be proud. be part of it.
In association with
L-R: Dermot Gilmartin, CEF, and Cel O’Reilly, representing Metartec (sponsor).
L-R: Stephen McManus, Lidacel, and Sean Meally, Ei Electronics (sponsor).
Unsung Hero Award
Special Recognition Award
DERMOT GILMARTIN, CEF KINDLY SPONSORED BY:
STEPHEN MCMANUS, FOUNDER OF DASH OF THE DERG KINDLY SPONSORED BY:
METARTEC
EI ELECTRONICS
Always eager to take on an arduous challenge for charity, CEF Group Manager Dermot Gilmartin is a worthy Unsung Hero. Dermot has worked in the electrical sector since leaving school including stints with local wholesalers before joining CEF in 2005. He has completed many team cycling events for charity, twice leading the CEF team at IEBA-fundraiser Dash of the Derg and taking on the ring of Kerry, Dublin to Sligo, Tyrone to Sligo and the Doddie Weir Trust 170km from Rosslare to Dublin. Dermot has completed the Strandhill Warriors Run five times, raising €20,000 for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Pieta House and the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust created in memory of a family friend who died suddenly abroad. “It’s just nice to give something back and a lot of this is personal to me,” says Dermot. “My parents both died from Alzheimer’s, a neighbour was diagnosed with MND and I had the honour of presenting a cheque for over €10,000 to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, raised to remember Conor Burke who sadly passed away in Thailand last year.” Dermot’s fundraising plans for 2026 include again tackling Dash of the Derg and the Warriors Run, as well as helping with a sensory garden for a child with special needs.
Special Recognition goes to Stephen McManus as founder of Dash of the Derg, a cycling event raising €80,000 to date for the Irish Electrical Benevolent Association (IEBA). First held in 2024, Dash of the Derg was an instant success and is already a key annual event on IEBA’s fundraising calendar. “Post-Covid, there was a lot of doom and gloom, and we decided to try and launch an event that would bring the trade together,” says Stephen. “As we rolled it out and made it an official Cycling Ireland event, it just took off. Ei Electronics has been a fantastic support from the off as headline sponsor, and all the sponsors, participants, volunteers and suppliers have helped make it a tremendous event.” While fundraising is the aim, with the organising team hoping to reach €120,000 this year, Dash of the Derg has also boosted morale in the electrical sector. “When you see the nervousness on the faces of people at the start line who are possibly cycling 116km for the first time, and then the exhilaration on their faces when they finish and receive their medal, it’s priceless,” says Stephen. “Then there’s the camaraderie of talking to the other cyclists afterward about this hill and that hill and the speed; it’s brilliant. The whole day and evening afterwards are very rewarding for both organisers and participants.”
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IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE | 31
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