Greenway landowners honoured with Meitheal Award

Greenway landowners honoured with Meitheal Award


Anton McNulty
antonmcnulty@mayonews.ie

The foresight of landowners to make the Great Wester Greenway possible was honoured in an event in Tiernaur on Saturday night with each landowner individually presented with a certificate marking their 2012 Meitheal of the Year Award.
The event was co-hosted by Mayo County Council and the Mayo Association Dublin and was organised as a recognition of the 160 landowners for winning the Meitheal of the Year Award which was formally presented to them in a ceremony in Dublin in February.
A 250 large crowd were present in Nevin’s Newfield Inn in Tiernaur for the reception which included a Gourmet Greenway wine reception and buffet. The landowners were also treated to the launch of ‘A Song for Mayo’ written by Pete St John and performed by Foxford singer, Bernadette Ruddy.
Chairman of Muintir Mhaigh Eo Átha Cliath, Newport native Francis O’Malley said the landowners were deserving winners of the award.
“It is so important to let such individuals and meitheals know that what they have achieved has not gone unnoticed and we really appreciate and applaud their efforts. These awards provides a fantastic opportunity to identify all those who work behind the scenes in an entirely voluntary capacity in our community,” he said.
The Exceptional Endeavour Award was presented to both Padraig Philbin and Anna Connor of Mayo County Council for all their work in making the Greenway a reality. Pearse Culkin, the President of the Association said they put in the hard work at the beginning of the process by knocking on doors and talking to landowners and were deserving winners.
Peter Hynes, Manager of Mayo County Council, thanked the landowners for their continued co-operation in establishing the Greenway which he said was a fabulous success.
“The Greenway has been a fantastic success to date and there will be many years of success ahead. I thank the landowners for their collaboration in establishing a model which other communities can follow,” he said.
Mr Hynes also praised the work of Muintir Mhaigh Eo Átha Cliath and the other Mayo Associations in promoting everything good about Mayo and thanked FΡilte Ireland and the Department of Transport for their help.
He thanked both Padraig Pilbin and Anna Connor for all their work which had been brought to fruition.

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