By Michelle Crawley
IT was all hands on deck in Rathowen on Tuesday of this week, 19 August, as hard-working locals put the final preparations in place before the Pride of Place adjudicators, Rita McNulty and Declan Nelson, arrived into the village.
There was a sense of elation and celebration in the air as locals gathered to welcome the adjudicators. Children held up colourful cards to welcome the visitors, local groups set up displays and stands to showcase the talent and resources available locally, and everyone pitched in, making a positive first impression as the Pride of Place representatives walked towards the community centre.
PRIDE OF PLACE
The people of Rathowen first learned that the village had been shortlisted in the Pride of Place competition at the Cathaoirleach Awards in May of this year, and hard working volunteers and groups have been preparing for the special occasion ever since. The Pride of Place competition recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community partnerships make to society. The focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their local area. It differs from other similar projects in that they specifically recognise the involvement of the local community in all aspects of rural and urban regeneration, including promoting social cohesion, involvement in planning, the promotion of heritage and environmental awareness.
“This is a celebration to acknowledge the people of the community and the many volunteers who give up their time so freely to enhance the area. It is a day to showcase everything that is Rathowen,” remarked Cllr. Whitney.
PRESENTATION
Following the judges arrival, Peter Duffy, performed master of ceremonies, and noted that the day was a “culmination of a lot of hard work by the people of Rathowen and a day that they should all be proud of.”
He encouraged the local community to continue being active in their community and thanked them for their co-operation and community spirit. Cllr. Avril Whitney and Lorraine Tormey Thomsen provided a concise overview of the history of the area, and cited that Rathowen’s past as a market town put it in good stead for growth. Mentioning the importance of Rathowen’s historical buildings, such as St. Mary’s Hall, and St. Thomas’ Church, Cllr. Whitney highlighted that one of the projects that the people of Rathowen would like to work on in the future would be the restoration of St. Thomas’ Hall to its former glory.
Cllr. Whitney shared the community’s plans to make the facility available to the public for small meetings and activities. Among the other plans for Rathowen on the short-term agenda is the purchase of fitness equipment for the community park and signage to attract passers-by on the N4, boosting footfall and tourism within the area.
TOUR
The judges were taken on a tour of Rathowen in the afternoon, taking in sites such as Rathaspic Cemetery, St. Dermot’s Well, St. Mary’s NS, St. Thomas NS, as well as visits to the local peat factory, Klassmann Deilmann, and Green Farm Foods, both of which are major employers in the community, employing 200 people between them.
Speaking about their experience in Rathowen, Pride of Place judge, Declan Nelson, said that it was gratifying to see such a welcome from a small community and congratulated the village on being shortlisted in category 2 of the all-island competition for villages with populations between 200 and 500 people. He described Rathowen as an example for other villages across Ireland and praised their sense of community spirit.
20TH ANNIVERSARY
This wasn’t the only celebration taking place in Rathowen on the day. Making the day extra special was a 20th anniversary celebration for Rathowen Community Development. Rathowen Community Development’s first chairman, John Rogers, and first secretary, Mary Murphy, were delighted to be helping out on the day, and celebrating 20 wonderful years and all Rathowen Community Development’s impressive feats and achievements since 1994, such as the community centre project, the playground, the social housing complex and rejuvenation of the area. To mark the occasion, there was even a special cake cutting and tree planting ceremony, so that the people of Rathowen have lasting memories of this momentous and joyful day. (More photos on page 16).
