Some of the secrets to success at the national Tidy Towns competition were given to around 150 volunteers at a seminar held in the Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Co. Limerick last night (Thursday 02 March 2017).
Mary Hanlon from Listowel Tidy Towns, which was crowned Ireland’s Tidiest S. mall Town 2016, was among a host of speakers to address local Tidy Towns groups across the city and county as part of the fifth annual Tidy Towns Seminar organised by Limerick City and County Council.
Mary gave an account of the work they carry out in Listowel and gave her expert advice on what to look out for in your locality and how to succeed in the national competition.
Hosted in collaboration with West Limerick Resources and Ballyhoura Development, the event also featured a Q&A session with Tidy Towns judge Lorraine Power.
Limerick City and County Council’s Environment Awareness Officer Sinead McDonnell gave a presentation on Sustainable Water and Resource Management and possible projects coming from this area.
While Anne Goggin from the local authority spoke about a new Invasive Species smartphone app, which allows individuals and community groups to record sightings of species such as Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam and, more recently, Winter Heliotrope, so they can be properly dealt with.
A total of 48 areas competed in the 2016 National Tidy Towns competition and each one of them increased their marks on previous years.
Limerick's participants in the 2017 National Tidy Towns Competition will be hoping to emulate the 2016 successes of gold medallist Adare, bronze medallists and Ardpatrick, Galbally, Kilmallock, and Newcastle West and Rockhill who were awarded with a Special Endeavour award.
Deputy Mayor of the City and County of limerick, Cllr Noel Gleeson said: “Limerick really has bought into the Tidy Tows movement in recent years, with previously unrepresented areas now vying for top marks. It’s a great to see the sense of pride that these volunteers have in their localities, so much so that they are planning and working all year round to make their communities a better place to live, work and play.”