An imaginative idea from three years ago to establish a Grotto Sensory and Woodlands Walks project at Monageer has brought national recognition to the parish and the members of Monageer Tidy Towns’ Committee are celebrating success at the Regional Tidy Towns’ Awards held in the Springhill Court Hotel in Kilkenny last night.
Monageer won the Sustainable Development National Award which is a major recognition for the voluntary efforts of Monageer Tidy Towns’ and Monageer Parish Grotto Group.
The attendance at the prize-giving function included local volunteers Liam Nolan, Liam Power and Ann Marie Power, the parish priest, Fr Bill Cosgrave, Cllr Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, and Liz Hore, Enniscorthy District Manager at Wexford County Council.
Bishop Denis Brennan celebrated an open-air Mass on Sunday, June 24th to mark the opening of the new Monageer Parish Grotto Sensory Path development and there was a large attendance.
The grotto is located in a disused quarry close to the village centre and in May 2015 the William O’Brien woodland walk and a small woodland play area was established and inspired a local committee to explore the possibility of putting in a path.
With the suggestion of a Sensory Path, Monageer entered a competition and won second prize of €5,500 and this money kick-started a three-year-plan.
It was decided that the 75-metre long path would accessible to all and where possible recycled materials would be used.
Wexford County Council have been very supportive of the project.