Calls for civic reception to celebrate West on Track to be discussed

Tony Deffely from the Castlebar Council of Trade Unions has called for a civic reception to celebrate West on Track’s Meitheal of the Year award. 

Mr Deffely made the call at a Corporate, Education, Culture, Heritage and Library Services committee meeting yesterday.

The community group was announced as the winner of the Paddy Joe Moran Mayo Meitheal of the Year award last week.

“They fight a great fight for us all and continue to fight it; my own organisation nominated them [for the award],” said Mr Deffely.

He told the committee that the publicity is ‘doing the [organisation] a lot of good’. 

Mr Deffely shared that he ‘was going to whisper at this meeting’ the possibility of a civic reception for the group from the council ‘to once more, highlight the fantastic contribution they’re making’ to the community.

Chairman of the Corporate, Education, Culture, Heritage and Library Services Committee, Cllr Michael Burke, explained that there is a ‘criteria as to what qualifies for a reception’.

Director of Services at Mayo County Council, Catherine McConnell, said civic receptions are ‘very rare’ and usually ‘mark some outstanding achievement’

“There are certainly other ways to acknowledge the very valuable contribution that the group has made to further the particular endeavour which, when in place, will have a huge impact on business and travel opportunities in county Mayo,'' said McConnell.

Senior executive officer of Mayo County Council, Martina Hughes, told the meeting that the request will be brought to the Corporate Policy Group where it will be discussed whether it's ‘more municipal district related or has a county impact, and that's possibly a starting point’.

West on Track will be presented with the award tomorrow, Friday, at a lunch in Dublin.