
Announcing the winners of our 2019 Awards
Martin Kenny Volunteer of the Year 2019
Breda Murrihy Ryan - NCBI Ennis
Shop Manager of the Year 2019
Bridget Walsh - Oxfam Ireland Navan
Shop Window of the Year 2019
NCBI Inchicore - Lisa Murphy
Press and media info, download here.
Martin Kenny Volunteer of the Year Award 2019

Winner Breda Murrihy Ryan (2nd Left)
Our winner is Breda Murrihy Ryan who volunteers in the NCBI shop in Ennis.
Pictured here are Patricia Kenny, Martin Kenny's widow, Breda, Mairead Lavery, shop manager and Mary Bolger, Barnardos Carlow who is last year's winner.
This award is in memory of the late Martin Kenny who was Head of Retail at NCBI and set up their first shop in 1996. Martin was a founder member of the ICSA and was also its first Chairperson.
Anna Gallagher of Volunteer Ireland judged this award said:
"What an incredible range of stories. So many heart-warming moments and smiles being brought to faces! All the nominated volunteers are clearly incredibly dedicated, they all deserve to be celebrated!"
Breda was nominated by her Area Manager Karen Meagher and also by her Shop Manager Mairead Lavery who said:
"Among my volunteers is this very special lady always smiling never in bad form and would literally stand on her head for you if it was possible."
Runners up:
Ali Mubashair Oxfam French Church St Cork
Jacinta Maxwell Oxfam Dun Laoghaire
William Rowlands NCBI Gorey
Breda Kenny Barnardos Wexford
Nominees
Barnardos |
Catherine Daly |
Ann Mordaunt |
Marian Corkery-Sheehy |
Brioni Barnes |
Tersoo Usman |
Breda Kenny |
Focus Ireland |
Anne Smiddy |
Irish Wheelchair Association |
Michelle O'Shea |
Longford Womens Link |
Omolara Osumwehinmi |
NCBI |
Alan Donnellan |
Breda Murrihy Ryan |
Carmel O'Dowd |
Catherine Noonan |
Ciaran Rogers |
Danille Lynch |
Helen Luo |
Kathleen Coyle |
Lauren Gaynor |
Mary McEvoy |
Nan Hopkins |
Nora Connery |
Patricia Grogan |
William Rowlands |
Oxfam Ireland |
Ali Mubashair |
Eithne Rea |
Eleanor Redican |
Jacinta Maxwell |
Jean Dunleavy |
Niamh Nicholson |
Sarah McGowan |
Power4Good |
Anita Thomas |
Claudia Fusciardi |
Danka Olszeloska |
SVP |
Paddy Molloy |
Shop Team of the Year Award 2019

Shop Team Winner Aurora Charity Shop Mallow
Our winner is Aurora Charity Shop Mallow supporting Cork Mental Health Foundation and Housing Association.
Pictured here are Mark Sweeney, Chair ICSA, Catherine Barrett and Helen O'Callaghan, volunteers and Brendan McCarthy, CEO of the charity.
This new category is for the shop team who have shown exceptional commitment to each other to achieve great results for their shop. It is a recognition that every shop can only be successful if there is a great team behind it who are supportive of each other and of their local community.
Anna Gallagher of Volunteer Ireland judged this award said:
"The “Shop Team” category is a great addition. The level of support that these volunteers show to each other and their local communities is outstanding. All the nominated teams are clearly incredibly dedicated, they all deserve to be celebrated!"
In their nomination, CEO Brendan McCarthy wrote:
"I feel that our team should be considered for this award because the shop opened in July 2018 and in that time they have exceeded our expectations not only in the sales in the shop but the social benefit to the community.
We had 3 main reasons for opening the shop: to raise funds to support the work of the Housing Association, to raise the profile of the organisation and probably the most important reason for us was to give those affected by Mental Health issues an opportunity to gain valuable experience in a supported environment.
Some of the volunteers have said that the place has “saved their lives” and “given their life meaning”. The staff have become friends and very much like one big family looking out for each other and supporting each other in times that are hard."
Runners up:
Oxfambooks Parliament Street Dublin
Barnardos Wexford
Nominees
Barnados | Wexford |
Cork Mental Health Foundation | Auroroa Charity Shop Mallow |
Longford Womens Link | Willow Traders Longford |
NCBI | Navan |
NCBI | Whitewater Newbridge |
NCBI | Crumlin |
Oxfam Ireland | Navan |
Oxfam Ireland | Rathfarnham |
Oxfam Ireland | Parliament Street |
Oxfam Ireland | Sligo |
Oxfam Ireland | George's Street |
Power4Good | Tullamore |
To Childen with Love | Fairview |
Shop Manager of the Year Award 2019

Bridget Walsh (2nd left)
Our winner is Bridget Walsh, Oxfam Ireland Navan.
Pictured here are Ann Bird, Volunteer, Bridget, Mark Sweeney, DRM Oxfam and Chair ICSA, and Elizabeth Ward, volunteer.
This award is for the shop manager who has shown exceptional leadership and commitment to their charity, to the shop that they manage and to their donors, customers, staff and volunteers. It is judged by Keelan Bourke of Retail Excellence.
With a massive 22 nominations from her shop volunteers, CE/TUS workers and her District Retail Manager, Mark Sweeney who wrote:
"Bridget is one of the best examples of what a charity shop manager is, she works for the charity and for her volunteers. In the two years I have worked with Bridget I have learned that Bridget is not just a shop manager to her volunteers, she is family, she is a friend, she is a support.
The volunteers in our Navan shop are not just there because it is Oxfam, or indeed because it is a charity, they are there because of Bridget."
Runners up:
Eli Garcia-Badia Oxfam Ireland Dundrum
Karen Glass IWA Ardee
Nominees
Hazel Keane | Barnardos |
Louise O'Donovan | Barnardos |
Roisin Doyle | Barnardos |
Karen Glass | Irish Wheelchair Association |
Eoghan O'Sullivan | Longford Womens Link |
Aisling O'Connor | NCBI |
Alekandra Ligmann | NCBI |
Eileen Mulvaney | NCBI |
Fionnuala Byrne | NCBI |
Laura Donnelly | NCBI |
Linda Lovett | NCBI |
Tracey Kavanagh | NCBI |
Bridget Walsh | Oxfam Ireland |
Eli Garcia-Badia | Oxfam Ireland |
Jennifer Swan | Respect |
Shop Window of the Year Award 2019

Our winner is Lisa Murphy, NCBI Inchicore for her window Game of Thrones.
Pictured here are Orla Butler, Area Manager, Mark Sweeney Chair ICSA, Lisa and Jackey Tamgumus, Barnardos Wexford who is last year's winner.
This award is judged by Keelan Bourke of Retail Excellence, who commented on the really high standards of display in this year’s nominations.
Lisa decorated and painted many of the items in the window including painting approx. 600 thumbtacks in the baubles in the basket. Lisa’s windows are consistently outstanding and her attention to detail is second to none.
This amazing window reached an audience of over 15,000 people on Facebook and Lisa received messages of praise from people all over the world. Commuters and the general public regularly contact the NCBI Head Office praising Lisa’s work.
Runners up:
Vincent’s Laurence Centre Drogheda (SVP), Manager Lisa Kerr McArdle for the window – Focus on Sustainability
To Children with Love, Fairview, Dressed by volunteer Aedeen Linnane for the window – Autumn
Nominees
Barnardos | Dun Laoghaire |
Barnardos | Dalkey |
Barnardos | Wexford |
Dublin Simon Community | Camden Street |
Dublin Simon Community | Thomas Street |
Irish Cancer Society | Mallow Co Cork |
Irish Cancer Society | Swords |
Irish Cancer Society | Clonmel |
Irish Cancer Society | Castlebar |
Irish Wheelchair Association | Tipperary town |
Jack and Jill | Newbridge |
Jack and Jill | Naas |
Jack and Jill | Arklow |
NCBI | Inchicore |
NCBI | Bunclody |
Oxfam Ireland | Cook St Cork |
Oxfam Ireland | Rathmines |
Oxfam Ireland | Malahide |
Oxfam Ireland | Dun Laoghaire |
SVP | Terenure |
SVP | Laurence Centre Drogheda |
To Children with Love | Fairview |

Winning Game of Thrones Window NCBI Inchicore