Emigrants’ project shortlisted for major award

A SOUTH-East Galway pilot project tracing descendants of Irish emigrants has been shortlisted for a major national award.
Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO) has reached the finals of the national 2012 Local Authority Members’ Association (LAMA) awards.
Developed in South-East Galway from October 2010 to July 2011, this project has been shortlisted in the category Best Community-Based Initiative.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on February 11 in Dublin.  Returning as the MC again for 2012 is RTÉ Prime Time presenter, Miriam O’Callaghan and guest of honour is Environment Minister Phil Hogan.
The Local Authority Members’ Association (LAMA) represents elected councillors nationwide and plays a pivotal role in local government, being charged with representing constituents in local issues, providing leadership within the community and being responsible for overall provision of local services.
Ireland XO culminated with a successful Week of Welcomes event held in the area in late June. In fact, it was so successful, a decision was taken to expand the project nationwide.
An estimated 40,0000 emigrants from parishes such as Gort, Loughrea and Portumna were invited to return to East Galway for a series of events last summer.
Building on the success of last year’s launch programme, the Ireland XO project had its 2011/2012 launch meeting last October at the Loughrea Spa and Hotel at 8.30pm.
The evening consisted of a short review of the Ireland XO 2010/2011 programme, including parish volunteer feedback on last year’s activities and from Week of Welcome participants.
It also included reports on discussions being held with government agencies on the national expansion of Ireland XO and a report from the second Farmleigh II meeting where the Ireland Reaching Out project was represented by Ireland XO chairman, Mike Feerick and David McWilliams.
Representatives from communities across the country who have expressed interest in launching Ireland XO in their areas, including parishes from Mayo, Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Donegal among others also attended the event.
The project is based on tracing Irish people who moved to America and their descendents and trying to attract them back here.
“Working through voluntary effort at a townland, village and parish level, we identify who left and trace them and their descendants worldwide, proactively engaging with them and inviting them to become part of an extended virtual community with their place of origin,” Ms Dolores O’Shea explained.
“The Week of Welcomes in June saw members of the local Irish diaspora return from the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand for the event, which was covered by local, national and international media, including The New York Times and the BBC. Key to the success of the Ireland Reaching Out project has been communities working to develop contact with their own local diaspora, not just that of the nation at large,” she added.