Six Southside projects are up for local awards

A TOTAL of six South Dublin County Council projects have been nominated for a Local Government Award.

The Round Tower in Clondalkin and the MedEx Health Programme are among the initiatives shortlisted for this year's Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards that are staged every year in association with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

First held in 2004, the awards showcase best practice in local government and recognise innovation and dedication within the sector. The upcoming ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 22 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood Park, Dublin 9.

At the 2017 event, South Dublin County Council was awarded the Best Practice in Citizen Engagement for its landmark participatory budgeting initiative, ‘€300k Have Your Say’.

This year, the six South Dublin County Council initiatives have been shortlisted in separate categories.

The Round Tower, Clondalkin, (pictured left) shortlisted for Heritage and Built Environment, is located at the heart of the village.

It is among the best preserved Round Towers in Ireland. The Visitor Centre was conceived by South Dublin County Council in collaboration with the Office of Public Works and the local community to celebrate the Tower and to respond to the history of the site.

The centre comprises the conservation and refurbishment of five derelict 19th Century Mill Cottages with a modern extension to the rear, new gardens to the front and rear and with a new civic plaza.

The MedEx Health Programme is shortlisted for Health and Wellbeing. This community-based chronic illness rehabilitation programme offers structured and supervised exercise classes to enable people with a diverse range of illnesses to exercise in a safe environment in order to maintain or gain fitness during or after treatment. 

The Flavours of South Dublin Food Festival 2017 is shortlisted for Festival of the Year.

This unique food festival takes place in the grounds of Rathfarnham Castle and showcases the very best cuisine from the locality while aiming to highlight the diversity and vibrancy of the food culture in the county. 

'Living With Trees' – South Dublin County Council's Tree Management Policy 2015-2020 – is shortlisted for Sustainable Environment while In My Days – Intergenerational Storytelling Project is shortlisted for Best Library Service.

This project was piloted as part of South Dublin Libraries literacy development programme under the Right to Read Action Plan, which supports literacy development. for individuals, families and children as part of a locally coordinated, sustainable and standard approach across the country.