Cathaoirleach's awards recognise achievements of community sector
The five category winners at the Cathaoirleach Awards 2014 on Friday night in Belvedere House were Maggie Lambden Mary Mahon, Michael Ronan, Madeline O’Neill and Tommy Lambden and the honoured 2014 Person of the Year special award went to George Bell.
Guest speaker Dessie Dolan addressed a crowd of some 280 people at the event, representing a host of community and voluntary groups from around the county who applied for the different grants and awards under the Community Action Scheme Programme.
In the 2014 Project of the Year Award and the European Year of Citizens award 2014, the winners were the Milltownpass Community group (€7,000), Mount Temple Holy Trinity Graveyard Committee (€3,000) and the Gateway project (€2,500). A brochure released at the awards includes the names of some of the successful groups who will receive community grants including; community and voluntary groups, residents associations and Tidy Towns.
Special Awards were also presented to the Battery Heights Community and Rathowen Community Development, who won the Westmeath Pride of Place awards and who will represent the county in the National All-Island Pride of Place 2014 competition, in which Westmeath has enjoyed great successes over the past three consecutive years.
The winners
Ecofriendly Preschools Pride of Place Awards, presented by leas-cathaoirleach Cllr Denis Leonard: first, Rathganny Preschool, Multyfarnham, Madeline O’Neill; second, Little Smiles Montessori, Coole, Caroline Finnegan.
Ecofriendly Schools, Ruth Maxwell, environmental awareness officer: secondary; St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge, Niamh Sweeney; Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan, Dara Harpur. National: St Joseph’s, Milltownpass, Michelle Maleady; St Thomas, Rathowen, Susan Notley.
Tidy Towns Merit Awards based on 2013 results, Cllr Colm Arthur, chair, Economic and Community Development SPC; most improved in Westmeath, Delvin, Bernadette Clancy; four electoral area winners; Mullingar, Ballynacargy, Teresa Coloe; Kilbeggan, Tyrrellspass, Sheelagh Connor; Coole, Multyfarnham, Gerry Bawle; Athlone, Glasson, Kathleen Farrell and Kathy Moran; overall Westmeath Tidy Town winner, for the fourth year in a row, Ballinahown, Micheál Coughlan and Helen Connelly.
All Island Pride of Place in the Community Awards, Dessie Dolan, county winners and national finalist: Battery Heights, Housing Estate, winners; Rathowen Community Development.
European Year of the Citizen 2014, Pat Gallagher, county manager: The Gateway Youth Project, Athlone.
Project of the Year Award 2014, Pat Gallagher: Milltownpass Community Action Group, Rose Wright and representatives; Mount Temple Holy Trinity Graveyard Committee, Tom Daly and representatives.
Person of the Year Awards 2014, cathaoirleach, Cllr Peter Burke: Michael Dowd, cert of recognition; Tommy Lambden, winner Community Involvement/Animation; Michael Naughton, cert of recognition; Michael Ronan, winner Youth and Sport Development; Kevin Giles, cert of recognition; Matt Melvin, cert of recognition; Geraldine McKevitt, cert of recognition; Madeline O’Neill, winner Disability Category; Paula Hynes, cert of recognition; Larry Gillivan, cert of recognition; Debbie Daly, cert of recognition; Michael Mulvey, cert of recognition; Maggie Lambden, winner Active Elderly; George Bell, overall winner; Rosaleen Maguire, cert of recognition; Anthony Hughes, cert of recognition; Mary Mahon, winner Arts Heritage and Culture.