Cork County Council projects in the area of Health and Wellbeing, Municipal District Initiative, Supporting Tourism and Sustainable Environment and Biodiversity have been shortlisted for Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards.
Under the Health and Wellbeing category, the Community, Tourism and Rural Development Directorate was shortlisted for its Teen Talk initiative. Through engaging events, the programme creates safe, inclusive spaces for young people to explore mental health topics, building resilience, managing stress and reducing mental health stigma. Since its inception in 2018, over 12,000 students have been positively impacted by this initiative.
The County Library and Arts Service was shortlisted in the Health and Wellbeing category for the Conversation Café. Mitchelstown Library was identified as the venue for a new English Conversational Club in response to a recognised need to support immigrants who have settled in the town in recent times. The club provides the newcomers with an opportunity to connect with each other and learn English at the same time.
NO REPRO FEE Cork County Council and tourism stakeholders promoting the Explore Cork app at the Cork Summer Show, Curraheen.
L–R: Rose Carroll (Cork County Council), Barry Holland (Cork Airport), Sharon Conroy (Cork County Council), and Caroline O’Reilly (Visit Cork).
NO REPRO FEE Jen O’ Callaghan (Nutritional Therapist) speaking at the ‘Teen Talk’ event held by Cork County Council, at the Radisson Hotel, Little Island for TY students around Cork.
The Club commenced on the 6th of September and it has been running every week since.
Under the Supporting Tourism category, the Community, Tourism and Rural Development Directorate was shortlisted for the Explore Cork App. Explore Cork is Cork County Council’s flagship digital tourism platform, created to support economic recovery and long-term tourism development. Initially developed in response to the challenges faced by the tourism sector during COVID-19, the app has since become a sustainable, multilingual marketing tool showcasing over 850 attractions across 20 categories.
The Economic Development and Strategic Planning Directorate has been shortlisted under the Sustainable Environment and Biodiversity category for the Cobh Nature Based Solution – Raingarden Demonstrator National Pilot Scheme. This project focuses on climate adaptation and was designed collaboratively with the community. It incorporates elements such as sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS), urban greening, and biodiversity net gain. The project was structured to maximise public participation, foster local authority leadership, and raise community awareness.
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley welcomed the award nominations, saying, “I would like to acknowledge all who have helped deliver these projects and to congratulate them on their shortlisting nominations. It is a fantastic achievement to have 4 projects shortlisted for this year’s Excellence in Local Government awards. The shortlisted projects demonstrate the diverse and innovative nature of work that Cork County Council is committed to delivering to the public, and emphasises the strong partnerships that have been built with the community.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell added, “The shortlisted projects demonstrate the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone involved to deliver quality services and improvements to the people of County Cork, thus strengthening our communities and promoting our businesses.”
The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, the 27th of November in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood Park, Santry. There are 15 categories, ranging from Climate Change to Sustaining the Arts.
