Castleblayney women's support group 'Blayney Blades' were recently crowned the 'Pride of Ireland'. The local group recently came away with the top prize in the Community Wellbeing Initiative category in the All-Ireland IPB Pride of Place Awards. The Blades were established in 1995 to support women and their families through education and social interaction. They co-ordinate a number of projects, one of which - their health and wellbeing project - was the subject of the nomination for the Pride of Place award.
This project is now in its thirteenth year and has gone from strength to strength with numbers increasing all of the time. Speaking to Northern Sound following the recent win, Blades Manager, Lorraine Cunningham gave thanks to all the board and staff members who go "above and beyond every day" to make sure that every woman that contacts the service is made welcome and finds her place in the range of activities and supports that the organisation offers.
Lorraine continued; "There is one woman we owe it all to and that is Sr. Celine McArdle, whose vision all those years ago not only started our group but countless others around the town, and built the Iontas Centre in which the Blades are now based. None of it could happen without her foresight and her belief in the women of Castleblayney."
