Council and NI Water Team Up for Calendar Competitions
At a special commemoration event to mark 100 years of Silent Valley, an award ceremony was held for winners of both Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s and NI Water’s latest calendar competitions.
Each year, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council hosts an amateur photography competition to highlight the splendour of the district’s three areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). The winning photographs from across the AONB categories, The Mournes, the Ring of Gullion and Strangford and Lecale, are then complied into the highly sought after AONB calendar.
As part of the centenary celebrations of the Mourne Wall and the Silent Valley, the Council teamed up with NI Water to offer entrants from the Mourne AONB category an opportunity to also take part in NI Water’s special Centenary Calendar.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Valerie Harte attended the event on Tuesday 10 October and jointly presented the awards with NI Water Chief Executive, Sara Venning. Speaking about the importance of the Council’s long running AONB competition, Chairperson, Cllr Valerie Harte said, “In this district we are blessed to be surrounded by some of the country’s finest landscapes, the Ring of Gullion, Strangford and Lecale and the Mourne Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs); which are now also internationally recognised as part of the Mourne Gullion Strangford Global Geopark. Each year the Council’s AONB management teams run this exciting competition, where local amateur photographers can submit photographs of the hidden gems in this special place. We were very pleased to partner with NI Water in the competition this year, helping them to celebrate 100 years of the Silent Valley.”
Chairperson, Cllr Valerie Harte continued, “The Mourne Wall is a remarkable feature on our landscape, it is incredible to think that it has stood the test of time and we are now celebrating it’s centenary. A testament to the craftsmen who built it 100 years ago and continue to repair and maintain it today.”
Speaking about the 2024 Mourne Wall and Silent Valley centenary calendar, NI Water Head of Communications, Anthony Lynn said, “It was a pleasure to be a judge for such a fantastic competition with such a high calibre of entries. It’s always great to see the wider public’s invested interest in Silent Valley and the surrounding area. This calendar gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on the beauty of Silent Valley and the areas which enclose it. The calendar also allows us to be reminded of how essential it is to protect our environment because of how vital it is to our health and economy in Northern Ireland. At NI Water, we are tasked with ensuring we secure the future of our water supply for the next generations and indeed the next 100 years. Congratulations again to the very well deserving winners in the competition.”
The AONB Calendar will be available in time for Christmas, in which next year’s competition will be launched. Visit the AONB websites for more information on where to get your copy.
The cover image : A Misty Morning on Strangford Lough, by Jonathan Clark Winner of the AONB Amateur Photography Competition 2023
AONB Amateur Photography Competition 2023
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