THE PEOPLE’S PARKLET
Today Ballincollig was delighted to see the long-awaited People’s Parklet put in place on Main Street. It is the newest Parklet in conjunction with Cork City Council, Benchspace and Ballincollig Tidy Towns.
The Parklet is purpose built in Cork by Benchspace, a space for people to sit and relax. It is an amenity combining elements of seating and planting on what is essentially a main thoroughfare.
Offering a new experience in Ballincollig and the Main Street, the Parklet is an open public space that invites members of the community and passers-by to interact socially and to give a sense of place, community and environment.
Constructed by cladding a steel and timber frame in Siberian Larch which, like vibrant Pollinator Friendly Planting, will age beautifully over its lifetime.
The compost in Bay 3 from the Allotment will be used to fill the Planters in The Parklet.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns is very excited about this new addition to the Pollinator trail and hopes that people will give it a chance.
During the past fifteen months we have all been through so much. Many of us have suffered and lost and all our lives have changed in one way or another. We have had to adapt to a new normal.
For Ballincollig Tidy Towns the Parklet is seen as a step forward in these new times. People have already been enjoying them in the city and several towns and many more are due to be put in place in the coming months in other towns.
Perhaps at first the Parklet will be like an intruder on the street but given the chance it will blend in and give enjoyment to many. The construction is done and it will all make more sense when the planting is added and the project is complete.
Ballincollig has always embraced new ideas and has been at the forefront in supporting change.
We look forward to the enjoyment this Parklet will bring in the coming months.
LITTER PICK
We had eighteen Volunteers and three Transition Year Students out for the weekly Sunday morning Litter Pick.
Twelve bags of Litter were collected. The usual area from Carrigrohane to Classis was covered.
During the week our Volunteers collected four bags of litter and one bag of Cans.
The Residents from Fr. Sexton Park did a big clean up this week and we collected
ten bags of Green Waste from them.
One bag of Green Waste was collected from Beech Road and one from Leo Murphy Terrace.
We collected six bags of Green Waste from Rosewood.
An Caislean Residents carried out a big clean up on Saturday morning and we collected twelve bags of Green Waste from them.
It was lovely to see new planting around An Caislean Estate.
MEN AT WORK
Adrian started weeding around the hydrangeas in Carrigrohane at the start of the week and continued for the next number of days. It is hard work but the result was immediately noticeable.
Rain delayed work in the past two days but Adrian is due to complete this area when weather is more favourable.
The Hydrangeas have ‘come on’ very much in the past twelve months and are looking stronger.
John and Anthony finished Paírc Cul Rua and removed twelve one-ton bags of Green Waste. These were all recycled along with a number of bags from the Allotment.
John worked in the Allotment and spent time turning the compost in Compost Bay 1.
GERANIUMS RENEWED
During the winter months we stored some of the Geraniums in the poly tunnel. These are now in the process of being planted out in the Allotment.
BEAR WITH US
Last weekend all the Planters were put in place around Ballincollig. And so, the task to keep them watered begins.
We would ask motorists and cyclists to please bear with us as we pull up alongside the various Planters and Poles in order to fill their reservoirs. We will make sure that they are done in a timely manner and with minimum disruption.
OUR WATERBOYS
This duo was back in action on Tuesday night.
All the Planters on the railings, the Planters on the Poles and the Wooden Planters on Main Street were watered.
Eight hundred litres of our harvested rainwater were used. It took them two and a half hours to water everything.
Thursday all the Planters, Window Boxes etc. on Main Street (excluding the Towers) were watered by both the Pats and they also watered the Transition Flowerbed. They used eight hundred litres of water of which the Planters at Aldi took four hundred.
The work took two and a half hours for two people.
Pat Fennell hard at work.
BACK IN THE SADDLE
Ballincollig Tidy Towns plans to return to its Work Nights from next Tuesday. From then
A number of smaller projects will be tackled. People will work in small groups in-keeping with government guidelines.
Volunteers will be notified of the various project locations nearer the date.
We are all excited to be back in the saddle after so much time in lockdown. There is plenty to be done to get through all we have planned.
Be sure to come out and join us if you have some time to spare.
BLOOMIN LOVELY
Early last Saturday morning several of our Ballincollig Tidy Towns Volunteers got together and worked on getting the summer Planters out of the Allotment and put in place. It was a well-planned operation.
Later that morning, when the remainder of the Volunteers arrived, all the Planters were placed ready to be put in position.
The entire team worked very hard and got all the Pole and Railing Planters in position along with the Planters at Eastgate.
Ballincollig was transformed. The beautiful colours gave life to the streets.
We were delighted with the many positive comments from passersby.
Once everything was in place the important matter of watering became a priority. The Planters at Eastgate took eight hundred and fifty litres of water. The Planters from the Oriel House Hotel to Muskerry Estate took one hundred and fifty litres. All the water used was harvested water from our Allotment.
The reservoirs in the Pole and Railing Planters did not need water as they were already full.
It was very positive to see bees feeding on the Plants in the Planters once they were in place.
TIERED PLANTERS
The Tiered Planters were put in position on Main Street on Wednesday evening. Once in place they were planted up and filled with water (eight hundred litres in total).
Ballincollig Tidy Towns would like to thank Pat and Rosaleen Tuite for their guidance and assistance. It was greatly appreciated.
