Clare European Volunteering Capital 2027: Clare Volunteers Ready To Take Centre Stage In 2027

Clare is preparing to celebrate its title as European Volunteering Capital 2027, recognising the thousands of people across the county who give their time to support their communities. Joining Alan Morrissey to talk about his experiences with volunteering was Pat Rutherford. Originally from Donegal, Pat began his volunteering journey in the 1980s with Project Children, a Northern Ireland initiative that gave thousands of children from troubled areas the chance to spend peaceful summers with host families across New York State. That early experience shaped his lifelong commitment to helping others. For Pat, volunteering is both a calling and a pathway to becoming a better person. Since 2010, he has been a dedicated volunteer with the Special Olympics, coaching athletics for the Brothers of Charity in Ennis and golf with the Ennis Special Olympics Golf Club. His dedication has taken him and athlete Paul Kirrane to competitions across Ireland and even further afield. In 2015, Pat and Paul proudly represented Ireland at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, where they won bronze medals. More recently, Paul has gone on to compete in singles events, with Pat by his side as caddy, winning a silver medal at the prestigious Portmarnock Golf Links. Alongside coaching, Pat has played a key role in co-ordinating fundraising events for Special Olympics Ireland, often working closely with the Clare Volunteer Centre, whose support he greatly values in rallying volunteers to ensure these events succeed. For Pat, the true heart of volunteering lies in the qualities it nurtures - kindness, helpfulness, trustworthiness and reliability. What he treasures most is the joy of sharing in someone else’s happiness – a feeling he sums up with a single word: confelicity. Special Olympics vision is: “An inclusive world for all, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy and fulfilling lives.” The Ennis Special Olympics Golf Club is a community built on teamwork, inclusion and volunteer spirit. The heart of the Ennis Special Olympics Golf Club lies in the friendships formed between athletes and volunteers – proving that the true success of the programme isn’t measured in scores, but in smiles, teamwork and shared joy. Photo (c) Clare FM