Joe Owens from Enniskillen who will be awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal) for services to scouting in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland RMGFH83
A SCOUT leader and a post mistress are just some of Fermanagh’s finest people named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Joseph Patrick Owens, from Enniskillen, was awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal) for his services to scouting in Fermanagh.
The 78-year-old said he was very surprised to receive a BEM.
He told the Fermanagh Herald: “I wasn’t even sure who nominated me but I was more than happy to accept it.
“To be honest I don’t know of anyone else who got it in Catholic Scouts of Ireland.
“I know I’m the first in Fermanagh to get that in Catholic scouting. I have been in scouting for 40 years at both local level and within the scouting association in Northern Ireland. I was the unit leader when they were building St Michael’s Scout Hall in Brewster Park, I was the unit leader at that time for 12 years. Then we changed from all boys and started taking girls in then we joined the Scouting Association of Ireland and now we’re known as Scouting Ireland at the present moment.
“My highlights over the last 40 years have been the development and changes of scouting from having just boys then accepting girls and the growth of modern technology especially for camping including electric lights, proper toilets, mobiles and all the rest. There has been all sorts of developments. The scouting programme and scouting activities have remained the same from when I started.
“Today it is still very popular with numbers continuously rising. Groups may have struggled for leaders all over Ireland as it is more difficult to get people to volunteer. But I do it for the good of the children who are aged from six to 21.”
Sub post mistress for Culkey, Shirley Johnston was also awarded a BEM for her services to the post office and to the community.
Shirley Johnston (nee Wlash) is the fourth generation post master having been at there for 53 years. She became post mistress in 2004 following the death of her brother.
Her grandfather opened the Post Office in 1871 which was passed on to her uncles then her brother.
Matthew James Ivan Kee was the third local person to be awarded an BEM for his services to fundraising in Fermanagh and Trillick.
Sue-Ann Steen, who spent six years as an operational commander in community policing across Fermanagh and Tyrone before becoming area commander for Fermanagh and Omagh, was made an MBE for her services to policing and the community. She is now Chief Inspector of the PSNI.
She has also provided the community with 19 years’ service, performing a number of headquarters and operational roles across the North. She also played a key role in the delivery of the G8 policing operation in Fermanagh and as team captain of the PSNI World Police and Fire Games team in 2013 was instrumental in the success of the event.
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