Athlone Tidy Towns volunteers praised for building sense of community

by David Flynn

Local community members were praised last week by Athlone Tidy Towns committee at the prize-giving ceremony for the winners of the gardens and estates competition in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel.

The new incoming Chairman of the Tidy Towns, Padraig Higgins, acted as MC on the night and welcomed guest speakers including Helen Conneely, Chairperson of Ballinahown Tidy Towns committee. It was just days after Ballinahown had being chosen as Ireland’s Tidiest Village, and she gave the audience a brief history of the aesthetic work of the village.

“We are a very small village, and we are between two counties and with 75 people, we were feeling a little bit unloved,” said Helen. “In 1994, we set up a community group, got our first FAS scheme, and they started focusing on the infrastructure by building the stone walls. Our first big project was in 1999, when we completed the water feature and car park.”

Helen said that they got Leader funding, council help, and then a group of local people got together and started doing a Tidy Towns plan. They sought funding, drew down some grant aid and a loan, and fundraised at the doors.

“We made things happen, and then started on the next project,” said the Ballinahown Chairperson. “It was building confidence taking on issues.”

She said in 2011, they made a walkway around their Diversity Park and said that they always focused on what they could do next.

Mayor of Athlone/Moate Municipal District Cllr Frankie Keena was also present and congratulated Athlone Tidy Towns on what they have achieved and wished the incoming Chairman, and outgoing Chairman, Gerry Johnson, good wishes along with committee member, Marie Gibson.

“It’s very significant what you’ve achieved in increases in marks,” he said, citing the group's Thursday morning clean ups and the WhatsApp group which helps to co-ordinate activities.

Praising Ballinahown Tidy Towns, he said Helen Conneely had much to offer in the realm of Tidy Towns, and it’s good for all to share ideas and support each other.

“It’s all down to volunteers at the end of the day,” he said. “You have the support of the local authority and myself and John (Cllr John Dolan) are involved and the engineers and that support is important, but the local authority will be out ten-fold, when volunteers are involved.”

He too praised the many garden and housing estate winners of the night, and said that they look after their own areas well.

“All I can say to you is it’s onwards and upwards for Athlone town and the call is out there that you need more and more volunteers and people with new ideas as well,” said the Mayor. “I’d like to commend Regina Bushell and Athlone Chamber of Commerce and the work they do, and it’s lovely to see the baskets along Church Street.

“When the visitors come to Athlone and walk up the town they see a beautiful attractive town that might make them come back. First impressions mean a lot.”

Padraig Higgins introduced outgoing chairman Gerry Johnston as “an outstanding man” and said in his fourteen years as Chairman the town had gone from Bronze to Gold and was now in the reach of the top four.

Gerry reminisced for the audience about the beginnings of Athlone Tidy Towns and talked of them visiting Westport around 2007 to get advice from Tidy Towns people there.

“We had volunteers and went to the council and persuaded them to give us a few bob, which made us able to buy two vans,” explained Gerry.

“We carried out a major task on the canal area, directed by Shay Hamilton, and did a nature trail, and got a lot of kudos from the general public. Hopefully it will open soon after the engineering works is finished.”

He also talked about their annual Good Friday clean-up in Athlone and how it began, with money from the council and free collection from Barna Waste.

Special guest speaker on the night of the prizegiving was Athlone man Monsignor John Roche. The Monsignor, who is a native of Arcadia, served on the missions in Africa for several decades and is back a few years living in Athlone.

“A sense of community was at the heart of Africa and they share whatever they have joyfully, and they hold and support each other, and there is no problem looking for volunteers because of that sense of community,” said Monsignor Roche. “Every man and woman has a gift which society needs. Community and participation were values there.”

He likened his experience of Africa to Athlone and the volunteerism of Tidy Towns.

“It’s something that we should all be involved in and be invited to – anything for Tidy Towns and anything to beautify our town to make it a better place!” said Monsignor Roche.

Small Garden

1st: Peggy Henson, 14 Willow Drive

2nd: Wally Browne, 99 Willow Avenue

3rd: Joe and Annie Duke, Clonbrusk

Achievement Award: Tommy Colsh, 24 Tormey Villas

Achievement Award: Linda-Jo Quinn, 22 Carton Drive

Achievement Award: Paraic Sammon, Hillcourt

Medium Garden

1st: Maura Farrell, 46 Retreat Heights

2nd: Mairita Marhele, 7 Deerpark Road

3rd: Brigid Turner, Auburn, Moate Road

Achievement Award: Arun Singh Verna, 58 Valleycourt

Achievement Award: David and Teresa Molloy, 41 Valleycourt

Achievement Award; Alice Gorman, 43 Valleycourt

Large Gardens

1st: Aisling King, Moydrum

2nd: Happy Patch Community Garden c/o Pearse Turner

3rd: Des and Mary O’Neill, Avonree House, Coosan

Small Estates

1st: Hillcourt c/o Margaret Brannigan

2nd: St. Joseph’s Villas c/o Delia Kilkenny

3rd: St Mary’s Place c/o Liz Fletcher

Achievement Award:

The Elms, Cartrontroy, c/o Gerry Brennan

Achievement Award:

Talbot Avenue c/o Shay Hamilton

Achievement Award:

Highfield/Arcadia Crescent c/o Gerry Johnson

Large Estate

1st: Willow Park c/o Padraig Higgins

2nd: Churchills Crescent c/o Shreya Pallavi

3rd: Valleycourt c/o Eithne McLoughlin

Best Estate for Biodiversity

Coolevin Park c/o Jacqui Thacker

Best Garden for Biodiversity

102 Meadowbrook c/o Padraig Higgins

Overall Estate Winner

Woodville Grange c/o Julie Stankard

Overall Garden Winner

David Costello, Creggan