Sligo’s Veronica Murray (pictured) is receiving nationwide recognition for her dedicated work with Special Olympics Connacht this week, as she’s awarded the Sligo award at this week’s virtual Federation of Irish Sport Volunteers in Sport awards.
Veronica has been a volunteer with Special Olympics since 1995 and is the Bowling Co-coordinator since 1998 organising many area and regional bowling events during this time.
Veronica’s award ceremony will take place online this Wednesday evening at 7pm.
The Volunteers in Sport Awards were created to champion the contribution, commitment and dedication of the army of 450,000 volunteers across the country who go above and beyond by giving their time to Irish sport and physical activity each year. These volunteers dedicate some 37.2 million hours of volunteering across the country’s 13,000+ sports clubs and associations every year.
John Connolly – Leitrim’s Volunteer in Sport winner
The Leitrim recipient of the award is John Connolly from Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club, who’s also well known as the Sports Editor of the Leitrim Observer.
The Donegal award went to Fergus McAteer for his work with the Mulroy Soccer Academy in Fanad.
The full list of Volunteer in Sport winners is below:
| COUNTY | NAME | SPORT | CLUB |
| Outstanding Achievement Award | Anne McHale | Basketball | Ballina Braves Basketball Club (Mayo) |
| Special Recognition Award | Pat Hooper (RIP) | Athletics | |
| Special Recognition Award | Daingean GAA | GAA | |
| Antrim | Michael Close | Boxing | Ledley Hall Boys and Girls Club Trust |
| Armagh | Anne Forsythe | Motorcycling | North Armagh Motorcycle and Car Club |
| Carlow | Denis Shannon | Athletics | Tinryland Athletics Club |
| Cavan | Philip Galligan | GAA | St Patrick’s Arva GAA |
| Clare | Brid MacNamara | Camogie | Clare Camogie Board |
| Cork | Mary Haughney | Swimming | Sunday’s Well Swimming Club |
| Derry | Padraig Dougan | Cycling | Carn Wheelers Cycling Club |
| Donegal | Fergus McAteer | Soccer | Mulroy Soccer Academy |
| Down | William Martin | Badminton | Ulster Badminton |
| Dublin | Stella Downes | Cricket | Clontarf Cricket Club |
| Fermanagh | Derek Holland | Rowing | Enniskillen Royal Boat Club |
| Galway | Michael Mongan | Boxing | Olympic Boxing Club |
| Kerry | Selina O’Connor | GAA | Luane Rangers GAA |
| Kildare | Tom Egan | Canoeing | Salmon Leap Canoe Club |
| Kilkenny | David Denieffe | Athletics | Gowran Athletics Club |
| Laois | Mary Donohue | Camogie | Harps GAA |
| Leitrim | John Connolly | Athletics | Carrick-on-Shannon Athletics Club |
| Limerick | Emer Kenny | Camogie | Ahane Camogie Club |
| Longford | Jenny Mahon | Handball | Abbeylara Handball Club |
| Louth | Robert Nash | GAA/Soccer | Na Piarsaigh GFC and Bay FC |
| Mayo | Johnny Carey | Boxing | Geesala Boxing Club |
| Meath | Graham Hyland | Athletics | Cilles Athletics Club |
| Monaghan | Adam Grimes | GAA | Killanny Gearldines GFC |
| Offaly | Tomas Quinlan | Soccer | Moneygall Football Club |
| Roscommon | Aidan Farrell | Rugby | Creggs Rugby Club |
| Sligo | Veronica Murray | Special Olympics | Special Olympics Connacht |
| Tipperary | Pauline Nugent | Special Olympics | Ormond Special Olympics Club |
| Tyrone | Karen Ballantine | Golf | Newtownstewart Golf Club |
| Waterford | Hugh O’Brien Moran | Surfing | TBay Surf Club |
| Westmeath | Colm Walsh | Athletics | Mullingar Harriers Athletics Club |
| Wexford | Liam Rossiter | Soccer | New Ross Town Football Club |
| Wicklow | Conor Woods | Tennis | Greystones Lawn Tennis Club |
