DR JOHN Hillery has been named the Clare Person of the Year for 2026 with special accolades for Clare U20 goalkeeper Mark Sheedy, former All Star Tony Griffin and legacy awards for the late North Clare natives Joe Vaughan and Dermot Hayes.
Clare Person of the Year winners will be presented with their awards at the 45th Clare Association Dublin Awards Dinner which takes place at The Rhine in Newmarket-on-Fergus on Saturday October 17th.
For the first time, the inaugural Clare Young Person of the Year award will be presented with All-Ireland and Munster U20 winning Clare goalkeeper Mark Sheedy selected.
Two special posthumous Clare Legacy Awards will also be presented in memory of Moy’s Joe Vaughan and Dermot Ennis who was born in Kells, Corofin and lived in Ennis.
Spanish Point native, Dr John Hillery has been chosen as the Clare Person of the Year in recognition of his distinguished contribution to medicine, public service and the advancement of mental-health and intellectual-disability services.
A graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dr Hillery is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He has dedicated much of his career to improving lifelong mental-health care for people with intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr Hillery has held some of the most senior positions in Irish medicine. He served as President of the Medical Council, Chairperson of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities and President of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.
He was appointed to the Mental Health Commission in 2020 and has served as its Chairperson since 2022, overseeing the promotion of high standards in mental-health services and the work of the Decision Support Service.
The son of former President of Ireland, Dr Patrick Hillery and Maeve, John maintains strong connections with Spanish Point and West Clare. He contested the 2011 General Election for Fianna Fáil when the Soliders of Desinty lost 58 seats, he polled 6,015 first preference votes and was eliminated on the ninth count.
Entering the Hall of Fame is Ballyea’s Tony Griffin. An All Star winner in 2006, Tony made his first appearance for the Clare senior hurlers during the 2000 National Hurling League and lined out in the 2002 All-Ireland final.
Following the death of his father, Jerome, Tony completed an extraordinary 7,000-kilometre charity cycle across Canada and Ireland in 2007, raising more than €1.1 million for cancer care and research.
He later co-founded the Soar Foundation, supporting young people through personal-development and wellbeing programmes, and is the author of Screaming at the Sky and The Teenager’s Book of Life.
A highly regarded performance coach, Tony was part of Kerry’s 2022 All-Ireland-winning management team and has worked with several inter-county teams, most recently his native Clare and the Kildare senior footballers. His contribution to sport, charity and youth development has made him an inspirational figure across Clare and beyond.
Sixmilebridge’s Mark Sheedy will accept the inaugural Clare Young Person of the Year award. The twenty year old won Munster and All-Ireland medals at minor level before playing a decisive role in Clare’s 2026 under-20 championship success.
During an epic Munster final, Mark saved three penalties and scored one himself to defeat Tipperary, his exploits earning him worldwide coverage on ESPN. He was part of Brian Lohan’s senior hurling panel this year making his National Hurling League debut this year, he made his debut for Sixmilebridge in the Clare SHC last month.
Legacy awards will be presented posthumously in recognition of two remarkable Clare People whose contributions continue to inspire others.
Moy native, Joe Vaughan was a respected teacher, boxing coach and lifelong community volunteer. He spent more than 40 years at Coláiste Dhúlaigh and founded West Finglas Boxing Club, providing generations of young people with encouragement, discipline and opportunity. He spearheaded fundraising efforts for the Dom Savio charity, raising over €1 million through the annual 24-hour skipathon. A stalwart and Honorary Life President of Moy GAA, he won a Junior Championship with the club in 1986. He passed away in August 2025.
Dermot Hayes devoted more than thirty five years to disability rights, equality and social justice. He co-founded Disabled People of Clare and helped lead the successful campaign to establish a renal dialysis centre in Ennis. Dermot, who published his memoir The Road That Rises in 2023, died in January 2026. He was one of Clare’s most prominent activists.
Clare Association Dublin Chairperson Ciarán O’Connell said, “We are immensely proud to recognise Dr John Hillery, Tony Griffin and Mark Sheedy, three outstanding Clare people whose achievements and contributions represent the very best of our county. We are particularly pleased to introduce the Clare Young Person of the Year Award, recognising the achievements and future potential of exceptional young Clare people. Mark Sheedy is a hugely deserving first recipient.
“We will also remember Joe Vaughan and Dermot Hayes through two special Clare Legacy Awards. Both men dedicated their lives to helping others, and their influence continues to be felt across their communities”.
The evening will include the presentation of the awards, dinner and dance, a charity raffle and several special surprises. Ticket can be purchased form association members or directly on
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-2026-clare-association-annual-awards-dinner-tickets-1999092981923 or email – info@clareassociationdublin.ie
The Association is also extending a special invitation to previous award recipients to join the celebrations and mark the proud 45-year history of the Clare Association Awards.
