NorthWest VP and competition organiser Fergus O’Rourke said that in light of COVID-19 and the impact it has had on activities in the region, it was agreed after consultation with NorthWest members that the long-running Club of the Region competition should be adapted this year.

Although activity has been maintained online across the region since the new Macra year began, with Fergus paying tribute to the way members have improvised and creatively kept things going, there was broad agreement among members that activity has been on a county level more so than at club level.

The competition involves the submission of an application form, county chairperson’s report and a powerpoint presentation detailing activity in the county. The powerpoint will form the basis of an online interview with the judging panel in late April.

The Best New Member competition is being replaced this year with the Unsung Hero competition.

Commenting on this, Fergus said that often the focus has been on new members and that is an important part of any organisation, but it is equally important to acknowledge the efforts of our existing members, which is what this competition is in some small way going to do.

Each county can nominate three people to go forward to the interview in late April.

The closing date for entries to both competitions is 16 April 2021, with interviews in late April. The final and announcing of winners will take place in late May before the NorthWest Region AGM occurs.

Future of electricity in Ireland

Have you always pondered the direction electricity in Ireland is going? Well, your chance to share your thoughts and concerns is fast approaching.

EirGrid is conducting a national consultation process on shaping the future of electricity in Ireland and there is a real need for rural youth voices to be included in this consultation.

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is offering to deliver a workshop to young rural people who would like the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process and also to inform the scope of what will happen.

The proposed date for the workshop is Tuesday 13 April at 8pm. For more information on the consultation, visit https://consult.eirgrid.ie/consultation/public-consultation-shaping-our-electricity-future.

You can also visit the Macra na Feirme website events page for more information, or register your interest with an email to Gillian Richardson at grichardson@macra.ie.

Cork County Macra 70th anniversary celebrations

Taking place via Zoom on April 23, this event will look back on Macra over the years. There will be guest speakers, live music and an opportunity to chat to people. We are hoping to gather memorabilia from all clubs past and present in all regions to showcase on the night and would really appreciate people sending any information or pictures they have by email to corkcountymacra@gmail.com. The Zoom event is open to all current and former members as we celebrate 70 years of Cork County Macra. Make sure to check out our social media for more information.