CHAMBERS Ireland has named Clare County Council Local Authority of the Year 2018 at its 15th annual Excellence in Local Government Awards.
The awards, which were presented at a ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, Dublin on Thursday night, aim to acknowledge and encourage best practice and constructive initiatives by local authorities. Clare County Council was also named overall winner in three award categories, having been nominated in 11 out of 16 categories.
The winning council initiatives were Friars Walk Coach Park Ennis (Outstanding initiative through the Municipal Districts), Community Mobilisation Unit: Rural and Community Development Officer (Best Practice in Citizen Engagement) and The Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark (Sustainable Environment).
“During the past two years, Clare County Council has developed and commenced implementation across all Directorates of an ambitious and wide ranging programme of investment and development that will benefit our county. All of the Clare initiatives nominated for an Excellence in Local Government Award reflect the level of positive activity underway in the county and it is important that we see the national recognition of this work as a vote of confidence in our continued efforts to further improve the quality of life in Clare,” Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, commented.
The other Clare County Council initiatives nominated for an award include:
– Clare Library Outreach Service to Kilmaley Daycare and Health Centre Clare (Supporting Active Communities)
– Addressing the Rural Development Challenge (Promoting Economic Development)
– Clare County Councils Digital Hub Programme (Local Authority Innovation)
– Disability Services at Active Ennis Leisure Complex (Disability Services Provision)
– Lough Derg Blueway (Joint Local Authority Initiative)
– ‘BiaFest – Food of the Banner County’ (Festival of the Year)
– Ennis Peace Park (Commemorations and Centenaries)
– The Aisling Development (Enhancing the Urban Environment)
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.