The Cow’s Lawn comes into its own in lockdown
LISTOWEL’S jewel of a town park has come into its own in the lock-down, providing families with a vital amenity in a town largely self-contained within the 2km exercise zone.
Townies and visitors have long loved the park, but it’s only in the era of the COVID restrictions that people have come to truly realise just what a priceless asset it is.
“It’s just a fantastic public space, and I think we all fully realise now how lucky we are to have it in our town. There are a lot of towns the length and breadth of the country that don’t have such a facility on their doorstep,” said Councillor Jimmy Moloney. “It is at its best at the moment, and we’re now simply looking forward to the day it will be fully reopened with all the facilities back to normal, from the playing pitches to the tennis court and so on.”
Cllr Moloney (FF) said that, on the whole, townspeople had been very responsible in the way they used the park – making sure to keep their distance from others and taking all the other recommended precautions.
“People have been very good on the whole, in terms of not forming large groups beyond the small household, family groups and being very respectful of other people’s spaces. The gardaí have also been maintaining regular patrols of the park, along with the rest of the town. They would seem to have been very fair to people, and in general providing a lifeline to many, getting medicines and vital goods to people who haven’t been able to travel.”
One outcome of the lock-down in terms of the town park might be extended into the future, Cllr Moloney suggested: “We’re letting the flowers grow down there as there is more of an awareness now of how important this is from the point of view of helping the bee population. There is a very good argument to be made for letting more green areas, particularly road verges and parks, grow wild into the future now to help nature re-establish a footing for the good of the environment.
“You could trim the outside of these spaces but let the rest grow wild. It was a point made by Entente Florale last year, that we shouldn’t manicure everything down to the last.”