Westport’s thank you

PRIDE IN THEIR PLACE All of the groups who participated in the Pride of Place effort in Westport this year pictured at a special reception, hosted by Westport Town Council last week.  
Pic: Michael McLaughlin

A simple thank you to Westport

De Facto
Liamy MacNally

Last Thursday night was special. Westport Town Council played host to representatives from almost 90 groups associated with volunteerism and development in the town. It was a simple gesture – saying thank you to the groups for their work throughout the year, but especially for input to the Pride of Place and Community in Bloom projects. The ‘thank you’ was a simple, yet profound, act. The Cathaoirleach of Westport Town Council, Cllr Declan Dever was the man on duty. It was his gig as the town’s first citizen. It was an acknowledgement of the partnership ideal that exists in our town, the best of good manners in action. Westport Tidy Towns was central to the celebration.  
A scroll was also presented to the representatives from the organisations as a memento. It was another nice thoughtful gesture. Too often people who contribute their most valuable asset – time – are taken for granted and forgotten on the big occasions. Last Thursday was a big occasion for everyone to enjoy, courtesy of Westport Town Council. It costs nothing to be nice.     
THE YOUNG DEVER LAD
The Cathaoirleach, Cllr Declan Dever (continuing the family tradition of public service) opened proceedings. He put the awards in context. The Community in Bloom award is an international award, bestowed from Canada. The trophy has a nice depiction of the Canadian national symbol, the maple leaf. It has found a proud home in the Council chamber on Altamont Street. It has plenty of company, especially its new-found friend sponsored by Co-operation Ireland, in the guise of the Pride of Place award. This 32-county award was a wonderful achievement for the people of the town. Those awards are entertained daily by the four accolades from the 2007 Tidy Towns competition – the Gold Medal, Regional Award, County Award agus an duais milis, the National Bi-lingual Award. (Comhghairdeas to Claremorris Chamber of Commerce this Christmas. They scooped €45,000 from Minister Éamon Ó Cuív’s department to erect Christmas lights with a message as Gaeilge. Le cúnamh Dé, beidh muid ag ceiliúradh an rud céanna an bhliain seo chugainn i gCathair na Mart.)
The Cathaoirleach went on to celebrate the retention of the White Flag for the Leisure Park and lauded its manager, Dermott Langan, for the Mobility Award presented to the Leisure Park for improved accessibility for people with disabilities. A hoist was installed under Dermott Langan’s watch which is vital for some people with disabilities. (Ballina Library and Áras an Chontae were also proud winners of Mobility Awards last week.) The Cathaoirleach referred to the amount of national television coverage the town received through Oireachtas na Samhna, Celebrities Go Wild (God rest Katy French), Nationwide and the current Sunday evening series on RTÉ1 celebrating 50 years of Tidy Towns. Elsie and Mick Higgins are the new stars! They will join our other heroine, Siobhán O’Malley from the Vets on Call series, which is based, edited and produced in Crossmolina under the watchful eye of Eamonn O’Connor’s better half, Gillian Marsh, and her crew.
The young Dever lad (I am older than he is so I can take such liberties!) then used a wonderful analogy to describe the role of organisations and groups in the town – the jigsaw. The final piece needs to be in place before the picture is complete. Every organisation has its place. Nice one! 
EITHNE LARKIN
Eithne Larkin had the task of leading the Pride of Place committee and the Tidy Towns committee through their respective paces during the year. This woman is ambidextrous! Addressing the crowd on Thursday night Eithne stated: “These two competitions were not won based on the work of a few months but because of the dedication and leadership given by so many people over the last decade.” She noted that July 24 was D-Day for the Pride of Place competition when the judges trudged through the town. Eithne was as proud as any native on that day, she claimed. To mark the event the committee presented the Council with a bound photo-story book of the proceedings from the ‘day of judgement’! The Cathaoirleach, Cllr Dever, accepted the book on behalf of the town. Eithne also made a pertinent point during her speech. “[However] I strongly believe that if all of the links between the 89 or more organisations were forged just to win Pride of Place that would be a shame and a lost opportunity. May I suggest that early in 2008 these links are strengthened and built upon for the betterment of the whole community in Westport?” 
TOWN CLERK AND MANAGER
The same idea was mooted by Town Clerk, Ann Moore, later in the evening when she suggested that the groups would now work towards representation in the St Patrick’s Day Parade. The fresh coiffure obviously tickled the brain into overtime! An able MC for the evening, Ann Moore had the task of introducing representatives from all the groups who happily posed with the Cathaoirleach for the presentation of the scrolls. Michael Mc Laughlin clicked happily for every pose. The Bottom Block (note the capitals), also known as the Better Block, of St Mary’s Crescent was represented by numbers 1, 2 and 14!        
Town Manager, Peter Hynes was brief and to the point, or rather three points, comhghairdeas to all, buíochas to all and both Westport Town and Mayo County Councils are around to assist local organisations with local endeavours. Ann Moore then had the task of the roll call of representatives from each group to accept the ‘scroll of honour’ and pose for the proverbial photograph. In years to come the group photograph will speak volumes – even the Celtic Tiger’s setting sun could not outglow 89 Westport-based organisations who worked together in 2007 for the benefit of the whole community.
LET THE RECORDS SHOW
The following are (most of) the groups represented in Westport this year: Active Retirement Association; Aror Partnership; Arts Festival; Athletic Club; Big Brother Big Sister; Carrowbeg College; Carrowbeg Enterprises; Comhaltas Ceolteoirí Éireann; Chamber of Commerce; Chernobyl Children’s Project; Choral Society; Country Markets; Covie Week & Covie Walk; Covey Wheelers Cycling Club; Cumann Merriman; Custom House Studios; Destination Westport; Eagle Boxing Club; Fairtrade; Family Resource Centre; FÁS; Film Club; Foróige; Gaelforce West; Gaelscoil na Cruaiche; GAA; Gardening Club; Gnó Mhaigh Eo; Guide Dogs; Historical Society; Holy Trinity Church; Holy Trinity National School; Westport Hoteliers; Hurling Club; ICA; Ladies GAA; Legion of Mary; Limavady Twinning; Lions Club; Mayo Cancer Support Association; Music Festival; Mayo Mental Health; Mayo Mountain Rescue; Muintir Chathair na Mart; National Council for the Blind; Neighbourhood Youth Project; No Name Club; Order of Malta; Pastoral Society; Patchwork Quilters; Pioneer Association; Plougastel Twinning; Polish Mass Society; Rice College; Rice College India Immersion Project; Rugby Club; Sacred Heart School; Sailing Club; Scoil Phádraig NS; Scouting Association of Ireland; Sharkey Hill Community Centre; Westport Utd.; Social Services Council; St Anne’s Boxing Club; St Colmcille’s NS; St Patrick’s Bridge Club; St Patrick’s Drama Club; St Vincent de Paul; Tidy Towns; Westport Tourism; Westport Town Band; Toy Appeal; Voice of Westport Youth; Western Regional Fisheries Board;  Civic Trust; Hill Walking Club; Leisure Park; Toastmasters; Winter Fuel Scheme; and Youth Activities.
Westport Town Council take a bow!