Laois County Council honours Portlaoise Lions Club on its 50th anniversary
Pictured: Front - Barbara Stanley, Mary O'Riordan , Sean Cruise (President, Portlaoise Lions Club), Sylvester Campion and Paul Gilligan. Back - Richard McSweeney, Tony Tynan, John Killeen, Andrew Shaw, Syl Murphy, David Clegg and Peter Naughton . Photograph by Michael Scully.
LAOIS County Council recently held a special reception in Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Portlaoise Lions Club.
Founded in 1976, the Portlaoise Lions Club has offered five decades of voluntary service to the local community through initiatives such as the Christmas Food Appeal, youth supports, assistance to vulnerable individuals, community fundraising events and responses to local crises.
The Portlaoise Lions Club is part of Lions Clubs International, a global organisation with 1.4 million members in 192 countries. There are 114 Lions Clubs in Ireland with circa 2,850 members.
Guided by the motto ‘We Serve’, the clubs are dedicated to community service and humanitarian efforts The municipal district reception was hosted by Cathaoirleach of Portlaoise Municipal District, Cllr John Joe Fennelly, and was attended by councillors, director of services and MD manager Simon Walton, and former councillor Tom Jacob.
The Portlaoise Lions Club was represented by Mr Sean Cruise, chairperson, alongside current and former members of the club.
Sean was presented with a Certificate of Achievement by the Cathaoirleach, who said: “For fifty years, the Portlaoise Lions Club has been the quiet engine behind so much good in our town. Their work represents thousands of volunteer hours, hundreds of projects and countless lives touched.
“The Lions are often the first to see a need and the first to act, and their contribution has helped shape the strong sense of community spirit we are proud of in Portlaoise today”.
Cllr Fennelly added that the 50th anniversary was not just a milestone, but a ‘testament’ to the enduring commitment of past and present members who have given selflessly to support others.
Simon Walton, director of services and Portlaoise MD Manager, said: “The Portlaoise Lions Club has played an invaluable role in supporting and strengthening our community over the past five decades.
“Their work, often carried out quietly and without recognition, has made a real and lasting difference to the lives of so many people across Portlaoise. Laois County Council is proud to acknowledge this extraordinary legacy and to celebrate the commitment and generosity that has defined the Lions Club since its foundation.”
