Kelly Fitzgerald to be honoured at the 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards

Special Olympics volunteer Kelly Fitzgerald of Owenabue Special Olympics Gymnastics Club is one of 36 volunteers to be honoured at the 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards by the Federation of Irish Sport!

Kelly will be recognised as Co. Cork’s award recipient at a special awards ceremony on Thursday, 26 February 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown, where Minister Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Sport & Postal Policy will give the keynote address.

Kelly has a strong record of inspiring work as a coach and volunteer with Special Olympics Ireland since 2017. She has played a significant role in her club and the wider Munster region, and as Assistant Coach was an integral member of the management team for Team Ireland Gymnastics at the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin.

We’re so proud of Kelly for being recognised as an exceptional volunteer – we couldn’t change lives through sport without the dedication of thousands of volunteers like her.

The Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games from 18 to 21 June is Ireland’s biggest inclusive sporting event of 2026 – and we need volunteers like you to get involved and make it happen! Find out more: