Limerick Carer of the Year awarded to sixty-year-old who devoted her life to caring for her family

Mrs. Francis O’Donoghue from Kildimo, Co. Limerick won Limerick Carer of the Year 2019 from Family Carers Ireland at the Absolute Hotel on Friday, November 8, 2019. Picture: Kate Devaney/ilovelimerick.

Limerick Carer of the Year awarded to sixty-year-old who devoted her life to caring for her family

Family Carers Ireland recently held its Limerick Carer of the Year Ceremony, awarding it to long-time carer, wife, and mother, who has been a fulltime carer for almost thirty years.

Mrs. Francis O’Donoghue from Kildimo, Co. Limerick, was presented with the award on Friday, November 8 in the Absolute Hotel by Mayor of Limerick Michael Sheahan and Mick Galwey, Netwatch Security Brand Ambassador, after being nominated by her daughter Michelle.

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

Mrs. Francis O’Donoghue from Kildimo, Co. Limerick won Limerick Carer of the Year 2019 from Family Carers Ireland at the Absolute Hotel on Friday, November 8, 2019. Picture: Kate Devaney/ilovelimerick.

Francis has cared for her daughter Michelle since birth after she was born with chronic kidney disease (now a transplant patient). She also cares for her husband who is eighty years old and was diagnosed with dementia five years ago. He suffers from regular kidney infections.

Michelle said, “I nominated my mother because she is absolutely fantastic, she has been there since the day I was born. She is remarkable really, she has fought for me, tried to keep me alive since I was a baby, she has fought with doctors to keep me alive. I’ve been through meningitis, I’ve been through two kidney transplants in the last year, she has been there and has known what was wrong with me before the doctors knew. She is just remarkable”.

The judging panel concluded that Francis’s role was of high intensity and was a huge personal sacrifice. Her resilience & ability to keep caring is why the judges selected her as Limerick Carer of the year, she will go on to represent Limerick in the national finals in Dublin on the 22 November 2019.

Francis was joined by friends and family as she was awarded the title of Limerick Carer of the Year, where they then sang happy birthday to her and presented a cake, to celebrate her life and hard-work. Francis turned sixty last week.

Family Carers Ireland are going on their 13th Year of recognizing the contribution of Ireland’s 355,000 family carers.

The Netwatch Carer of the Year Awards 2019 will be presented at a gala awards ceremony hosted by broadcasters and Family Carers Ireland patrons Mary Kennedy and Marty Whelan in The Westin Dublin. Francis will represent carers from Limerick at the National Awards Ceremony and we wish her well and congratulate her on receiving the award of Limerick Carer of the Year 2019.

Jean Ryan, the Cater Supports Manager with Family carers Ireland, said, “The Netwatch Carer of the Year Awards is an opportunity to recognize the commitment of family carers, often at a huge personal sacrifice, to the care of their loved ones. These individuals are ordinary people doing extraordinary work; they are our family, relatives, neighbors and friends; they are living in every town and community in Ireland and seek to create a loving, fearless and safe environment for their family members”.

For more information about Family Carer’s Ireland, click here.

For more stories about Limerick Carers, click here.

Picture: Kate Devaney/ ilovelimerick