By Sean Ryan - 18 December, 2016
Secretary of the Tipperary Peace Convention, Martin Quinn.
The Tipperary Peace Convention has announced that it is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Tipperary International Peace Award.
Speaking this week, the secretary of the Convention, Martin Quinn, said that “The nomination process is open to members of the public and to representatives of organisations and associations. A shortlist of nominees will be announced on January 1st, 2017 and the Award winner will be announced soon afterwards. The Award will be presented in Tipperary on a date to be confirmed in 2017.”
The Tipperary Peace Award was founded in 1984, with the first recipient being the late Seán McBride, a former TD and one of the founders of Amnesty International.
The decision to found a peace prize was sparked when a group of locals realised that the World War I song, ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’, written by Jack Judge, had left Tipperary internationally associated with conflict. For the past 32 years, the Tipperary Peace Convention has worked to honour those who devote their lives to ending conflict and promoting human rights.
Past recipients include former South African President, the late Nelson Mandela; former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and her husband, Martin McAleese; the late Senator Edward Kennedy and former US Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith; and Pakistani school girl, Malala Yousafzai.
The 2015 award recipient was US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who received his award at a presentation ceremony in the Glen of Aherlow, Tipperary, on 30 October last.
Mr Quinn said that the “Tipperary Peace Convention now welcomes nominations for the 2016 Award. Nominations must be submitted in writing and should include a brief resumé of the person/s work for peace and why you consider that the person/s should receive the Tipperary International Peace Award. Nominations should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, Tipperary Peace Convention, 18 Father Matthew Street, Tipperary Town, Co. Tipperary and the closing date for receipt of nominations is Wednesday December 28th 2016. Nominations can be submitted by E-Mail to: [email protected].”
