By Rodney Farry
rodney@leitrimpost.com
There were three Leitrim winners at the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) Awards which were held in the City West Hotel, Dublin on Saturday night.
Carrick-on-Shannon’s, Breffni Community Development Ltd, scooped the Best Estate Management Award, while the Ballinamore based firm, W.P Toolan Solicitors was awarded the Best Eco Friendly Business Award.
Leitrim’s other award came in the Best Piece of Art/Sculpture category with the Manorhamilton-based artist Gareth Kennedy’s “Weather Cube” creation impressing the judging committee.
Kennedy took inspiration from the traditional sweat houses located throughout the county. The artist used modern materials and a minimalist design to reinterpret the Leitrim sweat house for a radically transformed county. The prize winning installation was exhibited in Carrick-on-Shannon during the summer. Located in Boathouse Bay in the heart of the county town, large numbers of people took up the Leitrim County Council’s invitation to avail of floating sauna’s facilities.
Speaking to the Leitrim Post, Cathaoirleach Damien Brennan paid tribute to the three winners. “During 2007, the council and many of the community groups from throughout the county won prestigious awards. It’s great to start 2008 in the same vein. These are three individual projects have been carried out to the very highest of standards.”