Padraig receives good citizen award for his years of service in Carlow 

CIVIL Defence officer Padraig Cahill received a ‘good citizen’ award to recognise his excellent service to the county at a council meeting on 8 December in council chambers.

An Garda Síochána Carlow honoured him with the award for his “commitment, dedication and service” to the people of Carlow.

The event was also used to mark Padraig’s recent retirement from the council after 46 years of work as a senior executive technician in the housing department.

Supt Anthony Farrell said the award was to “acknowledge in some small way the contribution that Padraig has made to community life and Carlow”. 

He noted that in his leadership role with the civil defence, Padraig has helped to “cultivate that spirit of volunteerism and sense of community”.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work taking place that probably doesn’t go as acknowledged as much as it should and could, and Padraig is the epitome of that. He quietly and privately goes about his work; he’s been a great support for me,” he said.

“You have left that legacy behind, and anybody that looks towards you or looks and aspires to make the same contribution that you did has certainly a high standard to fill,” said Supt Farrell.

Padraig thanked the gardaí, councillors and council staff for the award and for being great work colleagues over the years. “It’s been absolutely wonderful working with Carlow Co Council in my day-to-day job and, indeed, with civil defence. I will certainly miss … I won’t say call-outs, because they could be at three, four, five am … but I will certainly miss the co-operation.

“I would just like to wish you all health and happiness in the future and, indeed, a lovely Christmas,” Padraig concluded.