THE CAMERA NEVER LIES
Darren Lane and Terry Hume, two local photographers, very kindly spent time capturing Ballincollig’s wonderful floral displays for us. As a result of their talent and kindness, the colours and beauty seen through their lenses are now ours to share and enjoy.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns is indebted to both for their work. We have attached some for everyone to enjoy and will add more to the website in the coming days.  
A FITTING TRIBUTE
An original and beautiful idea was recently put in place in an area of the Regional Park Ballincollig.
‘Pat’s Little Free Library’ was installed in honour of Mr. Pat Meany by his loving family. Pat Meany who sadly passed away last year, was a teacher in Colaiste Choilm for fifteen years. He was a voracious reader and book lover and was always keen to encourage others to read. He loved to visit the Park where he would sit and read for hours.
Last weekend, Pat’s wife Mary and daughters Natasha and Sharon stocked this little library with some wonderful books. These are for people to read and enjoy. Since then, people of all ages have been making use of this wonderful gem.
It is a fitting tribute and a unique way to honour a wonderful man.

 

OFFICIAL LAUNCH
This week over two days, Cllr. Colm Kelleher, Lord Mayor of Cork officially launched eight recently installed City Parklets.
In September 2020, a number of local businesses and community associations were selected to take part in the National Transport Authority-funded scheme “Parklet Partners”. 
The Parklets are designed by Siobhán Keogh Design and built by Benchspace Cork. Although they are planted and maintained by the “Parklet Partners”, funding for their upkeep is administered by the City Council. It is hoped that the majority if not all the plants be Pollinator Friendly.
The following Parklets were those officially launched in the two days: 
  • Cook Street (Partner: Il Padrino restaurant)
  • South Mall (Partners: The Imperial Hotel and Cork Zero Waste)
  • Union Quay (Partner: Three Little Piggies Deli)
  • Sullivan’s Quay (Partners: The Quay Co-op, Creativity & Change – MTU Crawford and Green Spaces for Health)
  • Wandesford Quay (Partners: Lavit Gallery, Backwater Artists Group, Cork Printmakers and Wandesford Quay CLG)
  • Ballincollig Main Street (Partners: Bitesize Café and Ballincollig Tidy Towns)
  • Douglas Main Street (Partners: Okura Japanese Cuisine and Douglas Tidy Towns)
  • Glanmire – Crestfield Shopping Centre (Partners: Crestfield Shopping Centre, Glanmire Area Community Association, Ryan’s Supervalu and TUS Community Employment Schemes)
At present, applications for a further six Parklets in the greater metropolitan area are being assessed.
The feedback on the current Parklets is very positive with people using them daily. Their success would not be possible without the commitment of those who have undertaken to tend to them on an ongoing basis.
Several on-street parking spaces have been given over to these Parklets. They provide an inviting green space for people to sit, relax, and interact and a green space on an urban street encouraging biodiversity.
Below are pictures from the official launch of The Ballincollig Parklet by Lord Mayor Cllr. Colm Kelleher. Also in attendance were Cllr. Garret Kelleher and members of Cork City Council, Ballincollig Tidy Towns and Benchspace.
RECYCLING
As part of Ballincollig Tidy Towns ongoing drive to support Recycling, Green Dragon called to our Allotment this week and collected thirty-three bags of Plastic and one large bin of Cans.
LITTER PICK
On Sunday morning a total of eighteen Volunteers came out for the weekly Litter Pick. We covered a large area from Carrigrohane to Classis and all areas in between.
During the week our Volunteers were out on the streets as usual doing Litter Picks.
The total amounts collected for the week, including daily Litter Picks were –
Twenty-one bags of Litter, two bags of Cans, one bag of Plastic, one bag of Glass and three bags of Green Waste.
GATES CLOSE AT 8PM FROM 1 SEPTEMBER
WATERING
Monday’s Watering took the two Pats two and three-quarter hours. They managed to get all the Planters from the West Village to Harrington Street watered and also the Parklet and the Towers.
On Tuesday night they were out for an hour and used six hundred and fifty litres of water as they watered the Planters at Eastgate and the flowerbeds at Fr. Sexton Park.
These beds were weeded and tidied up this week by the Residents and look very well.
Thursday nights watering took the Waterboys two and a half hours and they used twelve hundred litres of water. They managed to get all the Planters on both sides of Main Street including the Parklet and the Towers watered. They have to go back out tomorrow night to water the Planters at Eastgate.
TUESDAY WORK NIGHT
Tuesday’s Work Night, nine Volunteers were working near Poulavone Roundabout.
Briars and bushes on the footpath were cut back in front of Bridgewater. We had to go back there on Thursday to finish this work.
 
On Tuesday 31 August, the day we take as being the ‘last day of summer’, the grass on Poulavone Roundabout was cut and mulched.
Despite the hundreds of vehicles driving around the roundabout, the many bees were oblivious busy flying from flower to flower.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns Volunteers, in association with McDonalds Ballincollig, have maintained the Roundabout to a high standard and we are already planning additional Pollinators for next year.
SOME OF THE WEEK’S WORK
During the week Adrian continued his work on the Westgate Steps.
John did a tidy up on the An Caislean flowerbed. What a difference this has made. It was a shame that it had been sprayed earlier in the summer.
Denis one of our Volunteers was busy painting over the weekend and during the week.
After painting the Water Pump in the Old Square, he also painted the Post Boxes opposite The White Horse and at the entrance to Muskerry Estate. The Boxes on Main Street were also painted.
THURSDAY WORK NIGHT
Seven Volunteers returned to Poulavone for the Thursday Work Night and continued to cut back overhanging branches and briars. It was a great night’s work. We filled ten one-ton bags with Green Waste which will all be recycled at the Allotment.
The evenings are drawing in and there will only be another few weeks of Work Nights left for this year.