Limerick City and County Council scooped the top prize after being named as Council of the Year at the annual All-Ireland Community and Council (LAMA) Awards.
The awards highlight the best of work that is being carried out by a local authority in conjunction with groups and organisations as well as volunteers in our communities and recognise the important contribution they make to our lives. The work being carried out as part of the projects is very important and have a significant impact in their respective local communities.
More than 180 entries were received across 20 categories for the 2019 awards and following a rigorous judging process, over 100 projects nationwide from 23 counties were shortlisted for the gala awards ceremony, which took place in Croke Park Stadium at the weekend.
Limerick City and County Council was crowned Council of the Year in recognition of the range and depth of projects which the council is involved in with communities across Limerick city and county.
GAELSCOIL BUILDING RECOGNISED
The impressive new Gaelscoil de hIde building in Fermoy made the shortlist in the Best Education Building category, which was won by Coláiste Dún Rí Kingscourt (Cavan County Council), with the Silver award going to Midleton Educate Together National School (Cork County Council).
Cork County Council’s Circular Ocean project was recognised with a silver award in the Best Environmental/Ecological Project/initiative, a category won by Monaghan County Council for their Derryvalley Catchment Project.
A silver award in the Best Waste Management Programme went to Zero Waste (Tipperary County Council), while Emergency Response Team of the Year winner was Irish Community Rapid Response (Cork County Council). Denis Heffernan (Tipperary County Council) received the Special Recognition Award (Individual) on the night.
Other Limerick winners on the night were the Urban Co-op, which was the winner of the Best Business Working with the Community category while We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Limerick got a silver award in the Best Community Health Initiative category – a project that has created such a buzz that plans are due to be unveiled shortly about the initiative going nationwide.
The 2019 edition was the 13th running of the Awards and were presented by IPB Insurance and Local Authority Members’ Association (LAMA).
