DCIL recently held its annual awards in December to recognise and celebrate the significant contributions of its Leaders and staff.
The awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge significant contributions, commitment and dedication across the organisation. The awards were presented in the following categories:
- PA of the year
- Leader of the year
- Special Recognition
- PA recognition of service
2025 PA of the year:
The runner-up for the DCIL PA of the year 2025 was Fergal Doherty! Fergal was proudly nominated by his leader, Jake McGrath. In his nomination, Jake highlighted how Fergal supports him at the men’s shed, something that is very important to Jake. He also said that Fergal has been a great help to him with his woodwork projects. This is not the first time Fergal has been nominated and it is clear that his ongoing contribution continues to make a meaningful impact across DCIL.
The winner of the DCIL PA of the year 2025 was Crystal Boyce! Crystal was nominated by her Leader, Christopher McBrearty. Crystal has been Christopher’s PA for over 5 years. In his nomination, Christopher said in his nomination “Crystal is a very caring person in her own way, she gets on with her work and looks after me so well. We have fun times and have a great laugh, which makes life so much easier for me. She has covered shifts for me that I find hard to get cover for. In appreciation, I would love to see her get PA of the year. Thank you.”
The four nominees of Leader of the Year were as follows:
- Pauline Larkin nominated by her PA Ada
- Niamh Bonner nominated by her PA Kristina
- Paul Gallagher nominated by his PA Amanda
- Peter McFadden nominated by his PA Margret
The winner of Leader of the Year 2025 was Niamh Bonnar!
Her PA Kristina, who accepted the award on behalf of Niamh said ” It gives me great pleasure to suggest Niamh for this honour. I have seen courage, grace and positivity from her during my time with her. The tolerance and kindness that Niamh exhibits, even at difficult times is what makes her unique. She approaches each day with bravery, Kindness and a sincere respect for those around her. Despite the challenges she encounters, Niamh still demonstrates compassion, hope and a unique capacity to inspire others”.
Special Recognition Awards:
This year’s first Special Recognition Award was presented to Helen Friel. In presenting the award, Marty Friel said ” Helen consistently goes above and beyond for both her Leaders and the coordination team. She is exceptionally reliable and a strong, dedicated advocate for the people she supports. Helen approaches her role with compassion, professionalism and unwavering commitment. Her hard work makes a real difference every day and she is truly deserving of this special recognition”
This year’s second Special Recognition Award went to Ellen Burke. In presenting the award, Jonathan McLaughlin said ” Ellen works as part of the CE scheme, three days a week, here at DCIL. She is always punctual, always polite and always hardworking. She takes her role seriously, so seriously in fact, that we sometimes wonder if she secretly enjoys Excel spreadsheets more than any human should. Ellen handles the travel allowance spreadsheets with such precision that even Microsoft would be proud. Ellen, thank you for everything you do. Your commitment, your care and your sense of responsibility make a real difference here at DCIL. Congratulations, you truly deserve this recognition.”
At the annual awards, DCIL was also delighted to recognise PA staff who have reached the 5 and 10-year milestones with the organisation. This recognition celebrates the dedication, commitment and contribution of PA’s who have assisted leaders over many years.
Each recipient received a service pin as a small token of DCIL’s appreciation and thanks for their continued service. The recipients of this year’s PA recognition of service were as follows:
PA recognition of service 5 years of service:
- Louise Laird
- Damien Mccarron
10 years of service:
- Alice Moore
- Mary McLaughlin
It was a fantastic evening celebrating with all of DCIL’s amazing Leaders and Staff. Congratulations to all of our award recipients!