Spirit Of Ireland Award

The Spirit of Ireland Award is presented annually to one individual in the Seattle/Irish community at our fall Spirit of Ireland literary dinner.

The primary intent of the annual Spirit of Ireland Award is to recognize an individual, or organization, whose service to our community reflects the ethics and values of the Irish Diaspora. A core principle of this Irish Network Seattle award is recognition of the fact that we all “drink from wells others have dug “and thus owe a debt of gratitude to those who have worked to get us where we are today. Key to that recognition is the realization that the work continues and requires our devotion to continuing their work for the betterment of all. 

Nominees can contribute in any of the examples listed below:

a. Appreciation for education as the gateway to success for all
b. Absolute commitment to democratic ideals to combat oppression everywhere.
c. Commitment to “paying it forward” to help others improve their lives as a way of honoring the struggles and barriers our immigrant ancestors had to overcome.
d. Commitment to accepting diversity in society as a pillar of a just life.
e. Demonstrating outstanding leadership in mobilizing people and resources to address important issues and problems preventing people from having successful lives.
f. Working tirelessly to preserve and promote the best attributes of Irish cultural heritage, including language, music, dance, literature, poetry and other cultural practices.
g. Having significant impact on society at large, beyond the Irish Diaspora community but reflective of its values - examples could be fighting for the defense of liberty and freedom; provision of humanitarian assistance; working for environmental conservation; working for social justice, in all its component parts, on a local, regional, national, or international scale.

Honorees

2024 - Caroline Cumming

Caroline

2025 - Sean McDowell

Sean

2026 - Mark Pigott

Mark