Louth circular living champion honoured at national awards event

A Louth champion of circular living was honoured at the Circular.ie Full Circle Awards held in the Aviva Stadium last Wednesday.

Ray Hunt, artist-in-residence in the Dolmen Centre in Omeath, Co Louth, was a runner-up in the Creative Circular Artist category, honouring those who transform waste materials into art, furniture, décor, or other creative expressions through upcycling.

The judging panel paid tribute to Ray Hunt for being an exceptional artist and recycler. They praised him for having transformed the Dolmen Centre where he works by bringing a wealth of beauty to it and to other community spaces around Omeath, and for being renowned for being generous with his time.

This is the first year of the Full Circle Awards, created by Circular.ie to spotlight people and projects that demonstrate what circular living looks like, and celebrate the big impact that individuals and communities throughout Ireland, including in Louth, are creating by making circular living part of their everyday lives in practical ways.

Speaking about the Full Circle Awards, Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD said: ‘These awards highlight how people across Ireland are making a real difference in their community by embracing and promoting circular living in their daily lives. They also act as inspiration to others, creating momentum throughout the country.”

The event in the Aviva also celebrated the launch of Circular.ie — Ireland’s new national platform designed to help people in Louth reduce waste, get more from the things they already have, save money, and build thriving local communities through circular living.

Developed by The Rediscovery Centre, in collaboration with the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment and other stakeholders working in this area,  Circular.ie offers practical tools, guidance, and inspiration for anyone in Louth looking to live more sustainably — from reusing and repairing to sharing and repurposing.

Increasing awareness and engagement with the circular economy is a key goal of the Circular.ie platform, which aims to simplify the concept of circularity and show how everyday choices can lead to meaningful change. Recent research by Circular.ie shows that while awareness of the term “circular economy” is growing, many people still see it as a business or government activity and not as something they can personally get involved with.

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Welcoming the launch of Circular.ie, Minister Alan Dillon TD said: “I’m delighted to officially launch Circular.ie,  Ireland’s national platform for the circular economy. Driving engagement through effective communication is paramount to delivering real change and is a key objective of the Circular Economy Strategy, which I have launched for public consultation. Going beyond digital communications, this programme supports communities across Ireland to embrace the opportunities of circular living, increase engagement and share their impact.”

Announcing Circular.ie, which includes the new online platform and a public engagement programme, CEO of The Rediscovery Centre, which is spearheading the project, Claire Downey said: “Circular living is all around us. Our mapping has identified brilliant initiatives all across the country and a growing interest from communities to get more involved, including in Louth. Circular.ie is about meeting people where they are at and providing practical steps and support for them to get started or go that bit further.”