Eleven-point rise a ringing endorsement of Tidy Towns effort
Lots to keep you busy! Your future project here is the reinstatement of the Tralee Road roundabout. A prominent area this and one that deserves your attentions. The concrete/stone planters could bear the Castleisland Tidy Towns name if you wished.
Nature and Biodiversity in your Locality The Bilingual Biodiversity Information Boards are one of the new projects you have listed here. Very good. Others are a riverside bench and a new entrance to the school being allowed to become biodiverse. A Swift box project is planned for the Community College as part of their Green Flag effort and that is a super idea – who doesn’t like Swifts? – as this is potentially an endangered species that can use all the help that it can get.
Your river walk is lovely! Japanese Knotweed here appears to have been treated but vigilance is cautioned here.
Further on, Himalayan Balsam – another invasive – was found in isolated areas. This will need attention immediately if it is not to become a long-term issue. Grass was a little bit too well-cut in places. Give the riverbank some space!
Trout, Grey Wagtail and Water Crowfoot were seen to be abundant on the day. The benches are excellently situated. A really lovely walk, all in all. The adjudicator apologises for pointing this out but you should check your new biodiversity signage. That yellow flower pictured is Marsh Marigold (not Lesser Celandine) and it is thought that this is a picture of a Pied Wagtail rather than a Grey. Sustainability – Doing more with less
A very good entry here by you in this category. A range of worthwhile and useful initiatives are listed. You cover Food Waste, resource best practice and climate action. Your submission relies a little too heavily on the work of the Community College and we’d like to see more community-wide initiatives. It is acknowledged that some of the projects by the college, including the future project as listed will target the business sector. Your support of your various second hand shops is a very valid listing too. It was great to see a reuse business like Kingdom Furniture Revamp looking so busy.
Tidiness and Litter Control
Another good entry by Castleisland here too. Fencing along the river walk is your listed new project. As is logical, most of your work is ongoing maintenance. This you have described concisely and clearly. The adjudicator is aware of how many ‘person hours’ are behind each and every one of these words. Well done.
Don’t permit the use of outsized corriboard advertisements on your pavements – these are your streets and pavements and not advertising spaces. There are faded and unreadable signs here and there (e.g. for the caves) that should be redone or replaced soon. Watch out for algae (green staining) on litterbins, especially under trees. Papa Joe’s Pizza has an excellent Castleisland branded litterbin, very good. There appears to be a large road sign missing from the street outside Molly’s.
Residential Streets & Housing Areas
Your new project is the enhancement of the bridge on the Tralee Road with hanging baskets. Very good. A derelict on Loftus Road looks poor. Could this be painted?
O’Connell’s Demesne has super hydrangeas. There is lots of space for tree-planting or wildflower gardening at St. John’s Park. Desmond’s Avenue is very well kept with lovely trees. Castleview Drive has good trees too. Riverside Drive was very neat with no litter.
Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes
Your new school entrance and the Limerick Road roundabout appear again here – it is acknowledged that overlap is inevitable – and this is your project for this year.
Again, maintenance of approach roads is the bulk of your work in this category and this is understandable.
You have a beautiful wide Main Street that had more traffic than it should (but far less that in that photograph of yore!) due to the bypass. The consistent building sizes and scale make this a really pleasant street to walk. Watch out for the laneways and back streets. The quality of pavement and general cleanliness of same was uneven.Road markings could be better and clearer (at pedestrian crossings). It was felt that an additional pedestrian crossing toward the middle of the town might be of benefit. Would a roundabout be an improvement? Get adventurous with the Tralee Road roundabout.
A truly enjoyable visit, so thank you Castleisland Tidy Towns. Great work done and lots of energy and imagination on display. The adjudicator believes that you’ll go far in this competition.