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Carn estate takes Pride of Place 30.04.08

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.

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