Monasterboice volunteers have been very busy

IT is difficult to believe that Monasterboice Tidy Towns Committee is just over six years in existence, having entered the National Tidy Towns Competition for the first time in 2014, such is the level of success they have achieved and the huge improvements they have implemented to improve the environmental presentation of this rural community.

The fact that there is no core village area is not seen as a deterrent by these community volunteers whose innovative and high quality projects are visible throughout the area.The impact of projects undertaken prior to the current restrictions are plain to be seen as indeed are the efforts of individual volunteers who continue to work away despite the absence of group work sessions.

A Community Orchard has been planted with 100 fruit trees thanks to LEADER funding while 87 new trees have been added to the Pollinator Parks at Killineer and Priestown with those trees sponsored by residents of the community.

One artistically talented volunteer, Kathleen Smith, has been busy over the last number of weeks making personalised plaques using pyrography while Environmentalist of the Year Runner Up 2019, Charlie Brodigan, has devoted many hours to varnishing the plaques to have them ready for placing on site.

The committee is eagerly looking forward to a Community Day that is planned where the sponsors will be invited to join them to place the plaques at the trees to highlight the community buy in for this initiative that has a positive impact on climate change.

Committee Chairman, Seán McCormack, has also been very busy tending to the much admired landscaping feature, at Mickey Billy’s Corner close to his home, which always attracts positive comment locally as well as in the National Tidy Towns Competition and the local Louth Looking Good Awards. Not to be outdone another volunteer, Dan Egan, has spent a huge amount of time in recent weeks building a stone wall on the

Old Road while,at the beautifully landscaped Ferney Park, an old fence has been removed with plans to install a new one, when restrictions are eased, once again using a very welcome LEADER grant.

A recently developed Nature Walk is a big hit with local residents providing as it does a safe and interesting route for walkers taking their daily exercise and the committee are delighted to see locals placing colourfully painted stones with inspirational messages along the route to add cheer in these challenging times.

What about future plans? The Monasterboice Team are certainly not resting on their laurels and are currently carrying out the necessary research for the production of an artistic map of the community while work is also underway on the production of two heritage themed sculptures, funded under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, to add to the ever increasing amenities in the community. So with the level of work currently being undertaken by individuals and the projects planned for when restrictions are eased there is no doubt that Monasterboice is one to watch when the National Tidy Towns Competition returns in 2021!