Clare Pride of Place participants announced

CONNOLLY, Ireland - May 3, 2013 - PRLog -- The annual all-island competition, which is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border, aims to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that communities make to society.

Clare was represented in last year’s Pride of Place by the Clare Sports Partnership and Cuimhneamh and Chláir. The County’s most recent national success in the competition came in 2011 when the Clare Crusaders Children's Clinic received an award under the Community Health Initiative category.

Nicola Cullinan, Clare Pride of Place Coordinator commented: “In Clare, we have a wealth of community focused groups and projects that provide services in keeping with the aims and objectives of Pride of Place. This year, we are delighted to nominate three local projects which we feel have in their own way contributed immeasurably to the their respective communities.”

“Participating Clare communities have in the past benefited greatly from their experiences as the competition has provided them with an excellent opportunity to highlight the elements of their areas that they have civic pride in, and has given them a platform to showcase the work they are doing on a continual basis,” Ms. Cullinan added.

Mountshannon Community Council is participating in Category 1 for population centres of up to 200 people, Miltown Malbay Tidy Towns has been entered into Category 3 for population centres of between 500 and 1,000 people, while An Sean Dún Residents Association is participating in the Housing Estate Category.

Reacting to the news of his group’s nomination, Mr. John Harvey, Chairman of Mountshannon Community Council stated: “We are delighted to have been selected as one of the groups from County Clare to go forward in this year’s competition. Our group was established in 1985 and since then we have worked continually to make improvements to our village, both for the benefit of those living here, and for the many visitors who come here every year.”

“There is a strong sense of goodwill between the various community groups, business and individuals that make up the community of Mountshannon. We are grateful that the particular nature of this competition affords us the opportunity to present the diverse elements that make up our community, and allow representatives from each sector to speak for themselves,” added Mr. Harvey.

Cormac McCarthy of An Sean Dún Residents Association commented: “Our estate nurtures a sense of inclusion with a mixture of young and old, homeowner and renter. The community spirit can be observed in the participation of residents in the many community-focused events which occur within the estate and the various clubs including the Heritage Club, Book Club and Neighbourhood Watch. We actively encourage all residents to help with the estate clean-up days and in the implementation of grants awarded under Local Agenda 21 and the Tree Council, highlighting our commitment to protecting our local heritage and ensuring the principles of sustainability are adopted in all our actions.”

Meanwhile, Miltown Malbay Tidy Towns Committee Spokesperson, Sean Lenihan said: “Like many other small towns we have lots of diverse groups, associations and organisations but what sets us apart is that when required, all sectors of the community work together and act as one. A goal common to us all is to make Miltown the best place to live, work or visit and fundamental to achieving this is having the right mix of people, young and old, male and female, working and unemployed, business and private, fourth-generation Miltown and our newer residents, all willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the interest of the town and our community.”

“We are very aware that everybody has something to offer and we recognise the skills, inputs and competencies that different people have and utilise them accordingly to ensure that all visitors leave with fond memories and a willingness to return,” Mr. Lenihan concluded.

The Communities will be busy preparing between now and the summer while waiting on their judging dates.  Each project will have 2.5 hours with the judges to showcase their pride in their community.

Pride of Place was first piloted in the summer of 2003 and came from the Local Authority All-Island Steering Forum - a forum that encourages strategic, sustainable approaches to cross border co-operation.  

-ENDS-

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