Top award for diaspora project

IRELAND Reaching Out, the South-East Galway-based diaspora project, recently scooped the top prize at a national awards ceremony.
Ireland XO was named best community project in the country at the prestigious LAMA (Local Authority Members Association) Awards in Dublin.
LAMA represents elected councillors nationwide. This is the sixth year of the awards, which commend individuals, initiatives, private companies and people for their outstanding contributions and projects of benefit to the community.
Cited for its originality, popularity among parishes and volunteers and its potential to scale across the country, the award was presented by Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan and award host Miriam O’Callaghan.
Before a packed audience of county and city managers and local authority officials from across the country, the award was received on behalf of the project by parish liaison officer, John Joe Conwell and the Mayor of County Galway, Michael Mogie Maher.
Speaking after the award, John Joe Conwell stated, “The simplicity of the Ireland Reaching Out project is powerful. Rather than trace the diaspora of the nation as a whole across the world, parishes across Ireland are now retracing their own diaspora, which is a direct benefit to them and the long-term development of their communities. The keen interest being shown by local authorities across the country this evening is testament the project’s natural appeal to local volunteers and communities”.
Ireland Reaching Out project chairman Mike Feerick paid tribute to the support of Galway County Council, stating its support has been critical to the development of the project. He also paid tribute to the work of volunteer parish communities across County Galway for leading the way nationally in the development of the project, which, he added, is still in its early stages.
Ireland XO involves working voluntarily at townland, village and parish level to identify people who left and trace them and their descendants worldwide and invite them to become part of an extended ‘virtual’ community with their place of origin.
In this way, the entire Irish diaspora of 70 million can be systematically reunited online and invited back or to engage with their ancestral parish for the benefit of all.