Monaghan Person of the Year Award finalists announced

THE finalists in this year’s Farney Foundation Co Monaghan Person of the Year Award have been announced.

The final nine nominees include a retired garda superintendent, Paralympian, community worker, local cancer charity, footballer, Castleblayney business and even a local pipe band.

The second annual awards ceremony will take place at a gala ball at the Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan Town this Saturday, February 28.

The full list of finalists are: Ladies county footballer Sharon Courtney of Donaghmoyne; retired Garda Superintendent Joe Sullivan; Linda Moore of Cú Chulainn Blood Bikes; Shane Tyres, Castleblayney; Mary Byrne, Castleblayney; Shane McLoughlin from Clones; the Aughnamullen Pipe Band; Aisling Ward, Magheracloone; and The Friends of Carrickmacross Cancer Society.

Organisers will also remember those who passed away in 2025. Among those being mentioned are the late Frank Hughes, Ballinode; Anne Driver, Paddy Cole, young Dylan McCahey from Magheracloone, Eugene ‘Nudie’ Hughes, Hughie McElvaney and Brendan Hughes, both former chairpersons of Monaghan County Council; Shay Duffy and Chloe McGee, and the late James Hagan from Mullaghmatt.

In a touching gesture, members of the families of some of those who passed away in 2025 will make the presentations of the awards to the winners on the night.

As with last year, members of the public were invited to nominate Monaghan people of their choice from which the Farney Foundation compiled a list of nominees.

To nominate was free but, to vote for one of the finalists, that is done online and delivered by an independent voting company in Finland, costs €1 per vote.

Tickets for the gala night which includes a drinks reception, dinner, and dancing cost €70.

According to the foundation’s website ‘votes cost €1 per vote with approximately 70 cent going to Farney Foundation who will in turn, present a cheque to the 2025 Farney Foundation County Monaghan Person of the Year for a charity of their choice.’

Farney Foundation director, Brian Ruddin, says he is looking forward to this year’s ceremony despite controversy over the organisation of last year’s event, and specifically whether enough of the money raised was given to charity.

The criticism instigated a garda investigation, which, is still ongoing. An Garda Síochána told The Anglo-Celt they are preparing a file, which will be sent to the DPP “in due course”.

Last year’s winner of the Person of the Year Award was former minister Heather Humphreys who received €5,100 to donate to a charity of her choice.

Mrs Humphreys elected three local charities who each confirmed to The Anglo-Celt they received €1,700 on behalf of Heather Humphreys from Farney Foundation.

“Everybody can do the maths,” Brian Ruddin told the Celt.

“When nominations were free on a keyboard, we received thousands of votes last year including 1,000 for one individual, but nobody wanted to vote when they had to pay.

“We are a private company limited by guarantee who run an awards night,” he continued, “I’ve been driven to the edge by all this [criticism] but everything is more than above board,” he claims.

When asked why he is proceeding with the Farney Foundation Monaghan Person of the Year Awards while some criticise his efforts, he said: “I just believe it’s a brilliant awards and I just think it’s brilliant to have someone in the county to look up to and some of these people often don’t get recognition.”