Spooktacular leap scarecrows set to return next year

THE ingenuity of the Leap Development Committee in organising the village’s hugely successful Scarecrow Festival is to be recognised with an award from the Council.

Sinn Fein Cllr Paul Hayes broached the subject at a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District in Skibbereen on Monday when he praised the organising committee and the members of the local community. He said: ‘They deserve great credit for their initiative, which has caught the imagination of people from near and far.’

Council official, Mac Dara O hIci, was of the opinion that the Council should, at the end of each year, reward a community who initiate a new festival, or develop a novel idea, and it was agreed by the members present that this year’s award should be given to the Leap Development Committee for their quirky and family friendly endeavour.

There are more than 150 scarecrows of all shapes and sizes scattered around the village and hundreds of families and passers-by have stopped to enjoy and engage with what Cllr Hayes called ‘a spooktacular’ event. ‘When I visited there with my own children,’ he said, ‘the local cafés, restaurants and shops were packed with visitors,’ he said.

Awards were handed out to the best scarecrows at the weekend. Rita Ryan of the Leap Development Committee said: ‘We’d be honoured to receive an award from the Council.’ Due to demand, this year’s Scarecrow Festival will run until Monday, November 9th and will become an even bigger, annual event.

Among the scarecrows receiving special attention was Fiona Shanahan’s duo – one driving, the other one slumped against the tyre of  a Ford car outside Shanahan’s bar (pictured, left)!