GOREY TIDY TOWNS RESULTS AND REPORTS

have done in the last year an additional mark is awarded.

As was the case last year a lot of hidden work has gone into maintaining areas of the village such as replacing old containers with a new bed of roses and new granite seat replacing the old timber one.

Both of these and others are examples of the practical work that you have done in the last year.

The new coloured flower boxes were noted and admired by the adjudicator and they will have a positive effect within the next category as well.

The following are a number of observations that the adjudicator made on the day in question which was at the mid stages of the “fine” spell that we have had for weeks on end.

To say that the village was busy traffic wise on a Friday is an understatement but the traffic calming measures in place were very good and visible to driver and pedestrians alike.

Road surfaces were very good for the most part, footpaths were good and the village is not overly blighted by over head wires that spoilt the skyline view.

Some stone work was ongoing at the garden area at the junction of Limerick Street and Main Street.

Street furniture as mentioned has been upgraded and has added significantly to the village core areas.

Church of the Immaculate Conception was well presented as was its C of I co ecclesiastical building St Catherine’s.

Christy Byrnes Butcher Shop is keeping up the trend of top class premises presentation that one associates with such establishments; the blue colour scheme stands out.

Jacks Tavern which is one of a number of well presented hostelries in the Village was presented well also with the front area tidy.

Incidentally somebody in Jacks Tavern Van was drawing a trailer with a huge container of water to various planting scheme in the village – so well done on this.

The Old Hall used for community activities had recently been painted in bright ochre colour or something similar and one liked the old Irish sigh Na Cath Bruscair which wasn’t heeded by some as will be addressed in the relevant section.

The National School with its buddy bench was in good order and credit is due to the Caretaker for this.

There seemed to be a Cul Camp in the school pitch on the day in question.

Both the GAA Grounds and Soccer Grounds were tidy and well looked well even if the grass showed signs of lack of nutrients because of the ultra dry weather.

Jack McDonalds Pub very colourful and well presented,Lamberts Service Station, Great Wall Doyles Garage and

Forecourt and Lily Blooms all deserve mention for attention they have given to their premises.

Finally Cois Na hAbhann an excellent garden centre and food emporium and Topaz Garage both on the North exit on the N 11 deserve mention for maintaining high standards

The work done over the last year earns you an additional point.

The two projects in this category were noted and visited.

You have achieved a relatively high mark in this category over the last number of years.

The addition of the coloured flower boxes and other planters have brought a great deal of brightness to the village.

This coupled with individual window boxes seen on window sills aka the row of terrace houses on Limerick Street and quarter barrels on the main give a full bloom of summer colour.

Sustaining all year round effectiveness in planting in any village and town is a balancing act.

The adjudicator feels that the Village has a good deal more potential in this category.

The Village enhancement plan may address this but in the meantime the committee should seek advice from the

Horticultural Section of Wexford County Council and from the professional landscape/gardener that might be associated with Cois na hAbhann Gardent Centre.

For instance St Molings Terrace has a small green and part of this could be assigned for a new permanent landscaping arrangement.

There are few other areas of the village that could be identified as well.

Overall the standard was good with some new additions but to earn that extra mark more mini projects are needed and to do this some professional and experienced advice is needed.

The key components of this adjudication category are a) knowledge of local species and habitats and knowledge of local designated areas and b) being able to promote the knowledge gained to the local community and the passing visitor in viable formats such as nature information panels

Good wildlife advice and the communication of the importance local wildlife in a community is so important.

Being aware of invasive and possible destructive plants such as Japanese knot weed, is also essential.

Biodiversity as the name suggest is so diverse that it is important for any committee to evaluate its resources to see if they can manage projects that may come on board under this category

Thanks for the ecosystem/airplane analogy attributed to Aldo Leopold who I cant say that I’m too familiar with – but it is an interesting take on matters eco.

The Biodiversity Fairy Garden is a major undertaking for your community and you have got excellent on this. So well done to all involved.

The ubiquitous insect hotel was also noted and this was one of higher quality than hereto fore observed by the adjudicator.

Well done to the creative person that made this as well as the bird houses.

Congratulations also to the National School who won its 5th green flag on the theme of Biodiversity.

For the this and other work that you have done in the last year an additional 2 marks are awarded.

The objective in this category has moved on from one of reduce reuse and recycle to one of promoting the concept of reducing the production of potential waste at source such as excessive packaging.

“Doing more with less” is a very apt The practical benefits of good waste management and control of unnecessary production will be seen as a major contribution to a better environment.

Well done on the Frocks and Cupcakes fundraiser in the local hall but there is more potential for you to gain additional marks in this category certainly in conjunction with the National School who are going for he 6th Green Flag.

To get more out of this sector in terms of creating even a greater awareness of a more sustainable environment consider looking at the following websites for idea generation www.localprevention.ie ,www.greenhomes.ie and www.sustainableprocessing.ie

Also something that this adjudicator became aware of during last year’s adjudication is the circular economy.

It is a bit too long to explain the concept in detail in this report, but if you access the following www.dccae.gov.ie you will get a pretty good idea of what it’s all about.

The idea of what is called a linear economy of “take, make and waste” is now being seen as not sustainable and alternatives need to be found.

The Bring Bank near was easily reached, well managed and free of loose bags of rubbish.

Well done on achieving the Gold Standard last summer in the North Wexford 2 K clean up but not being nitpicky here but that was recognised in last years report.

The standard in both Litter control and general tidiness was good with a few exceptions.

Quite a lot of cigarette butts were seen at base of wall of one premises in the southern end of Main Street not sure if it even was a commercial premises.

Some litter was observed on the outskirts.

On general tidiness the adjudicator noticed, and is something that is probably outside the remit of any voluntary organisation, was the many placard signs advertising festivals and the like on the outskirts of the village.

Overall as stated the standard was good and merits a one mark increase.

More innovative ways to combat litter for next year’s competition.

The row of terrace houses on Limerick street already mentioned were extremely well maintained with colourful window boxes.

Similarly there were private residences on Main Street that equally well presented.

Both projects mentioned Grove Housing Estate and Orchard Way Housing Estate were visited and the work done on these communal areas is exemplary.

St Molings Terrace is a very well maintained cluster of local authority houses and the green area has already been mentioned in a previous category.

Marian Terrace was also visited and credit to the residents for presenting homesteads and gardens in orderly fashion.

The Gorey approach road entrance was expansive with good traffic calming measures in place well in advance of entry and island in the middle of road to ensure slow down of busy traffic.

Planting arrangements at the entrance sponsored by Cois na hAbhann give good first impressions of Camolin.

The Wexford entranced has excellent signage and the very fine embankment type shrub and flower bed below Jack McDonalds pub is very welcoming.

Other internal roads including the Limerick road have been commented on in a previous section.

It was good to revisit Camolin after a few years absence and the visit was a pleasurable one indeed.

Many changes have occurred in a few years and traffic hasn’t certainly slowed down in those intervening years.

The Tidy Towns Committee is working hard for the development of the village and that will continue when the Development Plan is implemented.

Your are wished well for the future.

278 MARKS (274 IN 2017)

Thank you for the hand written entry form which was concise and reflects the happenings of your Tidy Towns Committee and your contribution to the development of your village.

Thanks for the map of the village that allowed the adjudicator to identify places and projects of relevance.

The committee of 6 and 10 additional volunteers is sufficient for a village the size of Coolgreaney but 4 meetings a year seems rather a small number to manage the work over a period of a year.

The 5 year plan has come to an end this year and one assumes that you will be preparing another to begin in 2019 but this time 3 years is a sufficient time scale.

Communication methods are good and the use of the new forms of social media allows for instant messaging to members and the community informing all of your activities.

The adjudicator wasn’t able to find a specific Tidy Towns page face book page for the village but did come across notices for the Vintage Day on Sunday 9th September!

Interactions with the school is good and this could lead to specific joint projects as part of a new 3 year plan.

Thank you doe the positive endorsement of the competition and what it has meant to the wider community of the village since you first entered 16 years ago.

As part of the promotion of the new 3 year plan try and get new members who may nring additional skills to your existing group.

The historic links that the village has with 1798 has been recognised in the form of the impressive memorial stone remembering all from the Village for the 98 cause during that period.

The stone itself looked has been recently cleaned so well done to the community members who undertook this task.

The Main Street of Coolgreaney looked very neat and tidy ,road surfaces and footpaths were good and the village is not unduly encumbered with over head wire which can blight a skyline.

Raffertys Pub is an impressive premises in the main part of the village.

The doctors house next door has a link with the village sine 1884.

Coolgreaney Post Office and shop was neatly presented with bins on either side of the door and colourful hanging baskets.

Indeed there were a number of premises that had colourful baskets and other forms of planters and these will be referred to in another section.

Your reference to the derelict house is not that clear but maybe its the old corrugated “Lennons” outfitters at the southern end of the village.

Public Buildings such as Scoil Iosagain and grounds ,Community Pitch and Community House.

The excellent play ground at the school was also well looked after with play equipment in good condition.

The Coolgreaney Inn at the northern end of the village was well maintained and the front area was clean and tidy.

Overall the standard was very good and merits an increase of an additional mark.

The Grotto is once again the stand out in this category and has been so well tended to that the personnel who are responsible for its upkeep deserve special mention.

The improvements that have been made to enhance the village as one comes in from the N11 through the village of Inch – I think ! were noted.

The hanging baskets that populated the amin street were very attractive and added additional colour to Village.

The trees on the opposite of the street give a nice contrast and are quite unique to Coolgreaney.

The flower beds near the excellent school have been revitalised and were very colourful on the day.

In an overall context the standard was acceptable but a new planting plan should be part of the 3 year plan for 2019- 2021.

This adjudicator feels that the village has far more potential in this category.

The key components of this adjudication category are a) knowledge of local species and habitats and knowledge of local designated areas and b) being able to promote the knowledge gained to the local community and the passing visitor in format that would be easily accessed such as wildlife information boards in a central location.

Being aware of invasive and possible destructive plants such as Japanese knot weed,of which you are, is also essential.

Coolgreaney has such a myriad of natural wild life habitats that they need to be exploited more and promoted to the community in a better manner.

It is good to note that you are entering into an arrangement with Coillte to develop more walks through Ballyfad Wood which is bordering on the village.

This is a very positive move and is in keeping with the objectives of this category as outlined in the introductory paragraph.

An additional mark is awarder in this category.

The objective in this category has moved on from one of reduce reuse and recycle to one of promoting the concept of reducing the production of potential waste at source such as excessive packaging.

“Doing more with less” is a very apt The practical benefits of good waste management and control of unnecessary production will be seen as a major contribution to a better environment.

You have listed some projects under this category that have been replicated around the country especially in the last few years since communities became more familiar with the category objectives.

To get more out of this sector in terms of creating even a greater awareness of a more sustainable environment consider looking at the following websites for idea generation www.localprevention.ie ,www.greenhomes.ie and www.sustainableprocessing.ie

Also something that this adjudicator became aware of during last year’s adjudication is the circular economy.

It is a bit too long to explain the concept in detail in this report, but if you access the following www.dccae.gov.ie you will get a pretty good idea of what it’s all about.

The idea of what is called a linear economy of “take, make and waste” is now being seen as not sustainable and alternatives need to be found

The two bottle receptacles at the Inch end of the village were tidy and nicely camouflaged by the shrubs.

Litter control was good and one might say that’s easy for small villages but the local people have to buy in to the effort of keeping places litter free.

You have not mentioned any reference to regular litter picks or involvement of the youth of the village in helping out in this category

The pruning of shrubs whilst it impinges on this category is dealt with under green spaces and landscaping and similarly the call for new foot paths falls under streetscape and public spaces

General tidiness was very good and this is down to individual householders themselves who in keeping premises and gardens in good condition are contributing to a Pride of Place attitude.

An additional mark is awarded but at the risk of being repetitive do put a specific sub plan in place for this category in the new 3 year plan for the village.

The adjudicator visited the estates Croghan View and Close on his way to the National School prior to fully reading the entry and noted how well they looked and how the green areas were maintained.

The playground and community field have been assessed under a previous category and have been favourably commented on.

The new private housing development in the throes of being fully competed will add to your village in a positive way by virtue of the fact that it will bring new families who will in time contribute to the community.

Entrances into the village were more than acceptable

The adjudicator found it hard enough to find the village because of the lack of directional signage coming in from the Tinahealy.

Maybe it was more to do with the adjudicators sometimes lack of directional nuance

Name and entry signs into the village give the impression to any visitor of a village that has pride of place.

The Inch entry is very inviting with the large failte stone

The verges were cut in accordance with good practice relevant to the preservation of wildlife and there were no unseemly back entrances to be seen.

Well done your work on this category.

It was nice to come back to the Vllage of Coolgreaney after an absence of many years and get an insight to its history as well as doing the adjudicating job.

The visit was a pleasant one and it was good to note that rural villages are still putting the best foot forward in terms of developing their communities.

You are wished well in the competition in the years ahead.

249 MARKS (241 IN 2017)

Thank you for the concisely completed entry form complete with support material in the form of map and pictorial records.

While the copy of the Google map was sufficient a nicely designed map that would also serve as a visitor guide map doe this very popular resort would be welcome.

Maybe the committee might take this suggestion on board and see if it could be considered and costed at any rate.

You have a good involvement with Wexford County Council via Gorey Municipal District as well WLD.

It’s important that you have support from local organisations and businesses and it’s good to report that you are very much part what goes on in Courtown through your fundraising efforts for the RLNI and other events.

Well done on the school project on dog fouling – a very creative initiative.

Is the Star of the Sea National School in Riverchapel the local school for Courtown?

The adjudicator is a little confused in that Riverchapel is a separate village and it is not within the bounds of Courtown one is led to believe.

The Committee of 10 ad 1 volunteer is a rather strange ratio but if it works effectively that’s the main thing.

You are wished well with your efforts to get more volunteers on board and it is good to note also that you intend strengthen your links with local businesses and new families that have settled in Courtown

Methods of communication are varied mixing the traditional with the various forms of social media to get the message of Tidy Towns out there to local population and probably more importantly to the transient seasonal holiday visitors.

Its hard to imagine that the population of Courtown is nearly 20k and Thank you for your endorsement of the Competition in this your sixth year of involvement.

You are awarded an increase in marks for the work that you have undertaken in this category over the last year.

One appreciates your position with regard to derelict businesses and it’s frustrating to feel that there is no immediate solution to the problem.

The adjudicator is very much conscious of your dilemma and has taken this in account.

There are many buildings that could be described as being in a state of disrepair or derelict but one positive noted

was that there were a few planning applications on some of these premises.

This suggest that a few at least will be made good in due course.

The adjudicator was impressed with the standard of presentation of the majority of businesses premises.

There are also many that lend themselves to what one could describe as “too much flash colour” but look that’s the nature of resorts like Courtown.

The upside was that on the evening in question many happy children were observed enjoying the facilities and shops at the “amusements” area of the Town.

The appendix 1 attachment relating to the development of the Harbour has been noted and hopefully this will happen within a reasonable timescale.

A few entries here relate to the next two categories and will be dealt with accordingly.

Reference here to Jimmy’s Pub in Riverchapel indicates that this village, it has name signs as one enters it, is part of your tidy towns catchment.

This should be clarified for next years entry.

The following are a few observations that the adjudicator made on his walkabouts.

The road surfaces and footpaths were in good condition and it looks as if some new path extensions had been put in place since this adjudicator was here some years back.

The Bayview is still forlorn in the centre of town and it is a great pity as it was synonymous with Courtown in the decades past.

Good to note that Harbour House is still a thriving accommodation provider and look very well on the evening in question.

Redmond 19th and the Shipyard are hostelries that are very well presented with very tasteful shop frontages and the shop next door to the latter is your quintessential seaside shop selling all things fun as well confectionery/ice cream for the holiday maker.

It would be churlish of me to describe the items in front as clutter as that presentation is part of the charm of the seaside.

The Star of The Sea RC Church and National School in Rivercahpel ! were admired and even thou it is outside the catchment St John The Evangelist Anglican Church was visited.

This is a beautiful church in a most unique setting.

The Garda Station,which could be described as compact, was presented well.

The Taravie Hotel was also presented to a good standard but some of the side area could have been a little tidier.

There were a number of some fine period houses in the centre area of the town and these were very well looked after.

The Harbour Area per say was managed well and both the Lifeboat Station and the RNLI premises were in very good condition.

Overall the standard was very good and an increase in marks is merited.

The fact that you are making strides in moving to sustainable planting will as you rightly state reduce man-hours for members of the committee who after all are volunteers.

Have you consulted with the County Council Horticultural and Landscaping section to get advice on how to devise a sustainable planting plan that will serve in the coming years this could form part of a 3 Year Plan across all categories.

The move to support the All Ireland pollinator plan has taken off around the country this year. www.pollinators.ie and www.biodiversityirealnd.ie

Well done on your plans to go down this route staring next spring.

The planter boxes dotted around the core of the town were very colourful with annuals such as petunias and cosmos to the fore.

It was noted that some of these planters were sponsored by Wexford County Council.

Are these maintained by Wexford County Council or Tidy Towns Courtown?

Overall the standard was good and was further enhanced by the quality of some private gardens observed during the visit.

There is more potential in this category and one can take from your entry that you have plans to exploit this potential in the years ahead.

The key components of this adjudication category are a) knowledge of local species and habitats and knowledge of local designated areas and b) being able to promote the knowledge gained to the local community and the passing visitor in format that would be easily accessed such as wildlife information boards in a central location.

Good wildlife advice and communication of the importance of the local wildlife heritage to the local community is so important

Being aware of invasive and possible destructive plants such as Japanese knot weed is also essential.

Most of what you have entered here is for the future which is great to see as a place like Courtown has a myriad of both wildlife and marine life habitats.

Getting the most out of this catego-