Two honoured with Donegal Person of the Year 2011

Added: 18-01-2012 09:40:06

Two people have been honoured with Donegal Person of the Year 2011 in a break with tradition.

The Donegal Association awarded New Zealand-based entrepreneur and multi-millionaire Hugh Green and long-distance swimmer Anne Marie Ward with the honour of being Joint Donegal Persons of the Year 2011, at a function last night in Dublin’s Harcourt Hotel.

Hugh Green is originally from Raphoe and now living in Auckland. The 80 year old emigrated to New Zealand in the 1950s when 20 years old and worked as a cattle drover before amassing a large fortune in a range of sectors. He has been a regular visitor to Donegal over the years and has been a benefactor to many causes through his Hugh Green Charitable Trust. Last year, he donated €200,000 to a special training academy at Letterkenny General Hospital.

Anne Marie Ward is originally from Portnablagh and made history when she became the first Irish woman to swim across the North Channel in 2010 and the 11th person in history to complete it. She was due to complete the first official ‘ice-swim’ anywhere in Europe on New Year’s Eve in Mulroy Bay but the temperature was not low enough for it to go ahead. Ms Ward is a disability services manager with the HSE. The 45 year old was named World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year 2010.

The awards will be officially presented to them at a gala dinner in March.