Our Newest Community Champions Mellissa Luttrell and Catelyn Conlon

Having been a victim of bullying herself Melissa feels great empathy for other teens also going through similar difficulties. With help from her close friend and fellow Tallaght girl Catelyn Conlon she started putting the word around about her plans to create an event to highlight the problem. Other friends came forward and offered help and it was decided to donate all money raised to Aware and Teenline. The concert takes place on Saturday May 11th in Jobstown Community Centre and Melissa’s father Mark Luttrell says a great night of music is in store. “Acts appearing on the night include Ray Scully from The Voice of Ireland, Kenneth Usher from Britain's got talent, Robby Dingle, Luke Clerkin plus a host of others. If there are any local bands who would like to come and join Melissa they can contact me on 087 362 4983. “Tickets are available from Jobstown Community Centre and also from Melissa at Mount Seskin Collage and Catlyn at St Thomas' senior school.”

Our New Community Champion

The latest winner of The Square’s Community Champion is Susan Kelly. Susan was nominated for the award by previous winner Bridie Sweeney for her work with the charity Saint Vincent De Paul through her running of their shop in The Village Square in Tallaght.

We’d Like You To Meet Our Little Friend & Next Little Star TJ.

He is a very brave little boy that suffers from a rare and severe form of epilepsy called 'Infantile Spasms'. An infantile spasm is a specific type of seizure seen in an epilepsy syndrome of infancy and childhood known as West Syndrome. . He has over 100 seizures a day.

We recently spoke with Tj’s Dad Tony and he told us that they received great news from the surgeons in the States. Tony told InTallaght, “We are flying out to Detroit on Friday22nd February. He is being admitted to the hospital there on Sunday 24th February for further testing and the work up for surgery. “His first surgery is planned for 7th March. If all goes well he will have a 2nd surgery on 13th March.  There has been loads of support for Tj in the community, with loads of fundraisers and sports events taking place. Ourselves at The Square have entered a team to compete in the 5-a-side Tournamentthat took place in the Postal Club on the Kiltipper Road.

Tj’s Pharmacist, Jennifer from Doc Morris braved the freezing cold waters recently and jumped into the 40 foot out in Dun Laoighaire and in doing so helped raise over €500. Well done Jennifer!

There is so many more events going helping to raise funds for Tj’s medical expenses. The whole community have really come together to help this brave little boy. Tony was very appreciative of all the support they have been receiving, “The people of Tallaght have been absolutely brilliant with their support, we can’t thank them enough.”

For anyone who wants to keep up to date with TJ’s progress and to find out about events please keep an eye out on the Facebook page, TJ’s Epilepsy Journey.

Congratulations to Thomas Davis Ladies football, crowned the first ever Group Community Champion!

The club did Tallaght proud when they defeated their opponents Boherbue from Cork. Some of the team members, along with Niall Kelly, who is part of the management, accepted the award on behalf of the club. Niall said that the victory was so important to Thomas Davis. "It will do a lot for the promotion of ladies Football in the club,” he said. Here’s wishing the club all the very best for continued success in 2013. Ladies GAA Football is one of the fastest growing sports in the country with the numbers participating growing year on year. The victorious Thomas Davis team are leading by example and showing local girls that it is possible To compete at the very highest level in their chosen sport. For more information on all this Thomas Davis check out their website at http://www.thomasdavis.ie

LAUREN BYRNE NOMINATED COMMUNITY CHAMPION

Kitty Raftery nominated Community Champion

The Community Champion Award is a way to recognise very special individuals who contribute to the local community so if you know someone and would like to nominate log on and drop us an email and your nomination could be crowned soon!

In June we announced the first ever Community Champion in The Square, Bridie Sweeney, a volunteer of 50 years and it was difficult to think of an equally deserving person – but it has become apparent since then that there are plenty of you doing great work in our community! This month the lovely Kitty Raftery, a Galway native who has brought much to Tallaght in the 40 years she has lived here, was nominated by her predecessor for the award and is, we know you will agree, a very worthy winner.
Kitty is from Seskin View and is the wife of Pat to whom she has been married for 37 years, mother of six including Colin, Gerard, Fiona, Ronan, Keith and Emmet and Grandmother to Shannon and Erin.

Bridie Sweeney

Bridie began volunteering over five decades ago when Charlie O’Toole, who delivered bread door to door at the time, asked her if she would help him out with a social group for elderly people. This group, it turned out, was the first port of call for Bridie’s volunteering for the next 10 years and before long she started branching out. She said: “Tallaght Welfare Society (now Trustus) came from that. I sat on that board for 20 years as the Chairperson and Secretary among other things – then it would come full circle and I’d do it again.”