Local activist wins national award

The founder of the Mullingar 4 All anti-racism group has won an award at the recent LGBTQ+ GALAs (Gay and Lesbion Awards).

Christine O’Mahony, founder of Mullingar 4 All, won for LGBTQ+ Young Trailblazer award, which is given to a young person between the ages of 18-25 years who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in their community, school, academic institution, workplace or in society, at large.

O’Mahony was shortlisted alongside Kingdom Pride in Kerry founder, Morgan Queeney, Youth advocate Ruairí Holohan, and President of Ireland’s first inclusive rugby project in the Midwest, Gearóid Folan. Galas hosts Panti Bliss and Lisa Connell, mentioned that O’Mahony was known for her anti-Racism and LGBTQ+ activism inside and outside of college.

O’Mahony co-organised a protest as a student in DCU against a lecturer who owned a racist, islamaphobic and transphobic/homophobic blog and demanded accountability from the university. After she accepted the award, she gave a shout out to the Trans community, the Black LGBTQ+ community and her LGBTQ+ women's group, Sapphic Social, which meets at Outhouse in Dublin every Friday.

Outside of Mullingar 4 All, O’Mahony is a human rights activist who is the chairperson for the Anti-Conversion Therapy Coalition, an event co-ordinator for Heartlands Pride in Athlone, a member of the STAND Advisory Board and the former vice-president for diversity and inclusion at DCU Students’ Union.

Christine wasn't the only local LGBTQ+ activist to be shortlisted for an award. The founder and chairman of Mullingar Pride, Daniel Boyne, was nominated in the volunteer of the year category.

This year's LGBTQ+ GALAs took place on Saturday October 7 in the Mansion House, Dublin. Organised by NXF and GCN Magazine, the awards were set up by the National Lesbian and Gay Federation to honour LGBTQIA+ people and organisations for their contributions to Irish society, north and south of the border.