Carer of the Year Finalist: Big-hearted Brid 'shocked' to make the cut

Brid Dolan has worked full-time in the Lisdarn Unit for the Elderly for the past two years.

She told the Celt how she felt upon hearing that she had been chosen as a finalist for the Carer of the Year in our awards.

“I actually thought it was a prank because we're always messing and slagging each other off,” Brid said, explaining that herself and her colleagues name each other “carer of the week".

“I thought it was some of them messing,” she laughed.

The Mullahoran woman felt “totally shocked” when she finally realised she had made it to the finals of the awards.

“I never never expected it.”

Having worked as a parish secretary, Brid realised she “liked this whole caring craic".

“I went to my classes and done the course,” she said, detailing that she began caring on a part-time basis in the community.

Brid also continues to be involved in the care of the retired parish priest who she worked with for 30 years.

After qualifying, Brid worked in the Covid test centre for some time before starting her current post in Lisdarn.

“I love it,” Brid said.

“It’s a lovely place to work, the staff are amazing.”

She said the job can be “very intense sometimes” but all staff members helps each other out.

“You’d be busy but it’s a nice busy," she said.

Brid loves the feeling of walking out in the evening knowing that “you made a difference” in somebody’s life.

“It’ just a lovely sense of achievement.”

Asked why she thinks she was nominated for the award, Brid said: “I genuinely don’t know.”

“Caring isn’t just a one person thing. It’s a group, it’s a community, it’s a family.”

“In order to be a good carer, you work as a team and, if you don’t work as a team, I don’t know you’d ever be considered a good carer.

“When somebody like me gets nominated, it’s not really me, it’s really my colleagues here in Lisdarn.”