Congratulations and well done to the hardworking members of Kilfinane Tidy Towns, a very impressive increase of 10 points in 2013, bringing Kilfinane to 250. Continued success and the co-operation of all by keeping your own patch nice and tidy and litter free will ensure another step forward in 2014.

Adjudication Report – 16 June, 2013.

(Mark – Max 2012 – 2013) – Overall Development Approach 50, 33, 34; The Built Environment 50, 39, 39; Landscaping 50, 38, 38; Wildlife and Natural Amenities 50, 19, 25; Litter Control 50, 25, 26; Sustainable Waste And Resource Management 20, 9, 10; Tidiness 30, 13, 14; Residential Areas 40, 27, 27; Roads, Streets and Back Areas 50, 30, 30; General Impression 10, 7, 7. Total – 400, 240 (2012), 250 (2013).

Main Street is generally neat and tidy, though. McCarthy’s and McGrath’s are very nice pub fronts. Fitzgerald’s and the next door premises are both kept up well. Mr Kebabs has entirely unsuitable ground floor signage which should be removed as soon as possible. If ‘Gala’ has departed Doherty’s House, can the signage here be removed and the windows made to look a bit better?

O’Seachnaisagh’s pub front is beautiful. The Guinness sign needs to be cleaned of algae. The Ballyhoura Centre is well presented and flying the flags of The Gathering. Hennessy’s is a lovely shop. Is the enterprise centre no longer in use? There is graffiti on the old Shannon Development signage here. There is a very unfortunate derelict shop on the corner of Main Street and High St. Molly’s Takeaway and Restaurant has an attractive shop front. The Market Square and Main Street have both benefited from your work this year. The roundabout at Scoil Pól was noted. Apart from the wildlife value – it looks great! The Marian Garden has been uplifted by your work. Various landscaping efforts throughout the town were admired.

Your approach to this category is to be commended. You are correct in your assessment that understanding what you have is the first step. Indeed, without this step you won’t know what requires conservation effort or even what is suitable to add or modify. It’s great that you are working with a noted ecologist and you are applauded for seeking expert advice. Your entry refers to an attached document which unfortunately didn’t make it into the adjudicator’s file. The planting scheme for biodiversity and sustainability is first rate. Will there be trees added to this?

A ‘Golden Mile’ project could be considered on the road from New Terrace. There is mature birch, elder, hawthorn and ash overhanging a very pleasant little road. There is a very significant Japanese knotweed infestation at the old Cornmill. The old graveyard is gorgeous with mature beech trees and a rookery. The biodiversity roundabout was admired.

The adjudicator wonders whether the plans include the newly landscaped grounds of Scoil Fionan. This surely presents itself as an ideal blank canvas upon which to design a biodiversity area. It’s disappointing to read of the low turnouts at your anti-litter events. The adjudicator recommends persistence and patience. While it’s great that Scoil Pól organises its own litter-pick, it’s worrying to read that an extra litterbin is required en route to a Green School. The adjudicator would concur with the local authority in this regard that a litterbin is not suited here but for different reasons. Household waste ending up in litterbins occurs all too often but the adjudicator feels that an extra bin would be sending the wrong message to the (Green) school-goers. Indeed, litter was found in this area and near to here, there was some fly-tipping noted in the new graveyard. You describe a number of routine, but nevertheless worthwhile tasks completed here, well done. Nearly all were completed in May.

Try if you can to spread out your work – it’s a 12 month competition. This is where having a plan can come in very useful. The cycle route signage at the mill was dirty. The gates of the old graveyard were freshly painted – well done. The yield sign at the corner of Main Street and Castle Street is in need of repair or repainting. There was an old (Jan 2013) flyposter on the sign pole at the church. The bottle banks were spotless. You describe a number of very valid initiatives and actions in this newly modified category. Well done.

The reference to the use of Duplex mode on a photocopier as a waste-saving initiative has never been suggested in any entry read by this adjudicator to date. Well done.

You are advised to consult the literature provided by the Tidy Towns Unit on Sustainable Waste & Resource Management and the guidelines in the entry form. In these, you will find many examples of suitable projects and initiatives. It may be that you’re doing some of these already, but look at the list of projects and initiatives and see where you ‘tick boxes’ and what you can do next. Some are very simple like using reusable shopping bags or low-energy bulbs. Awareness is a key factor too – such as encouraging your volunteers to reuse and repair rather than throw away and buy anew.

Unfinished estates are a country-wide problem. Tidy Towns groups all over the country have been instrumental though in improving the appearance of many ‘abandoned’ developments. Your entry states that the New Garden on St Anne’s Terrace was made in July 2012 but it looks longer established than this. Well done. A generally high level of care was noted throughout the several estates. Some atypical gardening techniques were noted. The project to survey and record the historic graveyards is an excellent initiative and will add hugely to the interest of these important places. Such projects are also of great assistance to visiting historians and genealogists. At the newer (RC) church, the grounds and car-park opposite have been improved hugely by your work.

The project to survey and record the historic graveyards is an excellent initiative and will add hugely to the interest of these important places. Such projects are also of great assistance to visiting historians and genealogists.

The approach road from Ardpatrick has informal signage and a wall is broken. The verges are neatly strimmed but this can be overdone. One of the 50/80kph warning signs is askew. Coming in from Ballylanders, the 50/80kph warning signs are obscured. Could a Slí na Sláinte be considered here? The grotto was freshly painted and bright. The planting at the name stones was admired. The speed limit signage is dirty on Barrack St. The approach road is lovely here, with mature trees and neat strimming. The street name stones were admired in this area. The church car-park was spotlessly clean and well-finished with planted tubs.

The Market Square is essentially a lovely space which has been well-enhanced. Is there any prospect of restoration or even stabilising the condition of the old Market House? Benches, planting and surfaces were all in good order here.

Kilfinane is a town with a fine built heritage but also much rural character. You are wished well in your tasks and projects ahead. The level of commitment here is applauded. Thank you.