Ladies Gaelic Football

www.ladiesgaelic.ie | SPRING 2022 | 19 HALL OF FAME VOLUNTEER AWARDS By DARAGH SMALL Y ou'll struggle to find someone as dedicated to the Milltown LGFA and GAA as Mary Hernon but it doesn't stop there. The Galway woman has promoted the game with vigour out west and her name is known all across Ireland. She is passionate about Ladies Football and sport in general and it shines through in conversation. So it was no surprise when she was welcomed into the Hall of Fame this year with open arms. The Milltown native was inducted into the currentaccount.ie Volunteer Hall of Fame by the LGFA in February as a thanks for her outstanding contribution down through the years. She is vice-chairperson of the Galway LGFA board, Connacht Council secretary, chairperson on the National Regarding Committee and she used to serve on the National Disciplinary Committee. The list goes on and on but she still remains humble as ever, always wanting to deflect away from her own great heroics. "There is a lot of volunteers that do an awful lot of work silently that nobody recognises," said Hernon. "I'm just lucky but I was delighted at the same time but very humbled now. It is wonderful to be recognised by your peers." And there are so many of those peers due to the various age-groups and different levels that Hernon has helped to transform over the years. Her own sporting career began at an early age and it was written in the stars that she would be a great influence in future. "My maiden name is Hehir, it is synonymous with GAA in Milltown," said Hernon. "My induction into sport was probably the day I was born and I was very very involved in the GAA long before the LGFA. "I played camogie myself, there was no Ladies football at the time. I played soccer for the Civil Service in I'd say in 1968 or 1969. But I also played camogie when I was in school. "I captained and trained camogie teams in the Convent of Mercy in Tuam and there was still no Ladies football." Hernon had already become a mainstay in Milltown GAA circles before the first Ladies football team was introduced. And of course she was to the forefront of that movement too, inspired by her own daughter who was "I'M JUST LUCKY BUT I WAS DELIGHTED AT THE SAME TIME BUT VERY HUMBLED NOW. IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE RECOGNISED BY YOUR PEERS" CURRENTACCOUNT.IE VOLUNTEER HALL OF FAME MARY HERNON Above: Mary Hernon from Milltown, Galway, winner of the Volunteer Hall of Fame award 2021. Left: Mary is interviewed by MC Daithí Ó Sé

• Cover