Making tidy effort is what counts

Sir — I wish to take issue with the article by Liam Collins, aka Zozimus, (Sunday Independent, October 1) in which he made, in my opinion, condescending comments with regard to what he termed “distinguished failures” in the Tidy Towns results, listing as examples Shillelagh, Co Wicklow; Johnstown, Co Meath and Newtwopothouse, Co Cork among others, and my local place, Garrienderk, Co Limerick.

Garrienderk cannot aspire to the status of a town or even a village and, as we don’t have any historical sites, a rippling river or the backdrop of a scenic mountain, our volunteers have to make do with what we have, which includes pride of place (as no doubt do the other places mentioned). This was demonstrated in one instance by the large turnout of locals earlier this year for the annual Team Limerick Clean-up.

Our volunteers make the best of what is available — an old half-way thatched house, a former railway bridge (where the last posed photo of Michael Collins was taken) a pretty RC church, well-kept homes and gardens and some business premises.

They maintain nearly 6km of grass margin and hedgerow as well as numerous flower displays, and are out in the morning picking up litter discarded from cars and, of course, come across the increasingly anti-social behaviour of fly-tipping.

Maybe we will never be in the top league, but at least we entered and made an effort — and that’s what counts. Not everyone can win, but from little acorns do mighty oaks grow.

Like Zozimus, Mr Collins is also blind, this time to the purpose of Tidy Towns, whose slogan is “make your place a better place”.

Even Zozimus could “see” the beauty of his local area:

Gather round me, all ye ladies fair, And ye gentlemen of renown; Listen, listen, and to me repair,

Whilst I sing of beauteous Dublin town.

There is no rhyme nor reason to the statement at the end of his article: “Tidiness is not everything and we just love the losers’ poetic names”. Please open your eyes and consider the many volunteers — not losers — who try to better their locality, before engaging pen! Owen Culhane, Garrienderk, Co Limerick