Maharees Conservation Association Wins Big at National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2024

An inspiring local organisation in Kerry has won big at this year’s National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2024.

The Maharees Conservation Association took home the top prize in the Heritage category, winning an impressive €10,000. The organisation was established in 2016 to enhance, protect, and preserve this unique coastline through community-led climate adaptation.

The Maherees, located on the Dingle Peninsula, is renowned for its long, uninterrupted blue-flag beaches and stunning coastline. This area is globally recognised for its spectacular sand dunes, which have unfortunately been severely impacted by the powerful Atlantic swells and strong winter winds.

The volunteer-run charity works closely with residents, visitors, NGOs, state agencies, and the local authority to safeguard the Maharees sand dune system and its habitats, as well as, to preserve the community and heritage of the area. In 2021, the group received funding from the National Lottery Good Causes, which enabled them to develop the Maharees Heritage Trail. This mobile-accessible, self-guided trail features imagery, video, and both text and audio descriptions of 20 points of interest around The Maharees, exploring various aspects of the area’s natural, cultural, living, and built heritage.

The Maharees Conservation Association’s proactive spirit, commitment to environmental protection, and willingness to share knowledge with other coastal communities impressed the judges of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards. Their efforts were recognised with winning the 2024 Heritage category award, highlighting them as a shining example of how local action can make a significant difference.

The event also saw Hand in Hand Cancer Charity in Galway crowned as the overall Good Cause of the Year 2024 and the winner in the Health and Wellbeing category. This nationwide charity works tirelessly with families affected by cancer, offering free, on-the-ground support to help ease the burden of long-distance travel for treatment and the emotional toll of a diagnosis. Their services aim to reduce the stress associated with cancer, making a meaningful impact on families facing one of life’s toughest challenges.

This year’s Good Causes Awards ceremony took place in Killashee House Hotel in Co. Kildare. Marty Whelan hosted the event and was joined by a star-studded line-up of guest presenters who handed out category awards, including TV personality Daithí Ó Sé, author and radio presenter Anna Geary, the inspiring Deborah Somorin, renowned architect and TV presenter Hugh Wallace and dancing sensation Arthur Gourounlian.

The Awards are made up of seven categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Arts & Culture, Community, Youth and Irish Language.

A special award category, ‘Hero of the Year’, recognises the outstanding work done by an individual within one of the finalist organisations.

This year’s Hero of the Year winner is Evelyn Neary, founder of Cian’s Kennels. In the face of deep personal loss, Evelyn has turned her grief into a powerful force for good. As the founder of Cian's Kennels, Evelyn built a dedicated team of volunteers, fostered crucial partnerships, and implemented strong governance to ensure the organisations success. Most importantly, she has brought comfort and joy to families during some of their most challenging times. “Imaginative. Resilient. Determined”, these are just a few words that encapsulate the remarkable spirit of the National Lottery Hero of the Year 2024, Evelyn Neary.

On the night, a total of €100,000 was awarded. The seven category winners each received €10,000; the Hero of the Year received €5,000 and the overall Good Cause of the Year, Hand in Hand received an additional €25,000.

Cian Murphy, Chief Executive of the National Lottery, said: “On behalf of the National Lottery, I want to extend our warmest congratulations to Hand in Hand, as well as to all our outstanding category winners. The work you do to make a tangible, positive difference in people's lives is nothing short of inspiring. It’s been a true privilege to stand alongside such a diverse range of organisations, each benefiting from Good Causes funding, and each playing a vital role in creating a better, more compassionate society."

This year’s National Lottery Good Causes Award winners are:

National Lottery Good Cause of the Year– Hand in Hand CLG, Galway

Arts and Culture - Helium Arts, Westmeath

Community - South Meath Social Economy, Meath

Health and Wellbeing - Hand in Hand CLG, Galway

Heritage - Maharees Conservation Association, Kerry

Irish Language: Cill Dara le Gaeilge, Kildare

Sport: Mullingar Handball Club, Westmeath

Youth: Belong To LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland, Dublin

Hero of the Year: Evelyn Neary, Cian’s Kennels, Longford

Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on all National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage, and the Irish Language. In total, more than €6.5 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 37 years ago. In 2023 alone, €227.9 Million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.

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