AN Italian scientific research project to conserve dolphins in the Adriatic was named yesterday as overall winner of this year's Henry Ford European Conservation Award, writes Frank McDonald from Budapest.
Runners up in the competition, which attracted more than 1,000 entries from 26 countries, from the Czech conservation of two medieval castles, and one from Germany to teach ecological farming to agriculture students from eastern Europe.
Ireland was represented by Bord na Mona's Lough Boora Parklands project in Tullamore, Co Offaly, which involves rehabilitating almost 5,000 acres of cutaway bog in an environmentally sustainable way.
Mr Tom Egan, the board's assistant land development manager and co-ordinator of the project, said he was disappointed it did not win but it was a great honour for the Boora Enterprise Group and for Bord na Mona to be representing Ireland at such a prestigious event".