Beautiful Blackwater’s floral salute to frontline workers
RESIDENTS living along a laneway on the outskirts of Blackwater village have turned what was once a dumping ground into a a beautiful crossroads flower garden currently dedicated to Covid 19 frontline and essential workers.
Bunting knitted in the colours of the 32 counties and a thank you sign adorn a prominent corner of the area known as the five cross roads, which Ladhrú Residents Associaton are tending with loving care.
The driving force behind the project is long-term resident Margaret Sinnott who has found willing support among her neighbours on the laneway. Margaret knitted most of the bunting.
‘People were dumping rubbish there and she decided it would be a nice idea if we tidied it up’, explained another resident Marguerite Heffernan.
The whole community, including Eddie Rowe and Marguerite helped to clear the area and Justin Heffernan and Paul Murphy built a flower bed which the residents planted with flowers last summer.
‘Everyone on the lane is contributing. Everyone is doing their bit’, said Marguerite. Five children live on the laneway - Teri Ann (12) and John Heffernan (6), Mikey (4) and Luke Murphy (4) and Eddie and Úna Rowe’s son Conor who is nearly two, and all have been helping out.
Justin and Paul are in the process of building a bench, to replace an old exsting one which was falling down, as the crossroad location has a great view over the sea. ‘It has really helped to cheer up this side of the village and there has been a great reaction with people sounding their horns and stopping to look at it’, said Marguerite whose husband Justin works in wholesale, while Paul’s wife Marian Carroll Murphy works in a pharmacy and Eddie’s wife Una is a teacher working from home. Meanwhile, Margaret Sinnott who is cocooning at home, drives down at night when things are quiet to keep an eye on the project.