Attending the Limerick City and County Councils Annual Tidy Towns Seminar 2017 at the Woodlands House Hotel Adare, Co Limerick were Pat Casey, Ann McGrath, David Meskil and Catherine Herbert from the Ardpatrick Community Council. (Pic: Alan Place)

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 recently, with Mary Hanlon from Listowel Tidy Towns (crowned Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town 2016) amongst a host of speakers to address local Tidy Towns groups.

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 recently. In attendance were Pat Casey, Ardpatrick, along with Mary and Seamus Gordan, Anglesborough. (Pic: Alan Place)

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.

Mary Hanlon 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.

Tim Ryan and William O’Brien, Galbally Tidy Towns who were in Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Co. Limerick. (Pic: Alan Place)

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.

Anne Goggin from the local authority spoke about a new Invasive Species smartphone app, which allows individuals and community groups to record sightings of unwanted species so they can be properly dealt with.