CELEBRATION

Loving and caring Tipperary woman Anne Marie is named Granny of the Year

MYA SAYS HER GRANNY IS THE BEST

Loving grandmother, Anne Marie Channnon from Clonmel has been crowned the Munster winner of Specsavers Grandparent of the Year 2019, an award that celebrates the extraordinary contribution that grandparents make to the lives of grandchildren and the community. 

Anne Marie was named the Munster winner for her outstanding support, care and devotion to her granddaughter, Mya Channon.

The team at Specsavers Clonmel were delighted to present winner, Anne Marie, with her prize of a bottle of champagne, a Specsavers eyewear voucher, and a framed certificate.

As well as being loving a grandparent to Mya Channon (13), Anne Marie offers a caring nature to all those around her. When Mya’s mother died one week after her eighth birthday, Anne Marie became both a mother and grandmother to Mya and her siblings, taking all three children into her home and becoming their primary caregiver.

Mya comments: ‘She gets up at six o’clock every morning to give us breakfast and make sure we get to school on time. Nanny also has a heart condition and has undergone three cardiac surgeries in the last eighteen months. She does a five kilometre walk every day to stay fit and healthy and also volunteers in our local area to raise awareness surrounding mental health and drug awareness. She is such a strong woman and always puts us first.’ This is why Mya believes her grandmother, Anne Marie, is such a deserving winner.

Anne Marie comments: ‘I am delighted and overwhelmed to have been selected as the Munster winner of the Specsavers Grandparent of the Year Award. It is such an honour and so touching to know that my granddaughter is proud of our story and that she cherishes our relationship.’

Anne Marie and Mya with Specsavers staff at the presentation

Irish rugby player, Rory Best launched the campaign in December 2019 as an ambassador for Specsavers Audiologists’ Grandparent of the Year 2019 Award. Rory comments: ‘I’m delighted to support this year’s Grandparent of the Year Award. It is a fantastic way to recognise and appreciate the special role that grandparents play in Irish families, whilst encouraging people to prioritise their hearing. I want to commend Anne Marie for the incredible role she has played in Mya’s life.’

Audiologist at Specsavers Clonmel, Dermot Dougan, comments: ‘We are thrilled to present Anne Marie with her prize, and we’re touched by the wonderful story written by her granddaughter. This campaign recognises the special role that grandparents play in Irish families and communities. It’s an amazing opportunity for younger generations to recognise their changing role and show the appreciation that they deserve. It is heart-warming to see such a strong bond between a granddaughter and her grandmother.’

Specsavers Audiologists partnered with for Beaumont Hospital’s Cochlear Department for the second year running who are proud co-sponsors of Specsavers Grandparent of the Year 2019.

Peter Walshe, consultant ENT surgeon at Beaumont Hospital, says: ‘We were delighted to be co-sponsors of this family and community-focused campaign with Specsavers. It is so important to honour and recognise grandparents across the country as they play such a pivotal role in the lives of young people.’