It was celebrations galore both in Newtownbutler and Manchester this week as it was announced that 34-year-old Kevin Fitzpatrick had scooped two major national awards.
Kevin, a native of Newtownbutler, is the Managing Director of St Kent's Irish Club in Fallowfield, one of Manchester's top Irish entertainment and family orientated centres. It won the coveted Club Mirror Award 'King of Clubs' while Kevin personally scooped 'The Manager of the Year'.
The awards were made all the more significant given the fact that Club Mirror has over 15,000 members throughout the UK and that Kevin is the only Irish man ever to have won the awards.
The awards were presented to the stunned Drumgallon man by TV celebrity 'Roy Walker' of 'Catchphrase'.
"I did not know what award I was nominated for," Kevin explained, "until the actual event so I got a major surprise when I saw I was short listed in four of the categories and when we won two of them they had to pick me up from the floor. I have not stopped smiling since."
Kevin was born in Newtownbutler and spent his early years helping out on the family farm. He emigrated to Levenshulme at 18 to work in the Irish bars in the area, gradually working his way up to management level. He was headhunted by Fr Tom Connolly the parish priest of St Kentigerns, who set him the task of reviving the fortunes of the Irish venue.
"When I took over the club on St Patrick's Day in 2002, I knew it needed a face lift and a few activities to get people in and to develop its food facilities," Kevin said.
"It was a great help to have quality food at reasonable prices which brought the people in from far and away for functions. So to get these awards on top off the Irish World Award in London 2006 it was a great honour for me. To know that the people respect me for what I have given to the community and Manchester over the 16 years that I have spent here. I do now have to call it my second home, as I am here nearly half my life and I do not think I will be leaving Manchester for a while yet. My thanks must go to Father Connolly appointing me as Managing Director of the Social club. I would also like to acknowledge all the help given to me by Christina and all my staff, its like one big family here at St Kents. I must also mention my Mum and Dad, I know they missed me all these years but I fell I have done them proud and my daughter Shauna who has been very tolerate of her busy Dad."
The club was started in 1971, when it was built and paid for by the parishioners in the parish to serve the needs of the parish as a family orientated community and entertainment venue. Since Kevin's appointment as the manager of the club he completely refurbished it, developed its community links, built up its reputation as a live Irish music venue and has helped raise just over £375,000 for local and national charities.
In November alone he raised £3,100 for the British Heart Foundation, £3,100 for the Christie Cancer Hospital, £4,400 for the Christie Hospital West Indians Centre Whalley Range, £5,150 for Francis house children's hospice and £3,700 for a local family bereaved by cancer.
