Caheragh Threshing Committee member Shane Scully has been announced as this year’s recipient of the Lidl Impact Community Hero Award, an honour for which the group’s secretary Kathleen Kirby said he ‘more than deserves’.
‘Shane is an absolute gem. Starting out, he was a great assistance to his late father and as a valued member of our committee, alongside DJ Dinneen and Majella O’Shea, he is reliable and diligent in everything he does.
It is due to Shane that we have retained a lot of the practices that were used in traditional flag days, as well as the selling of tickets, and helping with the Wheel of Fortune, which as any visitor to Caheragh Threshing will tell, is a big part of the day,’ said Kathleen. ‘He’s a team player in every sense of the word.’
Shane, who is from Caheragh but now lives in Skibbereen, is a valued employee at the supermarket, first for 14 years in Skibbereen, and for the last six years in the Bantry store.
He said he was ‘delighted and honoured’ with the award: ‘It’s humbling to be chosen from so many worthy nominees. I want to extend my gratitude to my amazing colleagues across the business and especially the store team in Lidl Bantry…I’ve worked with Lidl for over 20 years and I truly enjoy going to work every day.’
He went on to tell The Southern Star he enjoyed the presentation ceremony in Dublin too, at which he thanked his manager, Ruth Shanley, for nominating him for this award.
‘I took my example from my father, who was stuck in the threshing since it started, and from my mother Eileen who also helped raise money for cancer research and local charities,’ said Shane.
Sadly, both of his parents passed away from cancer, so Shane is happy to do what he can to honour their legacy as caring members of the community.
‘They raised a lot of money for cancer when they were alive, so it feels good to me to help out in any way I can,’ he said.
Shane was presented with the company’s National Achievement Award in recognition of his involvement in the threshing festival, which began 26 years ago in 1999.
Mr Scully began as an assistant to his father, John, who passed away last year.
For over 10 years Shane has not only served as treasurer, he has contributed to an event that raises a lot of money for cancer research, and local charities, every year.
His employers praised Shane for ‘his actions, his integrity and his team spirit’, and acknowledged how he was their solo winner in West Cork out of 6,000 employees nationwide.
