Killeshandra’s cleaning up!

Killeshandra’s Tidy Towns team are smiling, and they soon hope to have the town smiling with them.

There’s plenty to be happy with, especially their nomination for Ireland’s Tidiest Town Competition.

“We are super excited because any recognition of the many, many years of work we’ve done is very welcome,” says chairperson Anne Shanley. “For the last 25 years – we have always gained marks.

“Last year was especially good having gained 20 marks,” she said.

The success of making it through to Ireland’s Tidiest Town comes with the stress of having the town look tip top for this month’s judging. As such they are co-ordinating the painting of the town, while also juggling the Town Centre Plan and the Tidy Towns application - and that’s all on top of the usual demands.

“The council has power hosed the streets this past week for us, to get ready for this competition. There’s a great buzz around the town,” reports Anne.

That buzz could also be down to the pollinators benefitting from the biodiversity plan the Tidy Towners have drafted for the town. Native wildfowers have been encouraged in areas such as the Cavan Road picnic area, the Fire Station and the Rath Church; meanwhile the group has also planted 50 apple, plum and pear trees across the town. In addition, they also planted one of two ‘Tiny Forests’ in a secluded spot at the GAA grounds.

“We have recently planted five Rowan trees in the church grounds,” Anne says, noting they are pitching in with Kilmore Diocese’s Care for Creation.

“This is a place that has been mowed weekly, so we are trying to encourage less mowing and having more for biodiversity,” explains Anne.

The biodiversity plan also impacts how they tidy. “We avoid weed killer at all costs if we can,” she says explaining they prefer nature conscious methods.

Other additions to the town courtesy of Tidy Town include a new water dispenser and bicycle stand installed at Killeshandra Resource Centre; completed under the Climate Change grant.

One of the few tasks yet to be ticked off from their to-do list is to fill the new planters with flowers. “We are just waiting for the weather to settle and the frost to disappear to get them planted up and then we’ll have the town smiling at everyone!”