John ReReidy’s
THE core handful of local Tidy Towns activists and their growing numbers of volunteers got the report they deserved this week and probably, more importantly, they also got an increase of 11 points on last year’s adjudicator’s report.
Just as importantly, there is an avuncular feel to the remarks by the adjudicator in that the report is threaded through with encouragement and positivity and an understanding of exactly what’s involved in maintaining such a campaign in a busy town setting.
I wouldn’t expect a discouraging word if I mentioned the likes of Sheila Hannon and Mary Walsh and Terence McQuinn as deserving of all the points and praise they can get.
In recent years they have managed to draw a number of very localised teams of workers around them to take care of the areas around their own doors.
The appearance of approach roads, in particular, is where this meitheal structure is working best. On the Killarney Road the likes of Eamonn Breen and Francie Kenny hardly left the road over the past year, and they were out in their hi-vis vests morning, noon and night it would seem.
On the Limerick Road, Andrew and James Kelliher and Denis O’Donovan left the mark of their dedication from Dooneen into town, and Clounough Bridge is one of the more vibrant and visible examples of their care-taking.
The involvement of teams of local secondary school students will further enhance the appearance and points totals in the years ahead.
The Castleisland Community College involvement under teacher Doreen Killington has also been instrumental. It should also be noted that it was at the invitation of the Tidy Towns group that the college team got involved.
Eleven points is a ringing endorsement of the efforts of all concerned – adjudication was July 20.
The following is the 2018 Tidy Towns Adjudicator’s Report. Please note that Tidy Towns reports rarely come without a máchail and this one is no different, Don’t get trapped in or tripped up by them. Do, as Con Houlihan often prompted, read on:
Community – Your Planning and Involvement A huge thank you to all the people who were involved with the assembling of your Tidy Towns entry this year. This was a serious piece of work and it is acknowledged here. The entry form was neatly and comprehensively filled, the plan is well-laid out and the map was perfect for use on the day. Thank you for all of the supplementary information but the adjudicator would introduce a note of caution on the submission of too much information.
The danger with submitting so much material is that the really important stuff can get overlooked among old or irrelevant reports or cuttings. As adjudicators we really want to see the work you’ve done in the best context.
That said, a great entry and very useful in getting to know Castleisland on this, a first visit.
Streetscape and Public Places
New projects listed by you in this category are the Heritage Trail and the Bilingual Biodiversity Information Boards.
Very good. The status of Fair Trade Town – is this new? The adjudicator thinks so. In which case, many congratulations to Castleisland and especially to the students of the Community College.
Castleisland has a lovely streetscape and the adjudicator was delighted to be able to take some time to enjoy this (even if the weather wasn’t as good as it had been all summer!). There are some gorgeous shopfronts whereon many vernacular features are still to be seen. Just the stucco-work alone bears long admiration. While it is great that buildings such a the Kingdom House have found new use, the individual signs of the businesses could be more sympathetic to their host (e.g. simply being properly sized and not overlapping the original name sign space).
There are too many lovely shopfronts to list but stand-outs include JK O’Connor, the Country Market and the Good Table.
The River Island Hotel was busy but so neat. Tomo’s Electrical was bright and spotlessly clean. McCarthy’s Bar was unfortunately only admired from the outside. Mrs Nelligan’s Bakery and the nearby Daly’s Fish Shop were sparklingly clean.
A word of praise for the volunteers of your second hand shops and the effort that they put into The Carnegie Building – now your library looked so good. The Credit Union neat and clean.
It was felt that the banks could bit of better overall. The Presentation Secondary School is a lovely old building and is on the very enjoyable Con Hoiulihan Trail. A Green Flag was noted here. The Supervalu / Maxol was bright and decorated with hanging baskets and just about zero clutter.
The Fire Station was spotless – as are most – but there is a lost opportunity for some lovely landscape planting here to the left hand side of the building as it is faced. An Ríocht leisure Club is a really super facility. However, the AC car-park looks really poor and unfinished. On a more positive note, the 5k signage was great to see. Some tree-planting here would be good. The derelict garage on the Limerick Road is in need of help. A few planters or containers here would make a great difference.
Green Spaces and Landscaping
You have not reported any new projects in this category this year but that is only to be expected when so much of your efforts re directed to maintenance. You report maintaining of planted tub, pruned trees, grassy areas, riverbank areas…