‘We’re really proud!’

Spirits are high in Cootehill this week as the town claimed a prestigious Pride of Place Award last weekend.

The town took top spot in the ‘Town with a Population between 300 and 1000’ category on Saturday night.

“It was amazing, really amazing,” says a still surprised Philomena McQuaid who accepted the award on the town’s behalf at the Dublin bash hosted by RTÉ’s Marty Whelan in front of 400 people.

“It was a huge room with a lot of people in it vying for prizes and we were so lucky to get one. We’re really proud!”

Judges praised the community spirit amongst Cootehill’s residents, observing: “There is a highly organised team at the heart of things in this town. An excellent committee structure ensures ongoing success in social and environmental projects and the provision of some excellent facilities. Above all there is a very genuine and highly effective partnership with the council.”

Sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Pride of Place competition was initiated 20 years ago though a Co-operation Ireland programme to acknowledge the invaluable work undertaken by volunteers and those involved in local community development.

“This is a huge boost. We have been doing a lot of really good work in Cootehill for the last couple of years, the community has noticed and has really responded to it.

“It’s a really well deserved award because we really have a very very hard working group of people that really do have the good of the town at heart. The feel-good factor for the whole community comes from our work.”

While Philomena and the other Town Team committee members were delighted to receive the award, it was not the reason they worked so hard to enhance Cootehill.

Philomena said they had travelled in hope rather than expectation.

“For the town to get this recognition means an awful lot and will mean an awful lot to the community.

“When you’re doing the work, and when you’re involved, it isn’t about prizes. To have been nominated was brilliant, to win it was just something else,” the local correspondent said.

Residents had originally come together to keep the town pristine as part of the Tidy Towns drive. However, as time went on, the town’s improvements ventured far outside of cleaning.

“We went on then to painting grants and that work took place and gave the town centre a great lift. It went on then and a disability group kicked in and they looked at creating footpaths, parking, accessibility, all of that kind of stuff, new road markings and parking places,” continued the proud Philomena.

“Then the economic group worked on the local graveyard and the social community group joined with CCLD and got the spaces at the Ulster Bank where we have a lovely community space that’s really, really busy with courses, counselling, Narcotics Anonymous, all sorts going on in it.”

As the projects progressed, more and more people got involved. The Town Team committee now has over 30 members working in three subcategories, social and community, economic, and accessibility.

“There’s the committees but then there’s also working groups and more people come on board there, so there’s quite a few people involved, all on a voluntary basis.”

Having claimed the Pride of Place Award, the town has no intentions of stopping with big plans in the pipeline for Cootehill’s future.

“We have huge big plans for the future because we were very, very lucky in getting a grant for €500,000 to help us develop the Ulster Bank that the County Council recently bought.”

They are eager to work with the council in drawing up a plan for the space.

“It will be a community digital hub, very much the services that we’re giving now in Le Chéile but on a bigger scale because the space we have is wonderful but we need more.”

The committee will also strive to hold onto their new Pride of Place title in the years to come.

“Well sure, wouldn’t it be lovely. Now that we’ve had a taste of it, it would be nice to go for it every year!” Philomena exclaims.