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THE Ard Kilbride estate
in Carndonagh has won the Donegal Pride of Place
competition. Competing in category two, for
localities with a population of 200-500, the estate
was highly commended for its children's garden and
how it has dealt with community and environmental
issues.
The Pride of Place competition recognises
improvements made by local communities in creating
civic pride in their area and focuses on people
coming together to shape, change and enjoy their
locality.
Residents association chairman Joe McLaughlin
(Jackie) said they were delighted with the award.
“It’s a nice recognition of all the work we’ve done
in recent times,” he said. “The kids have been great
and we’re looking forward to the prize-giving
ceremony at the end of May.”
“We’re looking for funding from the council to plant
shrubbery and trees at the front of the estate, and
we’ve priced goalposts for the green, so there’s
still plenty of working going on,” he continued.
“The residents are very active and have done a great
job of encouraging the local children to take
ownership of the estate,” said Mary McCallion of the
Inishowen Development Partnership that has provided
funding and expertise to the residents’ group. “The
children had an input into designing the garden and
even picked the plants for gardener Paddy McCartney.
At a time when you hear so many bad things about
children, it’s good to highlight them when they do
good things too.”
Children from the estate will soon be participating
in a film-making course where they will make films
about their estate.
A fun day for children from the estate, and from
Close Patrick on the Malin Road and Abbotswood will
be organised for later in the summer. “I’ve found
that establishing a residents’ association is very
important in that it gives us one voice when dealing
with the council or the Garda,” Joe Jackie said,
adding that he had been helping residents at Close
Patrick and Abbottswood set up their own
associations.
He also emphasised the work done in the community
forum, where the residents’ association meet with
the County Council, Inishowen Development
Partnership, Health Service Executive and the Garda. |
