Limerick continued its impressive track record of success in the IPB Pride of Place Competition at the 11th annual awards ceremony in Derry on Saturday night (16 November 2013).
Castleview Residents Association in Newcastle West was named overall winner of the Housing Estates Category in this year’s all-island competition.
Limerick also received two Runner-Up awards in the cities competition. The Moyross Residents Forum was named Runner-Up in its category for population centres of more than 1000 people, and Limerick Youth Service received a Runner-Up award in the Single Issue Category for Enterprise and Youth Projects. Limerick was also represented in this year’s competition by Foynes Community Council.
Mayor of Limerick Cllr. Kathleen Leddin and Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council Cllr. John Sheahan congratulated Limerick’s Pride of Place participants on achieving national success and helping Limerick to maintain an impressive track record of success in the competition.
Limerick’s most recent national success in the competition came in 2012 when Knockainey and St Munchin’s Family Resource Centre in Limerick City beat off stiff competition from all over the country to be crowned overall winners of their respective categories. Castleconnell also claimed a second place prize at the national awards ceremony which was held at Thomond Park in November.
According to Cllr. Leddin: “This competition is a wonderful vehicle for local community groups the length and breadth of Ireland to showcase the positive contribution that they make to the overall enhancement of their localities. I am delighted that Limerick has once again featured prominently in this annual awards scheme which is testament to the pride of place that the people of the city and county have for the areas they live in.”
Commenting on the awards successes, Cllr. Sheahan said: “Securing the overall award in their category is an outstanding achievement for Castleview Residents Association and members of the wider Newcastle West community. A huge amount of work has been carried out by residents to make Castleview a more attractive place to live in. Along with Limerick Youth Service and Moyross Residents Forum, their success is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when the Local Authority and the community work together.”
Oliver O’Loughlin, Director of Services, Limerick City and County Council added: “The Pride of Place Competition recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society. 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.”
He continued: “Limerick communities that have participated in the competition in recent years have benefited greatly from their experiences. It has provided them with an excellent opportunity to highlight the elements of their areas that they have civic pride in, and gave them a platform to showcase the work they are doing on a continual basis. Limerick City and County Councils are delighted to have played their part in assisting our Pride of Place participants during 2013.”
Castleview Estate was first built in 1977. Limerick County Council has carried out major refurbishment works to the estate in recent years. The Council’s Estate Management section continues to work in a significant manner with Castleview Residents Association.
Speaking about the Residents Association, the Pride of Place judges said, “The care and attention to detail on the day of the judges’ visit was unprecedented. All the public areas were maintained to a very high level and each individual house and garden was a credit to its owner or tenant. Furthermore the judges were delighted to learn of the excellent working relationship which now exists between the residents and the County Council and which is monitored on a regular basis. The hard work and diligence of the residents have transformed this estate and the concluding celebrations attended by a large gathering were indicative of a happy and united community.”
Limerick Youth Service presently caters for approximately 3,000 young people and has 500 volunteers working through its community-based Youth Centres in Limerick City and County. Limerick Youth Service is the “go to” organisation for young people and their families at times of celebration and times of crisis.
As one of the largest estates in Ireland, Moyross has a large number of volunteers running a host of community projects, including a shared community garden for residents and Moyross United soccer club. Moyross has benefited greatly from the partnership approach to community development adopted by the Moyross Residents Forum, the Community Enterprise Centre, Primary School, Corpus Christi Church, local sports groups and businesses, Limerick Transformation Group and the City Council.
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Derry on Saturday night, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “I am pleased to recognise through the Pride of Place Awards the many people across the island of Ireland who are moving forward, making progress and committed to creating and promoting pride in their cities, towns and villages. All the people and community groups nominated generate and foster pride in the community they serve. It is for this invaluable contribution to your local community that we consider it appropriate to acknowledge and celebrate the tangible difference you are making to society for the good of all our people."
Pride of Place, which is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border, was first piloted in the summer of 2003. The all-island initiative recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society, including promoting social cohesion, involvement in planning, the promotion of heritage, and environmental awareness.
For more see www.prideofplace.cooperationireland.org.
Castleview Residents Association in Newcastle West was named overall winner of the Housing Estates Category in this year’s all-island competition.
Limerick also received two Runner-Up awards in the cities competition. The Moyross Residents Forum was named Runner-Up in its category for population centres of more than 1000 people, and Limerick Youth Service received a Runner-Up award in the Single Issue Category for Enterprise and Youth Projects. Limerick was also represented in this year’s competition by Foynes Community Council.
Mayor of Limerick Cllr. Kathleen Leddin and Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council Cllr. John Sheahan congratulated Limerick’s Pride of Place participants on achieving national success and helping Limerick to maintain an impressive track record of success in the competition.
Limerick’s most recent national success in the competition came in 2012 when Knockainey and St Munchin’s Family Resource Centre in Limerick City beat off stiff competition from all over the country to be crowned overall winners of their respective categories. Castleconnell also claimed a second place prize at the national awards ceremony which was held at Thomond Park in November.
According to Cllr. Leddin: “This competition is a wonderful vehicle for local community groups the length and breadth of Ireland to showcase the positive contribution that they make to the overall enhancement of their localities. I am delighted that Limerick has once again featured prominently in this annual awards scheme which is testament to the pride of place that the people of the city and county have for the areas they live in.”
Commenting on the awards successes, Cllr. Sheahan said: “Securing the overall award in their category is an outstanding achievement for Castleview Residents Association and members of the wider Newcastle West community. A huge amount of work has been carried out by residents to make Castleview a more attractive place to live in. Along with Limerick Youth Service and Moyross Residents Forum, their success is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when the Local Authority and the community work together.”
Oliver O’Loughlin, Director of Services, Limerick City and County Council added: “The Pride of Place Competition recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society. 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.”
He continued: “Limerick communities that have participated in the competition in recent years have benefited greatly from their experiences. It has provided them with an excellent opportunity to highlight the elements of their areas that they have civic pride in, and gave them a platform to showcase the work they are doing on a continual basis. Limerick City and County Councils are delighted to have played their part in assisting our Pride of Place participants during 2013.”
Castleview Estate was first built in 1977. Limerick County Council has carried out major refurbishment works to the estate in recent years. The Council’s Estate Management section continues to work in a significant manner with Castleview Residents Association.
Speaking about the Residents Association, the Pride of Place judges said, “The care and attention to detail on the day of the judges’ visit was unprecedented. All the public areas were maintained to a very high level and each individual house and garden was a credit to its owner or tenant. Furthermore the judges were delighted to learn of the excellent working relationship which now exists between the residents and the County Council and which is monitored on a regular basis. The hard work and diligence of the residents have transformed this estate and the concluding celebrations attended by a large gathering were indicative of a happy and united community.”
Limerick Youth Service presently caters for approximately 3,000 young people and has 500 volunteers working through its community-based Youth Centres in Limerick City and County. Limerick Youth Service is the “go to” organisation for young people and their families at times of celebration and times of crisis.
As one of the largest estates in Ireland, Moyross has a large number of volunteers running a host of community projects, including a shared community garden for residents and Moyross United soccer club. Moyross has benefited greatly from the partnership approach to community development adopted by the Moyross Residents Forum, the Community Enterprise Centre, Primary School, Corpus Christi Church, local sports groups and businesses, Limerick Transformation Group and the City Council.
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Derry on Saturday night, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “I am pleased to recognise through the Pride of Place Awards the many people across the island of Ireland who are moving forward, making progress and committed to creating and promoting pride in their cities, towns and villages. All the people and community groups nominated generate and foster pride in the community they serve. It is for this invaluable contribution to your local community that we consider it appropriate to acknowledge and celebrate the tangible difference you are making to society for the good of all our people."
Pride of Place, which is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border, was first piloted in the summer of 2003. The all-island initiative recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society, including promoting social cohesion, involvement in planning, the promotion of heritage, and environmental awareness.
For more see www.prideofplace.cooperationireland.org.
