JOE Mahon has been called many things over the years but ‘hero’ may well be the most appropriate.

This is the Irvinestown hotelier who is a force for good in his community, a man whose endeavours every year, wacky though they sometimes may be, bring people together and assist those in need, not least the Marie Curie cancer charity which he has helped to raise thousands of pounds for.

“Irvinestown has always been a united community and I don’t see that changing. What I see through my work is people coming together for one another,” Mr. Mahon tells The Impartial Reporter.

He is, perhaps, a little humble for it is his work, particularly during the Lady of the Lake festival each year, that plays a significant part in maintaining Irvinestown’s strong community spirit.

“There are a lot of good people in the town both young and old who are involved in many of the events and organisations. They work together for the one goal and that goes back years. There has always been a strong community in Irvinestown and there always will.

“I think we show Fermanagh and the whole country that people can live and get on together. You have to work at it, but it can happen. We know it can but you have to embrace it,” he said.

Reaching out the hand of friendship, being welcoming to others and being there for those who need support is all part of Mr. Mahon’s mantra. His famous hotel, Mahon’s, is not so much a business, but a way of local life, a home from home where strangers become friends, and friends become extended members of the Irvinestown family.

“I enjoy meeting people and making friends. I like telling people about the place and the history and all the old yarns and jokes. I think people enjoy all of that; they want to know the area and how it works. The hotel has been in the family for 132 years which is an achievement in itself. I would like to keep it going as I think it is the heart of the community in Irvinestown.

“The year the IRA bombed the hotel we were closed for two weeks and Irvinestown didn’t seem to be the same. But I will never forget the night we opened again. The place was packed with people from everywhere. All people, all backgrounds, all denominations, it was like a big wake and when Oakridge played the first song ‘On The Road Again’ there was a big cheer. When you are stuck, people are there for you,” he said.

Similarly Mr. Mahon is there for his fellow neighbours because he likes “the buzz and the crack of helping others” and seeing people enjoy themselves which he says makes it all worthwhile. To realise why he cares so much for his local area you have to look at his upbringing and realise the positive impact that his parents and family had on him when he was growing up and during the early years of the Lady of the Lake festival.

“Irvinestown people have always got on really well with each other, maybe that is because it is a small town but I think it goes back to the trustees in the town. 14 business people of all denominations got together over 100 years ago and have been working together ever since. It is their spirit that lives in the town.

“Working in the community was all part of growing up, it was what you did back then. I am just following in the footsteps of my parents. My father wanted to run a Fermanagh festival in 1978 and wrote to Fermanagh District Council looking for some help with it. Along with Gerry Magee, Douglas Hudson and others the festival was started,” explained Mr. Mahon.

After the death of his father the family continued the festival, building on it each year.

“My mother carried it on after my father died and when I came back to Irvinestown in 1982 I helped out along with the various committees. It has got bigger and bigger every since and is now the biggest cross community festival in Fermanagh.

“I think the reason why is it so popular is because it is the highlight of everything we do in Irvinestown. There is something for everyone to do both locals and tourists. I know that Irvinestown people look forward to it every year and plan their holiday around it. The wacky events [such as a turkey parade, a wolf whistling contest, a sheep dung spitting contest and more] I put on attracts much needed publicity for the festival and give people something to laugh about. I want to see Irvinestown do well so that people keep visiting, that helps everyone in Irvinestown. One of the most successful parts of the festival is the truck convoy. Every year truckers come from all over Ireland to take part in a run around Fermanagh. One year there were 679 lorries involved in the event. It all started in 2000 and over £600,000 has been raised for Marie Curie in that time. I am very thankful to all the lorry drivers who have made it such a success, helping it to become the biggest event in Fermanagh.” he said.

The father of two is thrilled to have been nominated for a Fermanagh Trust Community Hero award, describing it as “an honour.” “It is an honour to be nominated but it is not for me. This nomination is for the festival and the committee and is a testament to the people who make it all happen. I couldn’t do it without them or my wife Marie, the staff in the hotel and my two dogs, Shep and Bongo,” said Mr. Mahon.