Concern Worldwide has paid tribute to the extraordinary generosity and compassion of the Limerick public after being honoured by President Michael D. Higgins at a special 50th anniversary event at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Over 170 volunteers, supporters and staff were among the invited guests at the event last Tuesday, including several Limerick residents who have contributed to the charity’s work over the years.
These included William Dillon from Askeaton, who is one of Concern’s longest serving volunteers and continues to hold church gate collections in aid of the charity.
William’s brother Martin worked with Concern for over 30 years and had been leading the organisation’s operation in Zambia at the time of his untimely death in 2008.
Teresa O’Keeffe-Hannon from Ballingarry took over the church gate collection when her mother passed away and attended the reception with her sister Frances, a former overseas volunteer, staff member and chair of Concern.
Other local volunteers who took part in the celebrations included Tourneen man Mark Reidy (lead organiser of the annual Concern Christmas Eve FAST in Croom) and Limerick photographer Liam Burke, a long-running supporter of the organisation.
Encouraging the next generation of humanitarians is key to Concern Worldwide’s operations and one local man who is heavily involved in this is retired teacher Tony Joyce of Rathkeale, who coordinated collections and motivated local students to engage in charity work over his decades in education.
Susan and Sarah Finucane, nieces of founding members Fr Jack and Aengus Finucane, were also in attendance on the night, as well as former overseas aid worker Mary Liston.
Commenting at the event, Concern CEO Dominic MacSorley paid tribute to the incredible generosity of the Irish public, which has helped the organisation to reach many millions of people over the past 50 years.
“The response of the Irish public was phenomenal. Images of war and starvation broadcast into homes across Ireland tapped into the instinctual empathy and generosity of a nation and this is what has continued to sustain Concern over the past 50 years.”
President Higgins added that Concern has been “to the forefront of addressing the great issues of our time”.
“Through your work you crafted a vital bridge between the Irish people and some of the poorest people in our world. Thank you all those of you who have worked for and with Concern over the years for your compassion, your courage, and your dedication to supporting the lives and building the capacity of the poorest people of the world.”
Founded in 1968 in response to devastating famine in the breakaway state of Biafra in Nigeria, Concern now reaches over 26 million people in 26 of the world’s poorest countries last year.
In the first year alone, they raised the equivalent of €4 million to send a ship-load of vital supplies to the starving population of Nigeria in what was the largest relief operation to ever come out of Ireland at the time.
Concern has a number of events planned to mark the 50th anniversary of the organisation over the year, including an international conference on conflict to take place in Dublin in September.
More about society here.
