Newsletter 30 March 2025
Spring Sunday
On Sunday morning we had 32 volunteers plus 2 Transition Year Students out for our Weekly Litter Pick and TY Works.
This morning we welcomed our newest Volunteer Shane to the team.
Shane is our 100th Volunteer on our Texting List. This is a fantastic number of people who all want to make a difference.
On Sunday we covered from Carrigrohane to Classis and a large section of the Regional Park. Pat collected 10 bags of litter and 2 bags of litter from the litter picks during the week.
We also collected 1 bag of grass as some estates started grass cutting.
After the litter pick we adjourned to The Plaza for a very welcome Cuppa and Treats. Someone brought a box of Roses Chocolates which were made short work of!!
TY Works
On Sunday Morning Bridget and Denis took the Transition Year Students to Eastgate where they did a great job cleaning up around the area. Clearing it of twigs and weeds and also brushing the stones back in the area. They collected 3 bags of weeds etc.
A Very Special Monday
Monday was a very special day for BTT with the Launch of the 2025 SuperValu National Tidy Towns Competition taking place in The Regional Park.
Gay and the Team were hard at work before the arrival of the Minister.
Gay, Tom, Nathalie, Sunday and Bikunda finished cutting back of some shrubs at Westcliffe bed. This project is now completed and looks so much better after its clean up.
2025 Launch in Ballincollig
On Monday morning at The Regional Park we welcomed Minister Dara Calleary TD and SuperValu Managing Director Luke Hanlon to officially launch the 2025 SuperValu National Tidy Towns Competition. The sun shone brightly as Department officials from the Tidy Towns Unit, SuperValu personnel, local politicians RTE, and other press organisations as well as our volunteers and students from Scoil Barra and Coláiste Choilm and staff from Cork City Council.
It was a truly amazing morning and great credit to John and Anne for preparing the wheelbarrows for the event.
It was a very special morning for BTT and a very proud one. We hope that the sun will shine as well when President Michael D Higgins visits Ballincollig in the coming months.
Regional Awards Ceremony
On Monday night at The Talbot Cork Hotel as Regional Winners in the 2024 SuperValu National Tidy Towns Competition Ballincollig hosted the South West and Mid West Regional Awards Ceremony.
This was an extremely proud night for everyone in BTT as we welcomed Tidy Towns Groups from Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Clare to Ballincollig.
Our secretary John O’Regan did a sterling job as MC on the night.
Over 200 people attended the event and the speakers on the night were Deputy Mayor of Cork Cllr Ann Marie Ahern, Mr Jerry Buttimer, TD. Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Transport and Michelle Griffin Strategy Manager with SuperValu.
All the various awards and Medals were presented on the night and our Team were presented with our Gold Medal and also our County and Regional Awards.
Over many years we have had the privilege to work with staff from The TidyTowns Unit of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
This team did an excellent job in organising the function on Monday evening. Our thanks to Mary Pracht, Niamh Gorman, Helen Murray and Siobhan Lindsay.
Our thanks also to Michelle Griffin, Maighread Cremin and Yvonne O Brien fromSuperValu, who are long time sponsors of the competition.
The Team at The Talbot under the leadership of General Manager Janice and Assistant General Manager Michael did an exceptional job.
Monday was an excellent day for Ballincollig Tidy Towns and for the promotion of our amazing Community.
Springtime
This is an amazing time of the year with green shoots starting to appear and trees like The Magnolia are in full bloom.
John Buckley took photos of two Magnolia trees one morning this week before their flowers fall off. Their show time may be short but it is magnificent.
Tuesday Trimming
Tuesday morning Jimmy Sunday and Bikunda did great work carrying out edging on Old Fort Road.
The photos really show the effect of the work. They filled 19 plastic bags of edging material collected, plus 2 tonne bags of cuttings from a shrub which was extending out a foot or two onto the pavement and was impeding pedestrians. Great job.
Thinking before we cut
Our HQ is an amazing place where a lot of great work goes on. It is also a place where we see nature at work in its own incredible way.
Modern gardening practice is not to cut back anything in the garden in autumn or winter, but to let it alone until March or April. You can see why from these three photos taken at our HQ.
The Cinneraria suffered badly from frost damage as seen below.
However, because it was not cut back, it protected the new growth that would otherwise have been burned… (note below the light green shoots appearing).
…and also provided a haven for overwintering insects, as can be seen by the emerging ladybird.
Wednesday Works
Wednesday morning saw Ger H, Sunday,Keith and Bikunda working on cleaning the path edges at the Meadows, Classis Lake on both sides and the left side of the entrance road.
They collected 8 recycled compost bags which were taken back to HQ.
Bikunda also watered containers at HQ.
Saturday Works
On Saturday Morning bright and early John Buckley did a great job tidying up the bed at the entrance to Greenfields.
John cut back the plants and also assess how we can improve it for this year.
Doing it the Safe Way
During the winter a lot of algae appears around various items and the green marks can look unsightly.
One of our volunteers did a lot of research in seeing how we could remove this in an Eco Friendly Way. Jimmy got a lot of feedback and he finally got a product and we found it works very well. This week he sprayed it around a number of different areas and within 48 hours he can already see a remarkable difference.
Thursday – the end of a busy week.
On Thursday morning Ger K, Keith, Sunday and Bikunda moved to another road off Coolroe Meadows to clean between the footpath and the road. What may seem a trivial job to some, just look at the difference it makes.
There’s a real buzz in the air at Crann, preparing for Easter Midterm and some exciting client events! Check out the Client Activities Calendar to be in the know about upcoming programmes – ask your Client Family Liaison for a password reminder!
Reminder: If you would like to discuss your support plan, contact us on (021) 428 9267 or email clientservices@cranncentre.ie.
Child Sensory Webinar
Parents | Mon April 7th | 11:30am-1pm | Online | Booking Essential
Understand the importance of your child’s sensory regulation & how this impacts daily life.
Skills on Wheels Easter Camp
Children with a Disability | April 14th-16th | Booking Essential
Wheelchair skills for greater independence & access.
Fine Motor Skills Groups
Children with a Disability | 4 x Age Groups, Starting May 6th & 7th | Booking Essential
Focusing on developing your child’s fine motor skills, visual perception skills, and handwriting.
Mindfulness Course
Parents | 6 x Weekly Sessions, Starting 2nd May 9:30am | Booking Essential
Develop resilience and wellbeing through mindfulness practices with accredited Psychotherapist Marie O’Mahony.
Easter Family Fun Day
All Client Families | April 17th 2-4pm | In-House at Crann | Booking Essential
Join us for an afternoon of Easter fun in the Playground
Supervised Play
Children with a Disability | Siblings (U7s require parent supervision) | April 23rd 11am-1pm | Booking Essential
A morning of drama, fun and games in the playground!
Client Activities Calendar
Remember, we include a selection of upcoming programmes in this newsletter, but keep an eye on the Client Activities Calendar regularly for a more complete view of upcoming programmes!
Please contact your Client Liaison if you need a reminder of the Client Activities Calendar password.
Lived Experience Takes Centre Stage for Crann’s Breaking Barriers Theatre Group
A massive congratulations to the Breaking Barriers Theatre Adult Group who performed their poignant self-penned play “It’s Great That You’re Out! Well Done!” at two shows on March 1st at the lounge at Lakewood Sports Complex. This setting allowed for an immersive reconstruction of the writers’ and actors’ experiences of nightlife as wheelchair users. Make sure to read Hannah’s Blog below for her first-hand account of the creative process.
The Crann Podcast – Mary O’Grady
Mary O’Grady has spent her career supporting people living with disabilities towards their education and career goals, and in recent years has been working at Crann to support, not just a child or young person towards their personal goals, but also their parents.
Thank You to Tragumna Threshing!
Huge thank you to the Tragumna Threshing Committee who raised €4000 for Crann, among an incredible €32,000 raised for local charities. A special thanks to the McCarthy family for kindly nominating Crann. The funds raised will help us continue to support more families in the community living with neuro-physical disabilities.
Hannah’s Blog – From Zoom Shows in Front of Family to Sitting in Front of Live Audiences!
“We had worked so hard as a team opening up the conversation and pitching the idea, it was now time to challenge ourselves and take our powerful idea to the next level.”
Playground Opening Times
Saturdays 1pm-3pm
Website booking essential. Alternative times are available on request to todonovan@cranncentre.ie
Reminder! If you’d like to visit the playground around your next appointment, ask a member of staff or call 021 428 9267
Subject to weather & subject to change. Available to client families. To begin your journey visit: https://cranncentre.ie/crann-
Join the Community at Crann!
We welcome new applications to join our community as our services have to be limited to clients & families of Crann.
Follow the link to begin the process https://cranncentre.ie/crann-
Times and dates presented in this newsletter are subject to change.
Welcome to the ‘Our City Is Changing’ newsletter, the monthly hub for information on what is happening in our city.
Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference 2025
Courage in Crisis
🌍 Join Us at the Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference 2025! 🌍
We are excited to announce that the Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference 2025 will be hosted in venues throughout Ballina, Co Mayo this May. This event is a unique opportunity to engage with global leaders, scientists, activists and policy makers to address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Everybody is welcome !
📅 Date: Monday, May 26th to Tuesday, May 27th, 2025
📍 Location: Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland
🎤 Keynote Speakers include:
· Mary Robinson, Former President, Member of The Elders, Dandelion
· Anja Murray, Ecologist, Policy Analyst, Broadcaster and Author
· Dr. Gerard McCarthy, Physical Oceanographer and Climate Scientist
· Elaine McGoff, Head of Advocacy with An Taisce
· Hannah E. Daly, Prof. in Sustainable Energy at University College Cork
· John Barry, Prof. of Political Science, Queens University Belfast
· Prof. Navjot Bhullar, Psychological Scientist and Mental Health
Researcher in the Health Research Institute at University of Canberra,
Australia
· Tom Arnold, Chair of Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee
Don’t miss out on this chance to be part of the conversation and contribute to a sustainable future.
Tickets now on Sale!
🔗 Register Here or Button below:
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Let’s come together to make a difference
Share this post and invite your network and join us in Mayo!
🔗 Event Website: maryrobinsoncentre.ie
