16-08-2022 Limerick City and County Council, Pride of Place Judging at Glenroe/Ballyorgan
Community Council CLG. Picture: Keith Wiseman
Limerick City and County Council has announced that four local projects have been entered in the 2022 Pride of Place competition.
St. Munchin’s Community Centre, West End Youth Centre, Glenroe-Ballyorgan Community Council and Adare Women’s 2020 Club have been chosen to represent Limerick in the following categories:
• Community Resilience: St. Munchin’s Community Centre
• Community Youth Led Initiative: The West End Youth Centre
• Community Population 300 – 1,000: Glenroe-Ballyorgan Community Council CLG
• Community Wellbeing Initiative: Adare Women’s 2020 Club
The Irish Public Bodies (IPB) Pride of Place Awards 2022 are presented in association with Co-operation Ireland.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the competition which is all-island competition run in conjunction with local authorities North and South.
It aims to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that communities make to society along with generating awareness, respect and inclusion for every facet of society.
The purpose of the competition is to acknowledge the work being done every day by communities all over the island of Ireland, recognising endeavours of local people to create civic pride and make their communities great places to live.
The competition focus is about people coming together to change and improve the daily lives of people in their communities.
Glenroe Ballyorgan Association was established in 2015 and has evolved to a CLG in 2021. Ballyorgan National School was closed in 2010 and was followed by the closure of Glenroe National School in 2015. The school closures were the catalyst for community action. The group’s persistence and determination to revitalise this community resulted in the Glenroe Community National School, under the patronage of the Limerick and Clare ETB and Coolfree Preschool re-opening in August 2020.
A community walk was developed at Glenroe GAA Complex with voluntary labour and an astroturf project is currently underway.
Glenroe Ballyorgan Community Council aims to address community needs by participative planning, listening and working in collaboration to achieve the results. They have created a Community Alert group to support the elderly and an Active Retirement group was set up for the retired members of the community to provide various activities.
Examples of impressive projects delivered by Glenroe Ballyorgan Community Council include: educational projects including eco awareness camps for children, sport and art workshops, “Parish Habitat and biodiversity” EIP Project to enhance farmer and community biodiversity, a memorial stone 1916/War of Independence, Kilflynn Church restoration, interpretive panels of the natural heritage of the Keale River Walk and an earth sculpture of Oisín and Sadhbh, to mention a few.
All community members participate in projects and provide mutual support to each other. Glenroe Ballyorgan is an example of a community that was on its knees with no school, no priest and no facilities which grew into a vibrant community through civic engagement, social cohesion and community safety. By working together, taking advantage of skills and experience of people in the community, they have created a better place to live with a vibrant, strong and inclusive community that strives to address local needs and collaborate on developing solutions.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the judges were able to meet with nominated groups. Each group demonstrated the work of the group, their accomplishments and its impact on their community to the visiting judging panel last month.