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Sunday 7th March
Weekly Litter Pick will take place
at 11am from the meeting point in the car park at Quish's Supervalu
Monday 1st March
As the longer evenings and brighter
mornings are moving in past the urge to get back outside is thankfully
growing. While it is still very cold it is nice to see estates
back out doing Clean Up's and preparing for the coming year. Like
the hurlers and footballers you have to prepare if you want silverware
in September so some estates must already have their eyes on the "Lena
Down Memorial Trophy"
As always if estates want advice or
assistance please contact us at
ballincolligtidy@gmail.com
Sunday 28th February
Thursday 25th February
Sometimes a volunteer can become a little fed up travelling the same old
patch and picking up other people’s rubbish. So why continue? If an
area improves over time then it shows us that a difference can be made.
Doing well in competitions such as the National Tidy Towns or IBAL gives
a sense of satisfaction. However even those pale into insignificance
when placed alongside local recognition. On an ongoing basis the
encouragement and support from many residents and businesses in
Ballincollig and indeed in surrounding areas gives the team of
volunteers a lift.
Today the work and dedication of the Ballincollig Tidy Towns team was
formally recognised by Cork County Council. We were invited to a Civic
Reception held in our honour in County Hall by the County Mayor, Cllr
Derry Canty. Mayor Canty addressed the group in the Council Chamber and
thanked us for the great efforts made over a sustained period of years
in Ballincollig. Ballincollig’s Local Area Engineer, Mr Ken O’Riordan
and the Council’s Director of Services Ms Patricia Power reinforced his
kind words in further addresses to the group.
Our
Chairman Mr Tom Butler replied on behalf of our group and accepted
a gift presented by Mayor Canty on behalf of Cork County Council in
recognition of the work of Ballincollig Tidy Towns.
After the presentation we enjoyed some refreshments and a tour to the
17th floor of the building. There are certainly some wonderful views of
both city and county at that height. All agreed that it was a lovely
evening and all appreciated the formal acknowledgement from the Council
of the work done for the community of Ballincollig.

Pictures Courtesy of Tom Doherty
Tuesday 23rd
February
Cork County Council
through the County Mayor Cllr Derry Canty has invited the committee and
volunteers of Ballincollig Tidy Towns to County Hall for a Civic
Reception this Thursday. This great honour is in recognition of the
achievements of Ballincollig Tidy Towns in the National Tidy Towns
Competition and also in the Irish Business Against Litter National
League.
Sunday 14th February Valentines Day
As
usual our volunteers were out in force even though it was Valentines
Day. After the litter pick it was back to the Oriel House for a
well deserved cuppa and a biscuit. Given the day that was in it
there was an extra treat for people as the committee had also provided
plates of chocolates. As people were finishing up the Chairperson
presented each of the ladies with a red rose from the committee.
The men were feeling left out so they were also given a rose to take home.
Saturday 13th
February
The newly elected
committee for 2010 are as follows
Chairperson Tom Butler
Vice Chairperson Pat Clarke
Secretary Con O'Sullivan
Assistant Secretary Margaret Hughes
Treasurer Tadg Murphy
PRO. Kieran O'Shea
Committee
Geraldine Drohan
Brendan Murphy
Diarmuid Horgan
Eugene O'Donovan
Orla Seymour
Thursday 11th
February
Our Annual General
Meeting took place last night in The Oriel House Hotel. Details of
the officers and other items will be posted on the website shortly
Friday 5th
February
Despite the
overcast day there was a brightness around Poulavone Roundabout at
midday as a group of people gathered from Cork County Council,
Ballincollig Business Association, Ballincollig Tidy Towns and from
The Irish Tree Centre Co. Ltd.
This group was gathered to oversee the planting of 3 beautiful Weeping
Silver Birch Trees (Betula Pend Youngi) . These trees were a
gift to the people of Ballincollig by Peadar and Tatyana Collins of the
Irish Tree Centre Co from Killdorrery Co Cork in recognition of
Ballincollig's results in the 2009 IBAL Anti Litter League
These trees with a
life expectancy of circa 150 years "are a living monument to the people
of Ballincollig and to those in particular with Ballincollig Tidy Towns
for their continued success in the IBAL Competition" said Peadar

Group Pictured at
Poulavone Roundabout for the Planting of the Weeping Silver Birch Trees
last Friday. The Trees were a gift from The Irish Tree Centre in
Killdorrery
Thursday 4th February
For the last few weeks we have been
carrying out some upgrading of our website but we are now back up and
running and will be updating the website each week. A new feature of
this page is that if you click on Newsletters 2010 this will take you to
a calendar and each weeks notes are then available by clicking on the
date. We will be making some more changes over the coming weeks to make
it even better.
Sunday 17th January
The first littler pick of 2010
Saturday
16th January
Due to the very bad
weather conditions last Sunday we had to defer our first litter pick of
2010 until tomorrow morning at 11am
We will meet at
Quish's Car Park and afterwards adjourn for a cup of tea or coffee in
The Oriel House Hotel.
All welcome
Tuesday 5th
January
The first official
Sunday morning litter pick for 2010 is on this Sunday. We meet as
usual at Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00 am, weather permitting.
Just turn up and we will supply pickers, gloves and bags. Afterwards we
adjourn for a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit to the Oriel House
Hotel. The refreshments are kindly sponsored by Quishe's Supervalu
and The Oriel House Hotel.
New Volunteers
are very welcome
Monday 4th
January 2010
Ballincollig has
emerged as the cleanest town in Cork according to the latest Irish
Business Against Litter (IBAL) Anti Litter League. Ballincollig jumped
from 15th place to 11th in the National League of 60 towns. In Cork
Fermoy was placed at 27th, Midleton 32nd Youghal 36th, Cobh 36th, Cork
City 50th and Mallow at 58th.
Great credit is due
to everyone involved and especially to the Volunteers who carry out
litter picks week in week out. Their dedication is fantastic and
shows their commitment to our community. Great credit is also due to the
Ballincollig County Council workers who do tremendous work on an ongoing
basis.
This has been a
fantastic start to 2010 for Ballincollig Tidy Towns and for the whole
community of Ballincollig
Thursday 31st December 2009
The final league table for Irish
Business Against Litter will be announced on Monday 4th January
Tuesday 29th
December
While our
"official" Litter Picks are on stop until Sunday 10th January one of the
volunteers is still at it .Despite the icy conditions he was out St
Stephen's Day and every day since picking litter in the mornings.
The result is that he picked two bags each day on the Main Street mainly
around the Fast Food premises.
Sunday 20th
December
Today was our last
official Sunday morning litter pick for 2009. These litter picks
have been going every Sunday since early January of this year. Rain,
hail or snow the volunteers have been out and without a shadow of doubt
the results have been fantastic and great credit is due to each of them
for their commitment and dedication.
After the Litter
Pick we all adjourned to The Oriel House Hotel for our usual cup of tea
and given the time of year the hotel kindly laid on mince pies and cream
for everyone.
Saturday 19th
December
Today saw the last
major clean up / cutting back for our group for 2009. We tackled
three areas which had been in need of cutting back for some time and
after complaints from pedestrians. The two footpath areas were
near Colaiste Choilm and on the Western side of Ballincollig near the
entrance to Muskerry Estate. In both areas there were plants which
were impeding the footpaths and causing pedestrians to step out onto the
road which is unacceptable.
The other area was
in The Paddocks Estate which is used as a shortcut by many people but
especially by students of Ballincollig Community School.
In the area near
Colaiste Choilm and in The Paddocks the amount of litter that was made
visible after the cutting back was incredible. We discovered
sandwiches still in the wrappers with mould growing on them, numerous
empty plastic bottles, sweet wrappers and wrappers from items bought in
local shops. This matter will be addressed early in 2010 and with a
small bit of co-operation we feel that it can be overcome.
 
Area of
footpath near Colaiste Choilm Before & After Clean Up by BTT Members
 
Area of
footpath in West Village Before & After Clean Up by BTT Members
Monday 14th
December
Today we finally
received our 2009 National Tidy Towns Bronze Medal and our Highly
Commended County Award. 4 of our committee attended a ceremony in
The Malton Hotel Killarney which was organised by Fáilte Ireland and The
Department of the Environment, Local Government and Heritage.
Very shortly people
will be able to see all the awards that the Community of Ballincollig
has been awarded over the last 10 years as they will be going on display
in Ballincollig Shopping Centre
Pictured below are
the committee members at the Awards Ceremony

Back Row L-R
Dan O’Mahony Supervalu, Kieran O’Shea BTT Diarmuid Horgan BTT Jane
D’Arcy Fáilte Ireland Veronica O’Connor Fáilte Ireland
Seated Tom
Butler BTT Minister of State for the Department of the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government Michael Finnernan TD, Pat Clarke BTT

Tom Butler
Chairman Ballincollig Tidy Towns receiving the National Tidy Towns
Bronze Medal from Minister of State for the Department of the
Environment, Heritage and Local Government Michael Finnernan TD and
Veronica O’Connor Fáilte Ireland
and Dan O’Mahony Supervalu
Monday 7th
December
Yesterday 18 volunteers
turned out for the weekly Sunday morning litter pick. We were lucky
as it remained dry just for the hour. A total of 44 bags were
collected including 6 segregated for recycling. It also included 10
bags from a pick done on Maglin Road by two new volunteers and we
are delighted to have them on board as it fills another gap in the
areas we can regularly get to.
Saturday 5th
December
For our Volunteers
|
Snowflakes melt alone - but together
they can be traffic stoppers!
Teamwork allows common people to
attain uncommon results.
Some people want it to happen,
some wish it to happen, others make it happen.
Volunteers aren't paid, not
because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.
Anonymous
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Friday 4th December

Mayor of Cork County
Cllr Derry Canty presenting Ballincollig Tidy Towns Chairperson Tom
Butler with Ballincollig's Award
in the
2009 Cork County
Council Anti Litter Challenge
Friday 4th December
Ballincollig road structure has been severely
affected for the last number of months due to the construction of
the Ballincollig Green Route and also extensive works on the sewage
and water works. Thankfully this construction will cease this
evening until the middle of January to allow traffic to revert
to a two way system. If you want any more information on the
green route check out
www.ballincolliggreenroute.com
Thursday 3rd December
On November 17 we were due to travel to
Killarney to receive our 2009 Bronze Medal. Unfortunately due
to the dramatic flooding the hotel that we were to travel to was
severely damaged and in the interests of peoples safety the event
was postponed. It has been rescheduled for Monday 14th December in
the Malton Hotel Killarney. We will now be able to collect the 2009 Bronze Medal and the Highly Commended
County Award that Ballincollig won in the 2009 National Tidy Towns
Competition. This will be our 3rd Bronze Medal and it is a
proud moment for the committee, the volunteers and the Community as
a whole.
These awards along with the others we have
received in the past will be put on display in Ballincollig Shopping
Centre for everyone to see what Ballincollig as a community has
achieved.
Sunday 29th November
Today Sunday, November 29th, we again
had 14 volunteers for the weekly Sunday morning litter pick. The
weather was cold but the rain just held off. A total of 32 bags were
collected including 9 for recycling and 4 bags from kerb cleaning. To
date we have collected over 2,000 bags in 2009 and we will give a full
breakdown in the New Year.
We will be taking a short break over the Christmas
period but we will continue for the next few weeks, meeting as usual at
Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00 am each Sunday, weather permitting.
Just turn up and we will supply pickers, gloves and bags.
Sunday 22nd November
Today Sunday 22nd
November, we had 14 volunteers for the weekly Sunday morning litter
pick. Despite poor enough weather conditions 32 bags were collected.
Due to the wet and dirty condition of the litter we were able to recycle
just one bag. Following our request of the previous week we also had 14
bags of leaves taken from the kerbside by some of the residents of an
estate. To check out the value of composting and how to do it, we have
put together a comprehensive document on composting and this is
available on our web page at
www.ballincolligtidytowns.ie .
Due to the very bad conditions
over the past while we have been unable to pursue some projects we had
intended to tackle. They will need to wait until the weather improves
again and we will let people know when we are starting. We would
appreciate any extra volunteers for those projects so please keep us in
mind even if you cannot get out to help us at present.
We are trying to keep the weekly
Sunday morning litter picks going for as long as we can and great credit
is due to all the volunteers for their efforts to date. We meet as
usual at Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00 am each Sunday, weather
permitting. Just turn up and we will supply pickers, gloves and bags.
Thursday 19th November
Tomorrow 4 members of our committee travel to
Killarney to collect the 2009 Bronze Medal and the Highly Commended
County Award that Ballincollig won in the 2009 National Tidy Towns
Competition. This will be our 3rd Bronze Medal and it is a
proud moment for the committee, the volunteers and the Community as
a whole
Tuesday 17th November
As
part of our ongoing work we aim to provide information to people so
that it will assist them in helping the environment. Over the
coming weeks we will be providing information on Compost and how to
get the best out of it and more importantly how to make it.
One of the first we deal with is Leaf Mould Compost. All of us
are well aware of the vast quantities of leaves that have fallen at
the moment. Over the years we have put these leaves to good
use and gathered them and used them later as excellent compost.
On the plus side its free and that can't be bad. We hope that
you find this information helpful and informative.
Leaf Mould
Compost.
Falling autumn leaves
can become a nuisance, especially when you are constantly raking
them from your lawn and flower beds. Instead of putting them in your
wheelie bin, - which can be quiet expensive – or tearing your hair
out in frustration, why not consider turning the leaves into leaf
mould, which can later be used as an excellent compost which you can
use as a mulch or dig into the ground as a soil conditioner.
What
is leaf mould.
Leaf
mould is very simply the result of letting leaves sit and decompose
over a period of time. It is dark brown or black, and has a pleasant
earthy aroma and a crumbly texture, very much like compost. In
reality leaf mould is just that; composted leaves. In this case you
just add leaves to the pile without adding any other organic matter.
This is very simple to make and is one of the best and cheapest soil
enrichers available. Leaf mould is a good soil improver, lawn
conditioner and mulch. It can also be used in seed and potting
mixes.
What are the
benefits of Leaf Mould.
You are probably wondering at this
stage why you should not simply put all your leaves into your
regular compost heap instead of having two separate heaps. The
answer is that while compost is wonderful for improving soil texture
and fertility, leaf mould is far superior as a soil conditioner.
Leaf mould does not provide very much in the way of nutrition, so
you will still need to add compost or other organic fertilizers to
increase fertility. Leaf mould is essentially a soil conditioner. It
increases the water retention in soils. According to some university
studies it has been shown that the addition of leaf mould increased
water retention in soils by over 50%. Leaf mould also improves the
soil structure and provides a fantastic habitat for soil life,
including earthworms and beneficial bacteria.
Which
leaves can I use ?
Almost any leaves from deciduous
trees and shrubs can be used for composting but some will rot down
faster than others. Oak and beech will compost very quickly, while
sycamore and horse chestnut leaves will take a bit longer. The
leaves from conifers and evergreen trees – holly, laurel and Leyland
cypress are such examples - can take up to three years to compost
down fully, so you are better off to put these through a shredder
and then use them in your regular compost heap.
How do I go
about making leaf mould.
There are
two popular ways of making leaf mould, and both are ridiculously
simple. What you must keep in mind is that leaf mould does not
happen overnight. Leaves are basically all carbon, which takes a lot
longer to break down than nitrogen – rich materials such as grass
clippings. It takes from six to twelve months for the decomposition
process to take place. However, this is six to twelve months during
which very little work has to be put into it by the gardener. If you
wish to speed up the decomposition you can put the leaves through a
shredded or run your lawn mower over them to break the leaves into
smaller pieces.
A very
simple method of making leaf mould is to collect the leaves and put
them into plastic bags. Make small holes in the sides and bottom of
the bag to assist air circulation and to help drainage, thus
preventing the leaves becoming slimy. The leaves should then be
moistened to help with decomposition. The top of the bag can be tied
loosely.
The second
method consists of either piling the leaves in a corner of the
garden, or in a wooden or wire bin. All you need is four stout
stakes and a roll of galvanized chicken wire. The pile or bin
should be at least three feet wide and high. Pile up your leaves,
and thoroughly dampen the entire pile. Let it sit, checking the
moisture level occasionally during dry periods and thoroughly
dampening the entire pile as necessary. Use a shovel or garden fork
to turn your leaf pile every couple of weeks. If you are using the
plastic bag method then you can turn it over and give it a firm
shake every couple of weeks to introduce air into the process which
speeds up decomposition.
How can I use
leaf mould compost.
Open the bags
next autumn and you will find that the leaves have changed into a
crumbly material that is ideal to be used as mulch, helping to lock
in soil moisture and to prevent weeds from germinating. At this
stage the compost is still recognizable as leaves. The leaves are
beginning to break up and are easily crumbled in the hand. It can
now be used to mulch around shrubs, herbaceous borders, vegetables,
etc. it can also be dug in as a soil improver for sowing or
planting. If you leave it for another year, it will have rotted
down further in to a dark brown compost which can be dug into the
ground s a soil conditioner. This material contains high levels of
humus, which help soil to retain moisture and enable it to hold onto
nutrients. It can now be used as a seed sowing mix either on its own
or mixed with equal parts of sharp sand and garden compost. As a
potting compost – mix equal parts of well rotted leaf mould, sharp
sand, loam and garden compost.
Leaf mould
is simple, free, and very effective. If you’re lucky enough to have
a tree or two (or ten) in your garden, you’ve got everything that
you need to make a great garden.
Tuesday 17th November
On Sunday last, the 15th
November, we had 19 volunteers out and about in Ballincollig for our
weekly hour of litter picking. Thankfully the rain held off and
under some rare sunshine a total of 28 bags were collected. Of that
total we managed to recycle a total of 5 bags. Again we continued
to remove tie-wraps from the light poles and to date we have cleared
all of the Main Street from Poulavone roundabout to John A Woods on
the Western limits. We have begun to clear the poles in the side
roads and streets and hopefully we will complete the job over the
next couple of weeks.
Very noticeable at present
are the fallen leaves building up on the kerbs and footpaths.
Despite our many volunteers we cannot hope to clear these ourselves
as Ballincollig is simply too big. We would ask all residents
associations to help us out by organising a brush up of the leaves.
If this is done and any bits of litter are separated the bags of
leaves can then be recycled as compost. If estates have no use for
them in projects of their own then just get in touch with us and we
will be able to arrange collection for recycling. We have put
together a comprehensive document on composting and this will be
available shortly on our web page at
www.ballincolligtidytowns.ie .
The Sunday morning litter
picks carry on and weather permitting, we meet as usual at Quish’s
Supervalu car park at 11:00 am. Just turn up and we will supply
pickers, gloves and bags. Many thanks to the new volunteers over
the last few weeks for giving some of their time to the community
effort. It is much appreciated.
To get in touch with us you
can contact Mr Pat Clarke of Ballincollig Plant and Tool Hire in
Innishmore.
Tuesday 10th November
On Sunday last, the 8th
November, we had 20 volunteers for the hours picking. A total of 23
bags were collected with 4 of those sorted for recycling. One bag
consisted of tie-wraps taken from light poles which is a task we
have worked on now over the last few weeks. There are still many
poles to go but we will get to them all over the coming weeks.
Thankfully the weather was dry and sunny for a change and it does
help with the work.
Since the introduction of
the diversion route (Spine Road) to the north of Main Street that
takes traffic from the Plastic roundabout at Muskerry to the
Eastgate, the increase of litter on this particular route has been
dramatic. It is clear that all sorts of waste is being tossed from
vehicles as they pass through the area. We ask all drivers to hold
their waste until they get to their own homes and then dispose of it
properly and not to litter our streets. Much of the waste can
actually be recycled with no effort really needed.
After the litter pick we
adjourned as usual for the very important cup of tea or coffee in
The Oriel House Hotel. It is an important part of the weekly
litter pick as great friendships have been formed and new people
quickly feel at ease while having a cuppa and a biscuit or freshly
made hot apple tart if you are lucky.
We are extremely grateful to
The Oriel House Hotel and Quish's Supervalu who kindly sponsor the
teas and coffees and biscuits each week
There are no plans to take a
break from the Sunday morning litter picks and we continue, weather
permitting, to meet at Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00 am. Just
turn up and we will supply pickers, gloves and bags.
Otherwise you can get in
touch with us through Mr Pat Clarke of Ballincollig Plant and Tool
Hire in Innishmore.
Friday 6th November
On Sunday (Oct 25th) we had
21 volunteers turning out for the weekly litter pick.
With such a great turnout we were able to cover a large area and
collect a substantial amount. A total of 34 bags were collected.
Four bags were segregated afterwards for recycling. As well as that
total we had a further 39 bags of green waste. This consisted of
clean ups of boundary areas and collection of leaves. The majority
of these will be composted and will be used in vegetable gardens
next summer. We would encourage anybody that normally looks for a
compost boost for their plants to act now and collect a bag or two
of leaves and keep them for that purpose.
On Sunday last, the 1st
November, we had 18 volunteers for the hours picking. A total of 35
bags were collected with 5 of those sorted for recycling.
On this day there was
a special concentration on taking down the tie-wraps from the
roadside poles of Ballincollig. Despite our appeals to those
responsible for erecting posters to take the ties down with the
posters it never seems to happen. Both local and central Government
are responsible and must be taken to task on this type of issue. It
of course is not just particular to Ballincollig and happens almost
everywhere. Perhaps Ballincollig needs to adopt the approach of
some other towns that do not allow any posters.
In this day and age do
we really need posters in our faces to tell us what or who to vote
for?
In the recent Muintir na
Tire awards ceremony held in the Oriel House the Ballincollig
Heritage Association took third prize in the large town category for
their initiative in providing informational signage in the Regional
Park. Our congratulations to them and we hope it is the beginning
of these type of signs in our town as we do have a valued and rich
heritage and history that needs to be told.
Friday 30th October
Dates for your diaries for 2010
The Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 10th February
2010
in The Inniskenny Room in The Oriel House Hotel at 8pm
----------------
The 2010 Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday 15th October 2010
in
the Lesley Suite in The Oriel House Hotel
Monday 26th October
On Sunday last (Oct 18th) we had 18 volunteers litter
picking throughout Ballincollig. A total of 28 bags were collected.
Four bags were segregated afterwards for recycling.
It was noticed that the problem
of dog fouling was very bad on the footpaths from Colaiste
Choilm to Poulavone. We appeal once again to dog owners to be
responsible and clear up after their pets have
done their business. Owning a dog brings more than just feeding and
walking the animal. When going for a walk bring a bag and pick up after
your dog. It is your responsibility and not to do so can
have consequences. It is an offence under the litter acts not to
pick up the waste and you as the owner are subject to a fine if you fail
to do that simple task. More important that it creates a health hazard
for other people that use the same walking route including many school
children.
In our slogan competition from
earlier in the year one of the students slogans states “Don’t walk away
and say oops when your dog does its poops”.
If you would like to help us out
in any way do not hesitate to get in touch. Our Sunday morning
litter picks continue, meeting at Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00
am. Just turn up and we will supply pickers, gloves and bags.
Alternatively you can get in
touch through Mr Pat Clarke of Ballincollig Plant and Tool Hire in
Innishmore.
Sunday 25th October Next Sunday has been designated
"Operation
Cable Tie" by the committee. Next Sunday the many
volunteers will spend their time removing the large numbers of cable
ties that have been left after the recent elections. The numerous
candidates have removed their posters but kindly left the cable
ties on the poles etc. There are huge numbers of these unsightly items
all over our community so next Sunday we will endeavour to remove as
many of them as possible. On the subject of election posters we came across one politician's
posters this morning but to save his blushes and a possible fine we
disposed of them.
Monday 19th October Any community groups in the Ballincollig who have a website and would
like to link up with Ballincollig Tidy Towns please email us at
ballincolligtidy@gmail.com
Sunday 18th October
On
Sunday last (Oct 11th) we had 18 volunteers litter picking throughout
Ballincollig. A total of 28 bags were collected. Four bags were
segregated afterwards for recycling. As well as that total of bags we
had a further dozen bags of green waste. This consisted of hedging and
briar cleared back from the well used footpath between Muskerry Estate
and Oaklands. The morning was fine which facilitated the work very
well. It has been great to see a number of boundary ditches cut back by
a few landowners in the last couple of weeks. This while looking good
and neat will add to the safety of all road users in the winter period.
On
Sunday the 4th October we also had 18 volunteers for the
hours picking. On that day 31 bags were collected with 5 of those
sorted for recycling. Also we had 10 bags of green waste due to a
residents group clearing a boundary in their area. On the other side of
peoples behaviour, Ballincollig saw needless damage done to a number of
bus shelters that very Saturday night. It is a pity that some people
cannot get themselves home without committing some act of wanton
vandalism. Thankfully it is only a very small minority involved and
with the continued efforts of the rest of the community it will not
succeed in bringing down Ballincollig’s good name.
At
the end of September members of the Tidy Towns Committee were invited to
the Rochestown Park Hotel for the results of the Inter Towns Litter
Challenge 2009. Our representatives went with little hope of making the
prizes following a disastrous first judging earlier this summer. We
reported on that at the time and while we pulled up dramatically on the
second round we felt it would not be enough. On the night we were
proved correct as once again Ballincollig had failed to break into the
prizes. We console ourselves with the fact that we regularly score
better than many of the other towns in the National Tidy Towns
competition.
If
you are thinking that you would like to help us out in any way do not
hesitate to get in touch. Our Sunday morning litter picks continue,
meeting at Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00 am. Just turn up and we
will supply pickers, gloves and bags.
Otherwise you can get in touch through Mr Pat Clarke of Ballincollig
Plant and Tool Hire in Innishmore.
Saturday 3rd October The committee would like to thank everyone who helped them in any way to
make last nights Award Ceremony such a great success. They would
like to congratulate all of the different prize winners in the various
categories.
We are already planning for 2010 and would appreciate support from all
aspects of the community
Friday 2nd October
Our Annual Awards Ceremony took place last night in front of a very
large attendance at the Oriel House Hotel. Joint Guests of Honour
were the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Derry Canty and the Minister
for Education & Science Batt O'Keeffe TD. In all 43 prizes were
presented in various categories. To view all the results check out 2009
Local Competitions. Photos of the various presentations and social
photos will be up on the website during the coming week so keep
checking!!!!!
Saturday 26th September
Our Annual Awards Ceremony takes place next Friday night at the Oriel
House Hotel at 8pm. This will be preceded by a Drinks Reception at
7.30pm
September 2009
BALLINCOLLIG HAS COMPLETED THE "3 IN A
ROW"
Ballincollig was awarded a Bronze Medal for the third year in a
row in its population category. It was also awarded a highly
commended award in the County Section. Our marks improved by 5
since 2008 which the Committee are thrilled with and this years marks
continue the positive trend upwards since 1999. As a committee we
have never rested on our laurels and are already planning for 2010.
Saturday 29th August
The Church of Christ Our Light in Innishmore has had a major clean up
carried out this week. All the external walls and footpaths have
been power washed.
Friday 28th August
Work is well advanced on the new floodlighting of the Eastgate.
Cork County Council have done a lot of the preparatory work this week
and the finished product will enhance this historic part of Ballincollig
Thursday 27th August
The following is our notes which will appear in this weeks Ballincollig
Newsletter It has been a while
since we last produced an update on work done locally due to summer
holidays. However despite the break and the inclement weather the Tidy
Towns Committee and volunteers have been very active over the past 4
weeks. The judging of our local competitions has been completed apart
from the schools section and the final judging of the category winners
in the estates. We are delighted to report that the standards this year
were up on previous years and we hope that people are able to appreciate
this whether prizes are gained or not in the local or national
competitions.
Litter picking has continued
three times per week and a total of 174 bags were collected in the last
month. Of this total we recycled 19 bags. Also a number of work
projects were undertaken which included a revisit to the Youth House
garden on Station road and the area just inside East Gate. We also
cleared a boundary ditch on Barry’s Road and this is much better now for
walking.
The last project done was on the
walkway from Westgate to the Church/School in Innishmore. This task has
taken 3 nights of work so far and there is still more to be done there.
The pathway and steps have been cleared of overgrowth, weeds, litter and
general dumping. Some trees were obscuring the lighting and some
pruning has opened up the area and it is a much safer walk now. This is
a well used pathway bringing people to the church and schools and is
used by young and old. We hope to have the gravel path tarred before
winter and this would improve it further. There has been quite a lot of
dumping in this area of both domestic and green waste. This is not
acceptable and we would ask users of the path to be vigilant and report
any instances of abuse they see.
Given that the evenings are now
closing in quickly we will not have project work on Tuesday and Thursday
nights from now until further notice. Thanks so much to all the people
who freely volunteered their time to assist us during those weekday
evenings since early May. Is it 4 months already since they started?
An awful lot has been achieved and it has made a significant difference
to Ballincollig. We will continue with our Sunday morning litter picks,
meeting at Quish’s Supervalu car park at 11:00 am. If you can spare an
hour any Sunday you would be very welcome to join in.
Finally, we in the committee are
very grateful to the community for the great support given to us last
Sunday for our annual Church Gate collection. These funds are vital to
us in funding our activities for the coming year and we will try to keep
you up to date with regular updates on projects undertaken.
As always we are available to
assist and advise any individual or group and we can be contacted
through Mr Pat Clarke of Ballincollig Plant and Tool Hire in Innishmore.
BALLINCOLLIG IS OUR COMMUNITY AND THE ONLY PERSON
THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IS YOU. WE ALL HAVE TO PLAY OUR PART
YOU CANNOT LEAVE IT TO OTHERS
Tuesday 25th August
Tonight we tackled for the third night the path that runs from the rear
of the Westgate Foundation to Innishmore. The results have been
incredible and have to be seen to be believed. The Photos below
will give you an idea of the disgusting area we found and also the work
that our volunteers did to clean up this area.
Steps and path before clean-up

Some of the Cans & Bottles that were collected & recycled


The Path After Our Clean Up

The Steps After BTT Volunteers Tackled The Area



Sunday 23rd August
Our Committee would like to thank everyone who contributed to our Church
Gate Collection over this weekend. Your support is greatly
appreciated. We are also very appreciative of the very kind comments and
words of support that we received from so many people as they gave us
donations. These comments certainly make the work we do
worthwhile.
Thursday 20th August
Our annual church gate collection takes
place this weekend (22nd 23rd of August 2009)
Please support our efforts
Thursday 13th August
Our annual church gate collection takes
place on the weekend of 22nd 23rd of August 2009
Tuesday 11th August
We were approached last week by a
concerned resident about an area which is being used for drinking
sessions and also as a dumping ground for local residents. When we
went to look at the area which is the footpath which leads from behind
The Westgate Foundation to The Paddocks and Innishmore we found a huge
amount of empty drink cans and bottles as well as a large amount of
household waste, grass hedging cuttings. We also found
numerous bags of ashes from peoples fires. The County Council Anti
Litter Unit, the Gardai and others have visited the area to see first
hand the disgusting condition of the place Tonight our
committee and volunteers tackles the area and after two hours we had
collected 37 bags of rubbish approximately 800 glass bottles and 1200
drink cans. The bottles and cans were taken to the Bottle
Banks and put in their relevant sections.
Sunday 9th
August The Sunday
Morning Litter Pick was hard work as some mindless vandals decided to
smash the phone box at the corner of Main Street & Station Rd.
Also there was a huge mess outside both fast food outlets on the Western
Side of the Village. It was very evident that no effort was made
to clean up when they closed.
In total 35 bags of litter
was picked before heading to the Orel House Hotel for a well deserved
cuppa and a biscuit.!!
Friday 7th August Third round of
2009 Estates
Competition will take place next Wednesday August 12th 2009. We ask for
your continued due diligence in maintaining your estates. Thursday 6th August
Barry's Road was the target for our weekly clean up this week.
The road links the Killumney Rd to the Main Road and is used widely by
many people every day as it form part of a very popular walking route.
Lately the briars and hedges have been so overgrown that people have had
to step out onto the road which was highly dangerous. We tackled
the area with hedge cutters and the end result was fantastic.
Passing pedestrians were very complimentary to us for our efforts.
Another job with great results.

BARRY'S ROAD BEFORE WE TACKLED IT

BARRY'S ROAD BEFORE WE TACKLED IT

BARRY'S ROAD AFTER WE TACKLED IT
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!
Wednesday 28th July
The date has been set for the Ballincollig Tidy Towns Awards
Ceremony. It will take place on Friday 2nd October in The Oriel
House Hotel. This year it is hoped to have 2 guests of honour
namely The Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Derry Canty and Minister for
Education Batt O'Keeffe T.D.
Tuesday 27th July
The Bottle Bank in the Car Park at the rear of Down's Supervalu is
being constantly abused by people who clearly have no civic pride.
Unfortunately for some of these people their names and addresses were
found and the Anti Litter Unit will be issuing fines shortly.

Sunday 26th July
This morning the weekly litter pick took place and in total 27 bags of
litter of which 4 bags of recyclable items were taken. During the litter
pick the committee got a call to go to a green area at the rear of
Rosewood and Greystones Estates. The sight that greeted them was a
disgrace. There was household rubbish which included soiled
nappies, food waste, empty beer cans and bottles and a lot more items
strewn all over the area where children normally play. There was
also a huge amount of broken glass on the pitch which would cause
serious injury to any young person who would fall there. There was
such an amount of glass that cutting yourself would be unavoidable

Views
of the rubbish dumped at the rear of
Rosewood & Greystones
Estates

Wednesday 23rd
July
Last evening
the second round of the 2009 Estates Competition took place.
16
adjudicators carried out the inspections and once again the standard has
increased. One of the positive comments that came back from all
adjudicators was the lack of dog fouling. The date of the third round
is not yet decided so keep checking this page.
Tuesday 22nd
July
Our Tuesday
night work night was cancelled due to heavy rain. A major clean up of
the Youth House on Station Road was planned but is now deferred until
next week
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