The Bray Endeavour Awards are presented annually by Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, which works to promote business and support the community. First presented in 1981, the annual Chamber of Commerce Endeavour Awards are designed to recognise and reward the normal, ordinary people who do extra ordinary things.

2016 Bray Endeavour Awards highlights include:

The Awards were presented on Friday 14th Oct 2016 at a gala awards ceremony in front of an audience of nearly 200 guests at The Royal Hotel, Bray.

2016 Bray Endeavour Awards, sponsored by Commscope and The Royal Hotel and Merrill Leisure Club were announced

  • Inspirational Youth Leader Dermot O’Brien named Person of the Year
  • Joe Bollard named Lifetime Achievement Award winner
  • Special Chamber Award for Mary Savage
  • 11 Awards presented by Bray Chamber to Bray’s commercial, civic, cultural, and community heroes
  • Nearly 200 attend Gala Awards ceremony at The Royal Hotel

Inspirational and popular youth leader Dermot O’Brien has been named Bray Person of the Year at the 2016 Bray Endeavour Awards, presented by Bray & District Chamber and sponsored by Commscope.

Bray Chamber President Mick Glynn commented: “We were extremely proud to be honouring our local heroes here in Bray. Over the past three decades we’ve presented awards to some of the most inspirational local heroes, groups and businesses who have contributed so much to the rich fabric of our community life here in Bray. We enjoyed an exciting as well as emotional night –we celebrated the achievements of our award winners and many members of our local community who joined us, as well as the winners’ friends and families, for this special celebration.”

During what was an often highly-emotional presentation ceremony, Person of the Year Dermot O’Brien and Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Joe Bollard each received standing ovations from the assembled audience for their contributions to the local and national community.

This year Bray Chamber received the largest ever number of nominations for this year’s Endeavour Awards. The nominations from across the community were made following a public awareness campaign, during which the people of Bray were invited to nominate their civic, cultural, community heroes. There were over 5000 public votes for the retailer of the year with nominees Dubray Books, Everest Cycles, Fleurtique Florists and Keegan’s Bakery. The winner Fleurtique Florists received nearly 50% of the votes. The other public selection award for Hospitality and Tourism went to The Harbour Bar (Nominees were Dockyard, Hell and Back, McGettigans Bar and The Harbour Bar).

Emerging business of the year nominees were Cairnhill Nursing Home, Newmarket Kictchens, Pixxnow, Tax Assist with the winner Cairnhill Nursing Home winning on the night. Established business of the year nominees were Killruddery House and Gardens, Supervalu Bray, Wiline and Wicklow Wolf, the winner was Wicklow Wolf.

The Winners:

  1. Person of the Year – Dermot O’Brien
  2. Overall business of the year – Wicklow Wolf
  3. Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients– Joe Bollard
  4. Sports Achievement of the Year Award – Gary Messett 
  5. President’s Award – Darren Randaloph
  6. Civic & Community Award – Bray North School Completion Programme
  7. Young Achievers Through Sports and Academics – Tola Adebisi and James Carvill
  8. Retailer of the Year Award – Fluertique Florists
  9. Hospitality / Tourism Award – The Harbour Bar
  10. Established Business of the Year – Wicklow Wolf
  11. New/Emerging Business of the Year – Cairnhill Nursing Home
  12. Special Recognition Award – Mary Savage                              

Photo Gallery 

 

Speaking at the Awards, Chamber President Mick Glynn paid tribute to all those who have been honoured in this year’s awards. “At Bray Chamber, we see these awards as our opportunity, and the opportunity of the community, to say thank you to the countless unsung heroes for the tireless efforts that they’ve made to better the business and community life of our town in our community! We also see these awards as reflecting what we in Bray & District Chamber are all about: promoting business, and supporting the community. We are absolutely delighted with the success of this year’s awards and in particular with the superb reaction which each of our winners received, especially our Person of the Year Dermot O’Brien and Lifetime Achievement recipient Joe Bollard. These Awards are unique in that all recipients are nominated by the people of Bray, making the annual Endeavour Awards the premier public accolade that our community can bestow upon that great band of heroes that we have in our town. There is no doubt this year’s winners are some of the most remarkable achievers in our community.”

Each award winner was presented with a trophy specially-commissioned by Bray Chamber. Following a prosecco reception and a superb Gala dinner prepared by the team at The Royal Hotel, tributes were paid to each of the award winners during a Gala Awards Presentation Show presented by MC for the evening, East Coast FM Laura Wood.

Thanks to award sponsors Commscope, Shoreline Bray, Bray.ie, AIB, Bank of Ireland, The Royal Hotel, Sealife and East Coast FM.

 

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