The 10th anniversary of the death of Liam Durkan will be marked this Saturday with a memorial walk around Lough Lannagh. The walk will get under way at 12 noon in the Lough Lannagh car park and there will be refreshments served in Castlebar Tennis Club afterwards. Liam was deeply involved with the Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee from 1997 until his death in 2004. Liam worked tirelessly on behalf of Castlebar on many projects including the redevelopment of Market Square, The Mall, and in particular the Lough Lannagh Enhancement project.
It was through Liam's vision and passion for Castlebar that he initiated the Environmental Enhancement Scheme at Lough Lannagh in 1999. This project included the provision of a lighting scheme; pathways and walks; nature habitats; litter bins; seating; signage on wildlife, etc. All this work in the early days was done on a voluntary basis with assistance and funding from many sources including South Mayo Leader Company; Castlebar Chamber of Commerce; FAS Community Employment Scheme; Castlebar Town Council; Mayo County Council; and several local businesses that contributed in terms of sponsorship.
In recognition of this wonderful work carried out at Lough Lannagh under the leadership and drive of Liam Durkan, Castlebar Tidy Towns was the Regional Ireland West winners in the Green Towns 2000 project - indeed the citation on the plaque presented to Liam read as follows - "This Bronze plaque depicts a town and its environment. It symbolises the connection between nature and the environment, and our need to sustain it. This plaque represents a partnership with nature and the community" - This reflects everything that Liam was about. We see today how the entire area of Lough Lannagh has progressed into one of the most attractive and peaceful areas of the town - much of Liam's early work has been upgraded and developed by Castlebar Town Council into a truly wonderful public amenity rich in wildlife, habitat, and diversity with wonderful walks that are most user-friendly to all. Donations on the day to Rock Rose House, Cancer Support Centre.
