Volunteers from the Downpatrick & County Down Railway (DCDR), including a SERC student, have been recognised at the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards, in Llandudno, North Wales. The Awards brought together more than 300 representatives from heritage railways and preservation groups across the UK and Ireland earlier this month.
Shea McKee (from Downpatrick), a Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Creative Media Practice student at Downpatrick Campus, was Highly Commended in the national Young Volunteer of the Year category.
No stranger to awards, Shea scooped the Community Champion of the Year Award for Downpatrick Campus at SERC’s annual Excellence Awards in 2025, which recognised his volunteering with DCDR.
Fellow volunteers Christopher McCausland won the Rising Star of the Year award and the railway’s joint project with the Irish Traction Group, the “Moyexit” rescue of four historic diesel locomotives from Moyasta in County Clare, was also Highly Commended in the Achievement of the Year category.
Downpatrick & County Down Railway Chairman Robert Gardiner said the results were a tribute to the strength of the railway’s volunteer team. “Once again Downpatrick has triumphed in the people categories, which reflects our commitment to fostering and nurturing new talent while recognising volunteers who go above and beyond", he said.
“For a small volunteer railway in Northern Ireland to be recognised alongside some of the biggest organisations in the heritage railway sector shows that our wee railway can stand toe-to-toe with some of the major industry players.”
He added that the recognition was particularly meaningful as the railway continues its recovery following the devastating floods that struck the site in 2023.
Pictured above: (back l-r) Christopher McCausland, Shea McKee, and Infrastructure manager David Crone with (front l-r) DCDR chairman, Robert Gardiner with the ITG's Peter Jones, Fiachna Mac Murchú and DCDR Ops Manager, Morgan Young.
