FOR THE FIRST time, people in Dublin city have been asked to nominate groups and individuals they believe deserve to be recognised in the Lord Mayor’s Awards for contributions to the city.

Lord Mayor Ray McAdam said this year, he wants “Dubliners themselves to help choose the people and groups who deserve this recognition”.

The Lord Mayor’s Awards have honoured people and organisations across the city that make efforts to improve the lives of others since 1989. Last year, Brendan Gleeson and Johnny Sexton were among those who received awards at a ceremony at the Mansion House.

The awards celebrate “quiet achievers and committed champions whose kindness, service and dedication strengthen the life of our capital in ways both big and small”, the council said.

It gave examples of a person or group making a difference in a local club, a school, a street, a neighbourhood, a community organisation, or in the lives of others through care, leadership, generosity or service.

McAdam said he knows some of the “finest example” of public spirit are not found in headlines, but in clubs, schools, the streets, and neighbourhoods.

“If you know someone who lifts others up, who brings people together, who makes your area stronger, kinder or more connected, I want to hear about them. The Lord Mayor’s Awards are about celebrating Dublin city’s local heroes, and I encourage people right across our capital to make a nomination,” he said.

Members of the public are invited to complete the online nomination form, sharing what makes their chosen individual or group so special and how they have made a real difference to the lives of others.

The closing date for nominations is 5pm on 17 April.

This year’s awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 13 June in the Round Room at the Mansion House.