Kilkenny county winners announced in National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2022

Young Irish Film Makers, the Johnstown, Crosspatrick and Galmoy CFR, St Martin’s GAA and the Castlecomer Discovery Park are the four Kilkenny clubs and organisations announced today as county winners in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2022. 

The awards were created to honour and showcase the inspiring work being carried out by thousands of projects, clubs and individuals in their local communities across Ireland thanks to National Lottery Good Causes funding. Nearly 30 cent of every euro spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes all over the country. 

Announcing the county winners today, National Lottery CEO, Andrew Algeo, said: “The stories and insights that we read in this year’s entries truly exemplified the positive impact that the groups, sports clubs and organisations who receive National Lottery funding, are having in towns and villages all over Ireland. Celebrating the inspirational work being carried out by these extraordinary beneficiaries and recognising the effect that they have on their communities is exactly what the Good Causes Awards are all about.” 

The National Lottery CEO went on to describe how significantly more individuals, charities, groups, projects and organisations all over Ireland could benefit from Good Causes funding if a ban on lottery betting were to be introduced. 

“Our ambition is to do more for communities all over Ireland and we hope that soon, this will become a reality. If the practice of betting on lottery games were to be finally banned in Ireland, as it is in most EU countries, our research shows that National Lottery sales would increase by at least €228 million which would result in approximately €63 million in additional funding for the Good Causes fund which would have a huge impact on communities all over Ireland. Last year, Benefacts established that 34% of all charitable giving in Ireland in 2021 was attributable via the National Lottery. We believe that even more charitable and community groups would directly benefit if a ban on lottery betting was put in place.” 

The Kilkenny winners are: 

Young Irish Film Makers – Arts & Culture 
YIFM (Young Irish Filmmakers) is a youth organisation working at the congruence of youth arts and youth development. YIFM work through the youth arts practice of film and animation to create exciting and empowering experiences for young people in all parts of the country. They work with over 1,500 young people annually across Ireland and many of their previous participants have gone on to third level film, media production and animation courses in Ireland and abroad. 

Johnstown, Crosspatrick and  Galmoy CFR (formerly Johnstown and Crosspatrick Defib) – Health & Wellbeing 
The Johnstown, Crosspatrick and  Galmoy Community First Responders are linked to the National Ambulance Service and are called upon to attend suspected heart attack, chest pains, stroke, choking and cardiac arrest calls. They provide interim healthcare until the arrival of the ambulance and, where necessary, immediate assistance to the family after a bereavement. They provide and maintain life-saving defibrillators within the community and carry out vital training to the public within their locality. 

St Martin’s GAA – Sport 
St Martin's GAA is a rural club in north Kilkenny, who are an inclusive community organisation driven by the people of Coon, Muckalee and Ballyfoyle  since the club was formed in 1982. Thanks to Sports Capital funding, the progressive community-based club recently undertook an innovative facility upgrade which included an all-weather, multi-use area which has benefited everybody in the area from young and old. 

Castlecomer Discovery Park – Community 
Castlecomer Discovery Park is a not-for-profit social enterprise that aims to connect people with the natural world in North Kilkenny. The beautiful 80 acres of woodlands and lakes in Castlecomer have become one of the most exciting visitor attractions in Kilkenny. The funding from the National Lottery has helped develop the discovery park from helping create 26 full time equivalent roles to buying climbing equipment, archery gear and kayaks. The fund enables them to be able to offer more experiences and deal with more visitors to a very high standard. 

Entrepreneur, fashion designer and businesswoman, Sonya Lennon, who is chair of this year’s judging panel, spoke about the tough job that the panel faced in narrowing down the entries: 

“This is my first year involved in the Good Causes Awards and it’s really opened my eyes to the crucial work that so many extraordinary groups and individuals carry out within their communities each and every day. It was no easy feat to select our 118 county winners out of the hundreds of entries that we received as every application had an inspiring story. A big congratulations to all who have made it to the next round – we are one step closer to the big night now!” 

The awards, which culminates in a Gala Awards Dinner in Kildare on October 1, has seven main categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Arts & Culture, Community, Youth and Irish Language.  

The full list of county winners can be found at www.lottery.ie/good-causes- awards/county-winners 

The 118 county finalists will now compete for a place in the national finals judging phase next month, after which the 35 national finalists will be announced. 

The total prize fund for the Good Causes Awards is €130,000 and each of the 35 finalists will win €1,000 when they are announced in June. At the awards ceremony in October, each of the seven category winners will receive €10,000 and the overall Good Cause of the Year will take home an additional €25,000. 

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 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 34 years ago. In 2021 alone, €289 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.