WORK ON FLYNN’S ROAD
Over the past number of weeks, we have highlighted the wonderful work John, our CE worker, has been doing on Flynn’s Road. It has made a very noticeable difference. This week a further 3 tonne bags of weeds were collected from here.
An Caislean Residents Association sent a lovely message commending John and his work. It was very much appreciated.
KIND GESTURE
We in Ballincollig Tidy Towns are extremely grateful to John O’Donovan of O’Donovan Agri Group who very kindly gave us two road signs. These will be invaluable to us going forward as part of Health and Safety that has to be in place as we carry out various projects.
YOUR CARDS ARE MARKED
To the person who dumped three bags of their garden waste cuttings, mostly ivy, at the collection point in the car park on Sunday morning last……your cards are marked.
This collection point is designated for Ballincollig Tidy Towns Volunteers to drop off the bags filled from their Litter Picks. These are then collected and taken to the Allotment for sorting.
Our Volunteers and Workers have more than enough to be doing disposing of the waste they gather from around Ballincollig.
Would you not think if you’re going to all the trouble of making your way to the car park and shamelessly dumping your garden waste for others to deal with that you would spend that time disposing of it yourself in the proper manner.
Perhaps you would like to become a Volunteer and see the extent of the work BTT does with regard to litter alone. Maybe then you would think twice before doing so again.
Please keep in mind that there are plenty of CCTV cameras in the area and you could quite easily be identified and receive a fine for littering.
AND SO, TO PHASE 3
This week we welcomed the start of Phase 3 and all that comes with it. However much we want to return to normal, we all HAVE to remain vigilant and adhere to what is being asked of us. This is probably the most important phase so far as this allows most people return to work and most of us to return to some form of socializing in groups. The success or failure of this phase will determine whether or not the final people waiting to return to their jobs can do so and ultimately how we, as a country continue to go forward from here. We are now being asked not to travel abroad to other countries just for the duration. As it is, once travel around Europe reopens, there will be an influx of visitors to Ireland and this alone could cause another spike here which we most certainly do not want.
It is exciting being able to go shopping and eat out, in some places quite literally, very continental. It all looks very positive. Businesses have done everything they can to ensure that your safety and that of their staff takes precedence. When all is said and done, it is down to us as individuals to take every precaution to protect ourselves.
FUN BY THE RIVER
This Saturday 4th July is the first of the three small events being organised on the first Saturday of the next three months. Each of the Saturdays will be in a different area near the river.
The hope is to make the selected areas nicer, increase our connection to the river, have fun and get together with other people who might be able to encourage more activity along the river.
Saturday 4th July from 10am to noon
Gather at the car park at Inniscarra graveyard at 10am and do a Litter Pick along the river and around Inniscarra cemetery for half an hour
From 10.30am do a Chalk Art activity for the kids (and adults)
From 11am join a conversation with Pat O’Callaghan from Inniscarra Historical Association about the cemetery and old abbey
If anyone has questions, they can contact Mary on venables.mary@gmail.com
Please come out and support.
Ballincollig Tidy Towns is delighted with these planned events and has organized litter pickers, gloves and black bags. BTT will also collect the filled bags.
A RARE FIND
On Sunday last while walking in Ballincollig Regional Park Dr Tom Doyle a Lecturer in Zoology at University College Cork spotted the striking ‘Common broomrape’. It looks like an orchid, and is about 30 cm tall. It is a parasitic plant that feeds on the roots of other plants. Amazingly, as a plant, it has no chlorophyll or green leaves. There are only 11 recorded findings of this plant in Ireland this year (according to NBDC), so this is a great find in the Regional Park! Also found were some ‘spotted orchids’ in one of the meadows, which are thankfully unmowed. The meadows were full of animal life too. He saw several ringlet butterflies, a common blue butterfly and also 100s of grasshoppers all chirping at each other. He will be reporting his findings to Biodiversity Ireland so they can be recorded and we also encourage people to report any unusual findings on this link https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/
THE WATERBOYS
The rain was back with a vengeance last week which helped replenish the Water Harvesting tanks. Because of the rain “The Waterboys” watered for two hours on Thursday night of last week. All planters and window boxes were watered. They only used 450 litres of water which is one of the smallest amounts we have ever used.
The heavy rain caused some damage to plants but these will be tended to by our ‘Dead Heading Team’. On Monday night they spent two and a half hours watering and used 1,300 litres of water. Tuesday night the two Pats were out again and they both spent one and a quarter hours watering Fr. Sexton Park, Station Road, St. Mary & St. John’s and Aldi. Aldi took almost 600 litres.