There were celebrations all round in Bunclody following the news that Bunclody Town Team won a Merit Award for it’s Art Bank and Summer Festival in the 2017 Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town Awards, which were announced in Tullamore on Wednesday 15th November. 

Bunclody was one of 76 towns taking part in this year’s competition and this award recognised the work of Bunclody Town Team with Art Bank and the Streams of Bunclody Festival and the overall efforts of Bunclody Town Team to develop and enhance the arts and culture offering in the town.

The judges visited the town one very exciting afternoon in October where they were met by a very enthusiastic group of people in Art Bank. Presentations on what Bunclody has to offer were delivered by Councilllor Barbara-Anne Murphy (Chairperson of Bunclody Town Team),  Joe O’Reilly (Supervalu), Fiona Cousins (Our Back Yard), Rory Fanning (Slaney Foods), Jon King and John Renwick (Art Bank),  and Teresa Harte and Lucy Fortune (Bunclody Tidy Towns). 

The judges were also brought on a walking tour of Bunclody and visited the Tourist Office, Bunclody Market, FDYS, Tunstall Emergency Response, Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club and Bunclody Library.

Bunclody Town Team was represented at the awards ceremony by Councillors Barbara-Anne Murphy and Kathleen Codd-Nolan, and also by Una Murphy, Teresa Harte, Lucy Fortune and Ann Marie Laffan, together with Tony O’Leary from Bank of Ireland.