Congratulations to Debbie Newman who was a most worthy and popular first winner of The Detty Cornally Volunteer Award at the Mullingar Shamrocks LGF Under-age County medal presentation event held in The Clubhouse on Saturday evening. 

Lisa Burke paid tribute to Detty Cornally’s massive contribution to the promotion of LGF in the club. It was appropriate that Detty's granddaughter Róisín was one of the girls collecting Under-14 League and Championship medals.

 Club chairperson, David Nohilly spoke of  Debby’s contribution to the club over the years and Eoin Cornally made the trophy presentation on behalf of the Cornally family.  Several members and generations of the Cornally family were present to mark the occasion as were several of Detty’s friends who supported the extraordinary woman in her LGF and Scór endeavours as well as all things Mullingar Shamrocks over the years.     

Debbie Newman has been contributing to Mullingar Shamrocks since Mairéad discovered LGF and Springfield a decade or so ago. Debbie has contributed in ways too numerous to mention. She has been part of the management teams of several Mullingar Shamrocks teams as well as holding the post of secretary of the LGF committee. She  stepped on to the stage in 2019 in our great Fundraising event The Sound of the Musicals as part of the cast of Les Miserable. A year later Debbie was part of Robbie Boyle’s management team when Mullingar Shamrocks won the WestmeathLadies Gaa Intermediate title in the difficult season of Covid. Since then Debbie has been ever-present on the senior management teams as FLM or otherwise. In 2022 and 2023, Debbie was centrally involved in organising and managing the booking of camping and camper van arrangements for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and welcoming presence in Springfield for our guests from practically every county in Ireland. Since 2023 Debbie has been Vice-Chairperson of Mullingar Shamrocks. 

Saturday gives us a flavour of Debbie’s commitment to the cause. The day began in Springfield at 7.30 am with a training session for our Senior LGF panel followed by a two hour stint in the Park Hotel on the Mullingar Shamrocks  Stand at the  Mullingar Chamber Midlands Career Expo 2026. Debbie rearranged her schedule to be present at the Medal presentation oblivious to the fact that she was to be the first recipient of The Detty Cornally Volunteer Award. 

That’s  our Debbie – a wonderful volunteer for Mullingar Shamrocks who works quietly for the club and has never once chased the limelight.  Long may it continue.