WEEK’S WORK
On Monday our workers cut the grass on a section of the Old Fort Road and edged some of the footpath. They also removed the suckers from the trees.
Tommy and Sunday cleaned the area beside the footpath at the junction near Gaelscoil Ui Riordain and Heathfield. This has made a significant difference.
Tuesday Tommy removed the kerbside weeds at the entrance to Cranford Pines. He will need to return to finish this at a later date, as there is still more to be done to finish it.
He finished off the project started last week at East Gate during the Work Night. He cut the verge under the hedging freeing the entire footpath.
Both sides of the footpath verges at the back of Castlewest shopping centre on the Old Fort Road were cleaned by Sunday.
John cut and strimmed the grass on Greenfields Road behind An Caislean while Sunday removed the grass from the pavement at the bicycle shop on Inniscarra Road.
On Thursday Ger, John, Tommy and Sunday spent the morning edging opposite O’Keeffe’s Bakery beside MD O’Shea’s on the Link Road.
LITTER PICK
The numbers were down last Sunday for the weekly litter pick as several of our Volunteers were on holidays. The 20 Volunteers we did have out covered several routes to make sure all places were cleaned.
Denis covering for Pat collected 14 bags which he brought to the Allotment. They were sorted on Monday morning and separated for recycling.
TUESDAY WORK NIGHT
A major litter pick was undertaken by 14 Volunteers for Tuesday’s Work Night on a site earmarked for future development. The site was cleared some months ago to enable survey works to be completed.
We arranged with the developer to clear the site of litter, 90 per cent of which was recyclable. After an initial delay in relation to insurance our Volunteers began clearing the site and collected 38 bags of Bottles, Cans, Plastic and General Litter.
THURSDAY WORK NIGHT
Last Thursday Work Night 11 Volunteers cleaned out 3 flower beds opposite the Carraig Centre on The Old Fort Road. These had always been looked after by a contractor but lately they have been neglected so we decided to take care of them going forward. We filled several bags of weeds and when we were done the flowers looked so much better. Hopefully this bed will be a beautiful colourful sight in time to come.
POULAVONE ROUNDABOUT
One of our Volunteers cut the grass on the Poulavone Roundabout on Thursday evening. It was the first time in weeks the grass was cut here as part of our plan to assist the pollinators.
STATION ROAD
Denis cleaned the kerbside weeds from the carpark in front of the Church of St Mary and St John on Station Road. He also cut back the briars that were overhanging here.
ALLOTMENT
Our Allotment, in the heart of Ballincollig is a haven for butterflies and bees alike. All the wonderful colours and scents make it a beautiful sight. Our furry friends also enjoy the beauty.
NATIONAL TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
Free Transport Passes and Seat Reservations Older People’s Councils have queried why some Free Travel Pass holders have not been given a seat on certain bus routes. The National Transport Authority explains that this is because on certain bus services there is a seat reservation charge. The main difference is whether the bus is operated as a public service or whether its run by a private operator. Passengers on Public Service Operators (such as Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, Irish Rail, Luas and Go Ahead) in contract with the National Transport Authority are boarded on a first-come first-served basis, regardless of payment method. Passengers with online tickets do not have any priority over cash/leap/Free Travel Pass (FTP) paying customers as there is no seat reservation system in place on these services.
There is an exception with Irish Rail. Irish Rail have a number of seats that can be reserved by all passengers with valid tickets, including Free Travel Pass holders. When that allocation of seats is full a charge of €2.50 is applied for all passengers. More details here: https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/rail-fares-and-tickets/guide-to-buying-online/booking-a-seat-only-reservation?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5_qH54Lw_gIVS7DtCh30lweREAAYASABEgJ
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The Free Travel Pass is run by the Department of Social Protection. All the Public Service Operators, such as Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, Irish Rail, Luas and Go Ahead are signed up to accepting them. It is up to Private Bus Operators to decide to sign up to it, or not. They can also decide if they are charging a booking/reservation charge to all passengers and what that charge is. Expressway (and other Private Bus Operators):
All holders of valid methods of travel, including Free Travel Pass holders, can pre-book or reserve their seat. Customers who have pre-booked their seat on a service are called to board ahead of customers who have not pre-booked a seat on their preferred service. A pre-booked ticket can be a ticket purchased online or from a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). This includes Free Travel Pass holders who have gone online or to a TVM to reserve a seat on their preferred service. On Expressway Services it costs €2 euro to reserve a seat. Different private bus operators charge different amounts. Customers who have not pre-booked are then boarded on a first-come first-served basis, regardless of whether they are paying with cash/ leap/Free Travel Pass, provided there is space left on the coach.
HOLLYHILL SEED LIBRARY
Hollyhill Library is appealing to gardeners to donate any harvested, unused, or unloved seeds to the library. Seeds from both flowers and vegetables are accepted. The Seed Library is a self-sustaining collection of seeds that is free for the community to use.
How it works: Borrow, Save, Donate! Join the people in Hollyhill Library on August 19 at 11.00 am to find out more about this initiative.
HERITAGE WEEK PROGRAMME
Heritage week is fast approaching, and an event filled week is set at Cork City Libraries. From writing workshops to heritage walks there is something for everyone planned from the 12 to 20 of August!
Why not check out the programme at: https://publications.corkcitylibraries.ie/view/699659070/
BALLINCOLLIG PARKLET
