John Hassett, Ballyhoura, Darren Sheehy, I.F.A. Development Officer and Tom Hyland Glenroe at the Pride of Place presentation in Glenroe
All that is good in Glenroe and Ballyorgan was showcased the local Community Council on Tuesday morning to the Pride of Places judges and representatives of Limerick City and County Council.
Glenroe-Ballyorgan is one of the Limerick entries in this year’s Pride of Place and the judges, the founder of the Pride of Place Initiative and former Meath County manager Tom Dowling and Colette Byrne along with representatives of Limerick City and County Council, Séamus O’Connor, Eileen Humphreys and Kate Janeczek, when the Community Council made a presentation to support their entry.
The Pride of Place competition focus is about people coming together to shape, change and improve daily lives in their communities.
Since the competition commenced in 2003, it has impacted on hundreds of thousands of people, all of whom are proud of their place. The competition is based on communities demonstrating directly to the judges their pride in their place by oral presentations where they highlight community activities, culture and many other aspects that contribute to their pride of place. It is also important that the community demonstrates a real partnership with their local authority and shows that all sectors of the community are included. Glenroe Community Council was established in 2015 and in the intervening years has been the driving force behind considerable improvements in the community most notably spearheading a case to the Department of Education to re-open, Glenroe National School
which had closed.
Aidan Gleeson, chairperson, Glenroe-Ballyorgan Community Council welcomed the judges and outlined details of the presentation. A 20 minute video produced by Grey Heron Media was then shown after which the Community Council secretary, Mary Hanley-O’Brien made a detailed presentation substantiated by slides. “Preparing for this Pride of Place competition has given us a great opportunity for reflection. An opportunity to reflect on the journey of the Community Council from when it began in 2015 to where we are now in 2022, Ms Hanley O’Brien stated.
“While 2015 was the catalyst for change with the closure of Scoil Mhuire we are honing in on the years 2015-2022. We are very mindful of everything that has gone before 2015 also and the rich history that Glenroe-Ballyorgan has. There has always been a strong GAA club and now there is the Glenroe GAA Complex and community walk and the exciting astroturf project that currently is underway.
Continuing Ms Hanley O’Brien “In 2015 there was a lack of hope but Glenroe-Ballyorgan was no exception, it echoed many rural parishes in Ireland. The recession had affected the community, there was a skills drain with emigration. And the school closure really magnified it.
“Looking to the future – Glenroe Ballyorgan Community Council became a Company Limited by Guarantee in 2020, an applicant for charitable status. Future plans include a two stage redevelopment of the hall and also wish to engage in a community planning process to lift the vision again. We are proud of where we stand today.
Concluding Ms Hanley O’Brien said “The structure of the Community Council will help to ensure its future viability. The Council is the umbrella framework and it has a range of different active sub groups that have been set up to deal with the issues in our community. Our 17 directors have a great mix of skills, experience and enthusiasm. Framework is strong and as new issues emerge, a new group is set up”.
After Ms Hanley O’Brien’s presentation, the judges spoke with the representatives of the various organisations present before embarking on a comprehensive tour of the various facilities and landmarks in picturesque Glenroe and Ballyorgan.