PRIDE of Place Competition judges have concluded visits to four Limerick communities and projects participating in the all-island initiative this year.
Bruff, Kilteely, Tait House in Southill and Scanlon Park in Castleconnell were a hive of activity last Thursday and Friday as competition judges Donal Connolly from Waterford and Rita McNulty from Sligo inspected their work.
Run by Co-Operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border, the annual competition aims to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that communities make to society.
Kilteely is in Category 1 for population centres of up to 300 people, Bruff-based BGM Community Council Ltd. is in Category 4 for population centres over 2,000, the Tait House Community Enterprise is in Category 5 (Age Friendly Initiative), and Scanlon Park in Castleconnell is in Category 8 (Housing Estates).
Highlights of the judges’ visit to Bruff on Thursday were a tour of the old convent, which is being renovated into the Kirby O’Sullivan Sports Complex, Bruff GAA Grounds, the Community Café, and the Thomas Fitzgerald Centre.
In the afternoon, the judges undertook a tour of Kilteely showing Cill Bhride Housing Association, the Jubilee Gardens and the refurbished Community Centre before concluding their visit with a traditional Irish evening of song, drama and dance at The Teach in Cloverfield.
On Friday, the judges visited Tait House in Southill and heard about the befriending service it provides to the older adults in Southill and also viewed the range of services provided to the older people in the area.
The judges finished up with a tour of Colivert Court Housing Scheme in Southill, which has been specifically designed for older people.
Judging was completed with a visit to Scanlon Park, Castleconnell, where they visited the ACM Community Centre and Scanlon Park, where they viewed the community allotments and landscaping works undertaken by the residents.
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cll. Liam Galvin congratulated the participating communities for their efforts.
He added: “The strong performance of Limerick’s Pride of Place participants in this competition down through the years is evidence of the depth and breadth of voluntary activity underway in local communities. Judging day was a very special occasion for this year’s participants as it represented an ideal opportunity for Kilteely, Scanlon Park, Tait House Community Enterprise and BGM Community Council Ltd. to showcase their work and pride in their respective projects and communities.”
Josephine Cotter Coughlan, director of Services said: “The judges commented that all four Limerick entries were of very high standard, so we await with anticipation the results of the Pride of Place competition, which will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in Ennis, County Clare, in November.”
