Apr 29, 2015:

Clock is ticking. Nominate your Heart of Gold before 8th May.

INTERNATIONAL HEARTS CHOSEN FROM U.K.

The nomination process for the Heart of Ireland Competition is live and the search for the Heart of Gold is on! Already both Leeds and Manchester Irish Centres have chosen their Heart of Gold to represent them in Mullingar this July. The Heart of Ireland team are also in conversation with many more Irish Centres around the World. Over the coming weeks we will be revealing more about our international candidates. Watch this space!

 

WHO WILL YOU NOMINATE?

Let’s not forget the remarkable individuals closer to home. Some are on our very doorstep. We’ve all been touched by someone special in our local community. It’s high time they got the recognition they deserve. Visitwww.heartofireland.ie to nominate them now. On the website you will find two options: 1. an online nomination form 2. a pdf form that you can download, print and complete. The nomination form only takes 5 minutes.

 

QUALITIES OF A HEART OF GOLD

The ultimate award is the Heart of Gold. We are looking for men and women with good hearts, who do their best daily to make the world a better place. They enjoy a well-rounded life, balancing their personal passions with good deeds. They are the people who bring out the best in everyone around them. They are not necessarily those in the limelight positions in their families, communities or organisations. They are the doers. They connect people and make things happen. They give credit where credit is due. They do the right thing when no one is looking. They are the people you know you can approach for help. The people who support you in your struggles and are as quick to celebrate your successes. They reflect the very best of what it is to be Irish.

 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

a) Both men and women, 50 years of age by 1st January 2015, are eligible.

b) They must have been born in Ireland, or be an Irish citizen or of Irish origin by virtue of one of their ancestors having been born in Ireland.

c) You cannot nominate yourself. You must be nominated by a friend, relative, or member of your community.

If you are under 18, please make sure you have your parent or guardian's permission.

Information provided as part of the nomination may be used for traditional or social media features. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

 

NOMINATION PROCESS

For 2015, we are using a simple selection process. Reflecting our population spread, from the nominees on the island of Ireland we will select up to eight finalists – one from the greater Dublin area, one from the rest of Leinster, and one each from Ulster, Munster and Connaught. There will be up to three additional wild cards.

 

The nomination process opened on 7th  April 2015 and closes at 6pm (Irish Time) on May 8th. Late applications will not be considered. The complete list of finalists will be announced on 31st May 2015. The Competition final takes place over the weekend of the 11th & 12th of July 2015. Group and individual interviews will take place on Saturday July 11th. The Competition final will take place in front of a live audience on Sunday July 12th, at the end of which the first Heart of Gold will be awarded.

 

GOODNESS IN YOUR HEART STORY

The Hi festival's founder Maria Bourke reveals the inspiration behind the Heart of Ireland Competition and her grandfather's timeless wisdom and advice:

"As a primary school goer, I eagerly anticipate my Confirmation Day. That day my Grandad would tell me I was beautiful and I would become a teacher, marry a farmer, have six happy children and live happily ever after. Or such was the fairytale I had constructed for myself in my young mind!

The day arrived and I remember walking through the new hall door – we had only moved house three weeks earlier on my 12th birthday – into the garden to hear my Grandad’s speech. And I was gorgeous...in my dark brown velvet jacket , all the rage in Ireland in the late 70s  and my almost matching high heels ...my first ‘slip ons’...from Arnotts. I know many of you can easily recreate the picture!

My Grandad stood there smiling as always and then in his best Derry accent he said “I need to talk to you!” Definitely NOT the opening statement I had been anticipating. “Now you’re not a bad looking girl, and you’re a good height...and there’s not a bad shape on you but always remember it doesn’t matter how tall you are; how good looking you are; how good your figure is; where your parents live; where you go to school; how much money you have or the clothes that are on your back the MOST important thing is the goodness in your heart... and always wear a smile.”

At the time I was far from impressed. That chapter wasn’t in my fairytale! How would my handsome prince find me now?!

In time, I began to integrate his message to me. Now I see it as the most important gift anyone has ever given me. That day my Grandad sowed the seed for me to be free of so much that enslaves many people in our society worldwide. I’m not saying I don’t have the odd “does my bum look big in this?” moment! For the most part I am happy being me."

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