Meet the volunteers who keep Ballincollig tidy

ABOUT 70 people volunteer with the Ballincollig Tidy Towns group, ranging in age from eight to people in their eighties.

It’s a large number, but understandable when you consider the growth of the town in recent years.

Its population is now 20,538, an increase of 10.3% on 2016 census figures.

Not one piece of litter was visible as I drove through the town and out as far as the Poulavone Roundabout.

The of the group take huge pride in their work, and as with all tidy towns groups, they are dedicated and enthusiastic about the jobs at hand.

Sunday morning is a litter pick at 11am, and my tour guide for the morning when I ed them was Tom Butler.

Tom ed the Ballincollig Tidy Towns group, which has been operational since 1965, initially for a few months in order to help out temporarily, and is still going strong 25 years later.

Pat Clarke who is the vice chairman, is 23 years a volunteer and says he loves it. As does Carmel Lacey, who is with the group nine years, and says she enjoys the camaraderie and the chance to give back to the community.

The group is proud of not only the age range they have, but the mixture of locals and newcomers of all backgrounds. There is a sense of community and belonging, they all agree.

Tom says everyone in the group is a part of the jigsaw - without each piece the picture isn’t complete. One volunteer tells me they are like family. They look out for one another and consider each other the closest of friends.

The social side for the volunteers is just as important as their pride of place. After the litter pick, they meet up at the Plaza restaurant for coffee and to set the world right.

The proprietor, Mary, goes over and above when it comes to spoiling them. There is always a treat to replace lost energy, and she even gave roses to the ladies on Valentine’s Day to show her appreciation for their hard work.

The group have a gathering at Christmas and an annual summer day out. This year’s trip will see them heading to Bunratty.

As for their achievements, the Ballincollig Tidy Towns group have no less than 10 gold medals and a silver for the Entente Florale, an international horticultural contest.

However, this, they say, is a welcome and humbling bonus, but not their motivation. They love the acknowledgment, but do this work for the love of it and for the love of their community.

Their dedication to biodiversity is staggering. Their ability to reuse, recycle and upcycle is hugely impressive.

At their allotment, I meet Anne O’Regan, who is known as ‘the ICU nurse’! All of last year’s bulbs, along with plants that have gone past their best from the local Tesco, are brought back to life by this green-fingered lady and her husband.

They have three composter bins, the first is for the autumn leaves, which are regularly turned, and by the time it is moved to the third bin, it is perfect high quality compost for the flower beds.

Rainwater is collected in containers on the roofs of buildings, including at the nearby primary school, and kept for the twice weekly watering.

All the rubbish is segregated and set aside for bottle banks, etc, while old furniture is recycled and made pretty again.

They use wicks at the base of planters in order to allow perfect amounts of water to be placed in the trays and these wicks are stored and reused.

Some of the water trays are more than 15 years old and still work perfectly thanks to the care and maintenance of them.

The group have a wonderful working relationship with the local council, and both groups work hand in hand to make the most of their time and facilities.

As for sponsorship, local shops buy a sticker for their shop window for the bargain price of €50 as a contribution, while local businesses like VM Ware, O’Donovan Agri Environmental Services, and McDonalds along with city council grants, allow the work to continue to the high standard visible all over the town.

At the

Roundabout there are more than 450 pollinator plants, and 20 orchards planted around town. Along the west cliff wall there are 3,500 plants so there is an array of colour all year round.

There are countless bird boxes too, including those for the swifts whose numbers are in decline.

Not only do the tidy towns group supply fruit trees to the Westgate day care centre, but they maintain them as well. Pollinator plants are included in every project to facilitate the vital work of the bees.

Nothing is wasted. Everything has a use. Grass cutting has been reduced for wildflowers to thrive.

Tom says they do it for future generations.

The biodiversity and green future of Ballincollig in this ever-changing world is in safe hands, thanks to the forward-thinking and care offered by this amazing group of people.

Check out their website for more details on www.ballincolligtidytowns.ie, where their weekly newsletter keeps locals up to date on their continuing work.