Leitrim woman honoured as North West Hospice Hero 2026 for years of fundraising efforts
North West Hospice has named Carrick-on-Shannon’s Kathleen Flanagan its 2026 Hospice Hero in recognition of her long-standing fundraising and volunteer work.
Leitrim woman Kathleen Flanagan has been honoured as North West Hospice’s 2026 Hospice Hero in recognition of her many years of dedicated fundraising service on behalf of the hospice.
Kathleen received the award from Hospice Sunflower Days Ambassador Miriam O’Callaghan at a special ceremony held at St. Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, in April, coinciding with the launch of the Hospice Sunflower Days 2026 campaign.
Kathleen, along with 12 others from across the country, was awarded the title of ‘Hospice Hero’ at the event.
A dedicated hospice volunteer based in Carrick-on-Shannon, Kathleen is regarded as the driving force behind the annual Hospice Sunflower Days collection campaign in the town and surrounding areas.
Each year, she works tirelessly to recruit and coordinate an ever-growing team of volunteers, transforming what could be a simple fundraiser into a vibrant community effort filled with energy and goodwill.
Kathleen worked at Breffni Family Resource Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon, and the centre took to social media to celebrate her achievement.
“Huge congratulations to our very own Kathleen Flanagan on winning the North West Hospice Hero Award at the Hospice Hero Awards 2026 ceremony in Dublin.
“What an incredible achievement, so well deserved. We are all super proud of you here at Breffni FRC,” a post on their Facebook page read.
The post attracted many comments praising and congratulating Kathleen. “Congratulations Kathleen on this incredible achievement! You truly deserve it with all your hard work,” one comment read.
“So well deserved. Kathleen is amazing, and does so much for the community and for everyone. Congratulations Kathleen,” read another. “Congratulations Kathleen. Well deserved award for the hardest and best working woman,” said another.
This year marks the 36th anniversary of the Hospice Sunflower Days campaign, with on-street collections taking place from Thursday, June 11, to Saturday, June 13.
Volunteers will take to villages, towns and cities across the country to help raise funds for hospice and palliative care services, with every euro raised remaining in the local area.
“Kathleen is an absolute powerhouse. She’s been working with us for years as our touch point in Carrick-on-Shannon,” commented Mary Horkan, Fundraising and Communications Manager with North West Hospice.
“She has a huge network and is involved in everything from the tennis club, to the Tidy Towns to the Breffni Family Resource Centre.
“She’s fantastic. She gets so many people out on the street. She goes that extra mile and gets everyone rallied on board. She’s a great fundraiser and a huge and vibrant part of the community,” she said, adding that volunteers like Kathleen are “the backbone of everything we do.”
Together for Hospice, The National Hospice Movement, represents 24 hospice and specialist palliative homecare providers supporting patients and their families across Ireland. These services provide free-of-charge care and support to those living with a life-limiting illness, while also offering assistance to patients’ family members.
Hospices nationwide must raise approximately €20 million each year to continue providing patient-centred care and, as Ireland’s population ages, demand for specialist hospice and palliative homecare services continues to grow.
Anyone interested in volunteering to help North West Hospice with its on-street collections this June can contact the fundraising team on 071 917 0523.
People can also donate to their chosen hospice online here.