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21 Feb 2026
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21 Feb 2026
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Billy Higgins honoured with Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award | PICTURE: Keith Wiseman
AN AMERICAN businessman who founded and has backed the Southill Children’s Fund for decades has been honoured with the Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award.
Born and raised in South Boston, Massachusetts, Billy Higgins is a businessman renowned for his charitable endeavours and founded the Southill Children’s Fund in Boston in 1985.
This fund is a non-profit organisation whose vision is “to provide access and opportunity to children who are in need”.
Their fundraising “helps provide the tools necessary to encourage education, a key element of overcoming hardship” and has assisted hundreds of children access opportunities to better their lives and prospects.
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“Through Mr Higgin’s leadership, The South Hill Children's Fund is constantly finding ways to help raise money to fund field trips, extra-curricular activities, and provide the necessary tools to achieve their goals,” a spokesperson said.
“Their achievements are many and money raised is in the many hundreds of thousands. These achievements are even more monumental considering all staff work on a totally voluntary basis.”
Mr Higgins repeatedly donated to the Patient Social Fund of the Ballaghderg Pre-School for Children with Special Needs in Donegal and has continued to support the school and its work for many years.
His direct contributions have assisted in greatly improving the school and its ability to accommodate the many varying and complex needs of its students.
His work in both Donegal and Limerick has been acknowledged by both President Higgins and Taoiseagh in the past.
Donegal County Council presented Mr Higgins with the Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award.
The 2024 Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Award Ceremony was held at the at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel in Buncrana on Friday, September 27.
The Tip O'Neill Irish Diaspora honour was initiated in 2012 by Donegal County Council and is awarded to who have excelled in their chosen field whilst honouring their contribution to Ireland and the Global Irish Community.
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