenny Peoples Website here

During these difficult times Kilkenny Lions Club President Pat O’Hanlon has asked people to consider shopping local to support our local businesses.

You can hear the advertisement below

 PRESS RELEASE

Westport Lion Heads Irish District

Des Ryan from Westport has been elected as District Governor of Lions Clubs International in Ireland. He succeeds Bernard Black of Antrim Coast Lions Club and will lead 2,150 Lions who are members of 103 Clubs in District 133 of the word-wide organisation.

Born in Dublin, Des is grandson of the late Terry O’Sullivan, journalist and diarist and is a nephew of the writer and broadcaster Nuala O’Faolain.

He moved to Westport with his parents in 1980 and after graduating in Construction Studies at Galway RTC, he worked in the structural steel industry prior to establishing his own company in 2004.

Des initially joined Lions Clubs International through Leos, its youth organisation. He was the founding president of Westport Leo Club and went on to become the youngest member of Westport Lions Club, later serving as secretary and club president. He headed the North West Zone of Lions Clubs before his election as Vice District Governor.

As District Governor, Des plans to enhance the national understanding of Lions Clubs ethos and activities.

‘Lions Clubs are active in almost every community on this island, supporting the vulnerable and those in need through a very wide range of projects. At national level we are engaged in health, education, community support, youth development and sport while our District also supports major international humanitarian projects undertaken by the Lions Clubs International Foundation’, he says.

He adds that Lions Clubs in Ireland has responded to the Covid 19 pandemic by supporting local communities and by contributing €95,000 to purchase and distribute 100,000 Hero Shields to front line workers.

‘We need to create a greater public awareness of our activities, so that we can attract new members and raise the necessary funds’, he  says.

As District Governor, Des also plans to enhance the use of communications technology by Lions Clubs, to offer training to members and leadership opportunities to a new generation of Lions Clubs officers.

A keen sportsman who has played soccer and GAA, Des enjoys playing guitar, singing and gardening. He is married to Sara (they met at a Leo Club meeting) and they are parents to Catherine (26), Jessica (21), Emma (13) and Ben(11) and grandparents of Elisagh (4).