On the 5th of November 2009, Volunteer Ireland honoured thirty individuals at an awards event and dinner hosted by the Office of An Taoiseach in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin. Ten overall category awardees were announced and President Mary McAleese presented the award for the Irish Volunteer of the Year 2009 to Christine Buckley from the Aislinn Education and Support Centre for Survivors of Institutional Abuse. This event celebrated the amazing work of all those who volunteer in Ireland.

Christine as Irish Volunteer of the Year represented Ireland at the European Parliament in Strasbourg where on  Saturday 5 December – International Volunteer Day was awarded the Trophee Europeen du Benevolat in the European Parliament in Strasbourg along with the title European Volunteer of the Year in recognition of the years of work to raise awareness of institutional child abuse.