Celebrities from the world of TV and entertainment turned out last week to congratulate the winners of the 2023 Hidden Hearing’ Heroes Awards in Dublin.
Kin star, Yasmin Seky, singer Daniel O’Donnell, TV personality Mary Kennedy, actress and new mum, Jenny Dixon, and TV presenters Emer O’Neill, Nuala Carey, and Alan Hughes, were among the guests at the gala awards ceremony to acknowledge Ireland’s everyday superheroes, who do extraordinary things.
Eleven heroes from around Ireland received awards, including new category winners for 2023, acknowledging our Immigrant Heroes, Diversity Heroes and Sustainability Heroes.
The new awards highlight Ireland’s evolving society, according to Stephen Leddy, Hidden Hearing’s Managing Director. He congratulated the heroes supporting a more inclusive society, those working towards sustainable communities, and the ordinary people battling exceptional challenges with courage and determination.
“It is humbling to recognise the selfless acts of others, and what can be achieved by these people who instinctively put others first. The Hidden Hearing team and our guests here today are very much in awe of Ireland’s Hidden Heroes.”
Winners included 35-year-old Jonthy Dillon from Dublin, a musician who trained to provide music therapy for the special needs group his brother attends, helping the boys relaxation, social engagement, and enjoyment of life.
The Immigrant Hero award went to Malawian-born Dylan Rebello, a Dublin-based special needs assistant in a Primary School, who encourages children from all walks of life to play, laugh and learn together, regardless of their background.
Trish O’Neill from Waterford is the scheme’s first ever Sustainability Hero. A third-generation beekeeper, her love of bees, nature and the natural world, sees her support the ecosystem and natural environment in both her career choice and lifestyle, that is based on the simple aim to ‘care not damage’.
Hard of Hearing Hero, Kevin Quaid from Cork, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s nine years ago, and later diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia too. He is Chair of the Irish Dementia Working Group, Vice Chair of the European Working Group, and co-founder of Lewy Body Ireland. As well as being involved in research projects, Kevin has written two books and is a motivational speaker on how to find the positives and passions in one’s life.
The five Phelan brothers from Dungarvan in County Waterford, who cycled the length of Ireland, raising thousands of euros for Crumlin Children’s Hospital were named 2023 Family Heroes.
Congratulating the winners, ceremony MC, Mary Kennedy told guests that the heroes awards scheme is supported by Hidden Hearing because, like our hearing, special people can sometimes be taken for granted and not fully appreciated.
“It is important to also acknowledge everyone who nominated these wonderful people. Our winners deserve recognition because, too often, we forget to recognise the ordinary people, doing extraordinary things, quietly, within their community or family,” Mary Kennedy said.
