PRESS RELEASE 05/11/2012
2012 IPB Pride of Place Award Winners Announced
Carrickmacross honoured at the All-Island Pride of Place Competition
At a gala awards ceremony in Thomond Park, Limerick on Saturday last, 3 November, Carrickmacross took one of the top prizes in the ‘All-Island IPB Pride of Place Competition in association with Co-operation Ireland’.
More than 900 representatives from practically every county in Ireland attended the event where the winners of the 10th consecutive annual competition revealed. They were announced by Will Leahy, 2FM presenter.
To mark the 10th year of this prestigious, all-island competition, a special category for Previous Prize Winners was fought out between the heavyweights who have been honoured over the past ten years. Losing out narrowly to Westport, Carrickmacross were awarded 2nd place, in recognition of the sustained level of community development over the ten years since they won the inaugural title of Pride of Place in 2002.
The winners were congratulated and presented with their award by Jan O’Sullivan; Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Christopher Moran, Chairman Co-operation Ireland, Tom Dowling, Chairman of the Pride of Place Committee and IPB Chief Executive, Ronan Foley.
During the evening, the Minister paid tribute to all the participating groups who work tirelessly to create and promote pride in their cities, towns and villages.
The All-Island Pride of Place Competition recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society. The focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their local area. It differs from other similar projects in that they specifically recognise the involvement of the local community in all aspects of rural and urban regeneration including, promoting social cohesion, involvement in planning, the promotion of heritage and environmental awareness.
The competition is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with the Pride of Place Steering Committee. This year the competition has been renamed the ‘All-Island IPB Pride of Place Competition in association with Co-operation Ireland’ thanks to the sponsorship from Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurances Ltd.
Communities are put forward for the competition by their local authority, and each entrant is visited for a half day by the Pride of Place judging team over the summer months. This year saw the biggest entry yet in the competition, with fierce competition across all categories.
Co. Monaghan was also represented by the community of Tydavnet, half of whom (or so it seemed!) travelled to Limerick to attend the awards. Theirs was the most hotly contested category, with the highest number of entries, and although they came away without a trophy, it was agreed by those who travelled that their real reward had already been enjoyed back in August, on the day of the judges’ visit when the whole community turned out to show Tydavnet off to its best advantage.
Speaking at the Awards, Christopher Moran, Chairman of Co-operation Ireland, said:
“I congratulate all the winners of this year’s Pride of Place Awards. The fact that we have reached this 10year milestone is testament to the esteem in which the competition is held, celebrating as it does the achievements and contribution that community groups make to local society. It is important to highlight the wonderful, selfless work that is going on in your communities.”
Tom Dowling, Chairman of Pride of Place, congratulated all the participants and he acknowledged that this year’s competition attracted the highest number of nominations since the competition commenced. He said, “The reason the communities are here tonight is because their local authority believes in them and recognises that they have huge pride in their place”.
In addition to a gala dinner, the groups were entertained by Limerick singing sensations, Crystal Swing, and the evening was brought to a rousing close by a choral rendition of the Munster rugby anthem, ‘Alone it Stands’.
Speaking for Monaghan County Council, Carol Lambe, who co-ordinated the Monaghan entries, said ‘Being here in Thomond Park brings home the importance of community; in what can be achieved through teamwork and hard graft. Monaghan communities understand the importance of being proud of where you come from, and also the importance of being linked to your neighbours and supporting one another. Co. Monaghan entrants have done very well in this competition since it started ten years ago, and I have no doubt they will continue to shine for many years to come. It was a genuine privilege to work with the people of Tydavnet and Carrickmacross to put their bids together, and I hope that participating in this event will provide them with a springboard to go on to achieve even greater things.’
Ends
Photo:
Pictured with Tom Dowling Chair Pride of Place Committee; Christopher Moran Chairman of Co-operation Ireland, IPB Chief Executive Ronan Foley, Cllr Jerome Scanlon, Cathaoirleach Limerick County Council and Cllr Gerry McLoughlin Mayor of Limerick are representatives from Carrickmacross, Dennis & Esther Durcan and Kieran Roche
More info: Carol Lambe 086 8386905 clambe@monaghancoco.ie
