Abbeyfeale Tidy Towns look forward on high note

ABBEYFEALE’S stunning Town Park was awarded second place in Limerick’s Going for Gold competition last week in massive recognition for the work of the committee behind its development.

The members were thrilled when the Town Park was announced as the second place winner in Limerick’s Going for Gold competition celebrating civic efforts across the county. That they came in second to the tourist Mecca of Adare speaks volumes about the quality of the town park experience - one enhanced by the installation of a fantastic new ‘zip-line’ for children by Alisha Scannell in memory of her beloved daughter Zoe.

“At the start of the year, the town park became part of the new and vibrant community council. Work began in earnest with the ponds being cleaned out and the funds came from the efforts of the local Strictly Come Dancing group helped on by Councillor Seamus Browne,” Geraldine O’Brien of the group said.

“Next the town park got a very big boost when the local Remembering Zoe group generously donated funds for a new zip wire and a sensory garden to help with autism needs. Shortly after this, the Community Council, headed by chairperson Maurice O’Connell, secured funding to help repairs pathways with new tarmacadam,” Geraldine added, extending a special thanks to James Harnett, Norma Healy, Claire Sheehy, John O’Connor, Jim Lane, Dympna Watson, all the CE workers involved as well as the committee members and volunteers.”

Three dearly departed members of the town park committee were remembered at a special event in the amenity marking Heritage Day, meanwhile: “A group of nearly one hundred were enthralled by a number of talks given at historic points of the town. After the talks the group returned to the Town Park where three very special deceased members of the Town Park committee were honoured. They were Dan Murphy, Gerard O’Brien and Mary O’Connor. Though this was tinged with sadness the three families joined the main group where stories were exchanged and a sense of pride in the project was on everyone’s lips.” Geraldine said.

Those three were prominent in the minds of all at the Going for Gold awards night in the city last week. Abbeyfeale Tidy Towns meanwhile won a prize of €1,000 at the competition for their hard work over the year making the entire town look its best – much to the pride of everyone in the town.

“Thanks to everyone who generously donated time and money to this wonderful and exciting project,” Geraldine said.

Members of the Abbeyfeale Town Park committee with their prize for €7,000 in the Limerick Going for Gold competition awarded last week and at which Abbeyfeale came in second place to the tourist jewel of Adare.