Ballincollig Tidy Towns

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

 

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 29^th, 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 22^nd 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 15^th 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 8^th 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 1^st 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 4^th 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 23^rd 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 22^nd 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

“Be a Green Bean.  Help Keep Our Town Squeaky Clean”

Contact: Chairperson  Tom Butler  Tel:087 2701105  Email: ballincolligtidy@gmail.com