A SOCIAL action group in Kerry, a Benedictine abbey in Connemara, a community development company in Mayo and the National Chamber Choir are this, year's main winners of the AIB Better Ireland awards.
The four main awards are worth £25,000 each, with another 20 worth £5,000 each. They were presented last night by the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, at a ceremony at the AIB Bank centre in Dublin.
The winner of the main award in the youth category is the Social Action Group in Rathmore, Co Kerry. Since 1975 this group has built a community centre, a day care centre for people with psychiatric problems, seven sheltered houses and a large day care centre for the elderly. The award will go towards building a cafe and leisure room in a youth creativity centre.
The winner of the main award in the heritage and environment category is the Benedictine community at Kylemore Abbey in Co Galway. The community is currently restoring the abbey together with an eight acre walled garden and a Victorian Gothic church.
The winner of the main award in the community and enterprise development category is Integrated Resource Development (IRD) Ltd of Kiltimagh, Co Mayo. The award will help fund the group's second four year plan, which includes a music conservatory for the north west, developing local lakes and rivers for fishing and converting a former factory into industrial work units.
The arts and communications award has gone to the National Chamber Choir, which is currently touring a two act children's opera, The Wooing Of Eadaoin, as part of a project to bring free music workshops into schools.