Our Work Nights are back in Full Swing and this week we were involved in cleaning Main Street and The Old Square. This week bins were washed, weeds removed, traffic islands cleaned and a full litter pick around the the town centre .
This evening 15 volunteers including 3 new people came out and worked on cleaning Main Street. Work included power washing litter bins and the “phone box” as well as litter picking and cleaning kerbs.
This week’s work nights both concentrated on Main Street, washing street furniture and power washing bins. In addition, 2 of our volunteers were preparing ground with edging machines for collection by VMware Staff.
It was nice to welcome some new volunteers to assist us this week.
As part of our work night we had to use the jeep to try to straighten this bollard.
The Regional Park was the venue for this Work Night. We washed benches, bins and dog fouling bins.
Baker Street links Station Road to the Car Park behind Quish’s SuperValu. It is a small street but one of the busiest in Ballincollig. We tackled this and it is amazing how much of a difference an hour made.
On Tuesday night 4 of our ladies took their spades and brushes and headed to Station Road. They worked their magic and what a difference. While most people thought the place was alright as it was, our ladies felt that it could be improved and worked at it until they were satisfied. It certainly looks great.
We have had a number of complaints from pedestrians about low hanging branches at Coolroe near Hodders Villas. We tackled them on Tuesday night and what an incredible difference two Volunteers, Liam and Neil, made. Afterwards, they also took the opportunity to clean weeds away from outside some business premises in the area.
We were delighted to welcome two new Volunteers to assist us on our work night. We tackled the traffic islands at the West Village. This was one of four projects that we had going on. In addition, we had a group Watering, another group Litter Picking and a group cleaning Main Street.
With all the ongoing projects, the painting of the traffic islands was pushed back. We began painting them ourselves as the Council had advised that they would not be able to get to them. This will take a few nights to complete as we cannot start until the traffic has eased.
Last Tuesday we arranged for the Traffic Islands at the Greenfields entrance to be swept. Tonight, with the assistance of John O’Donovan of O’Donovan Agri, we decided to power wash the islands and the difference was absolutely amazing.
Sunningdale is an area near the top of Station Road. It has a lovely natural stone wall in place and over time it needed to be weeded and tidied up. On Tuesday night a large group of volunteers started to do this and Thursday night another group of volunteers finished completed it. The difference was incredible and well worth the effort.
On Tuesday the Work Night focused on the Killumney Road and on the bridge near the entrance to Greenfields. The Volunteers returned there again on Thursday night in order to complete it.
Watering of the planters and hanging baskets was also carried out by more Volunteers while others did litter picking in several areas.
Bridgewater
The Volunteers tackled the hedge outside Bridgewater which was overrun with the dreaded Bindweed. One Volunteer went ahead cutting the hedge while the others came along and cleaned up. While this was being done two more Volunteers were painting kerbs. Others were litter picking and cleaning in the town centre.
Cleaning the Cycle Lane from Carrigrohane to Poulavone.. Watering and litter picking were also carried out.
On Tuesday night twenty members from both Ballincollig Tidy Towns and Ballinora Tidy Towns came together for a Work Night to clean the area around Maglin Bridge.
There was a great sense of camaraderie and even though the area is outside the Ballincollig area, we were glad to assist.
It is so true that many hands make light work. What was achieved over an hour and a half was amazing and was a very worthwhile exercise. It was all about Community and lending a hand.
Nine Volunteers headed to Poulavone Roundabout and started edging the footpaths beside the roundabout.
The group feel that a clean-cut edge is better than the burnt brown look and from the pictures we think we are correct. Despite promoting not spraying it is still being done in places but we are addressing this.
Edging is difficult but looks so much better, more importantly, it is so much better for the environment.
Tuesday’s Work Night Volunteers concentrated on cleaning kerbs on Main Street and at Eastgate. In addition, there were two crews out watering the planters and flower beds. In total 15 volunteers were out.
15 volunteers were out for the Thursday Work Night and carried out a variety of tasks. Litter picking, cleaning kerbs, sweeping and watering the planters were the main jobs
The Work Night was concluded with a well-deserved Ice Cream.
One group was out cleaning kerbs on Main Street while another group was out litter picking. Two other groups were watering. Another large group tackled one of the traffic islands at Poulavone. The results were great.
The grass, weeds, cuttings, etc are all recycled.
Tuesday’s Work Night concentrated on edging the areas adjacent to Poulavone Roundabout. Up to 50 bags of earth and sod were taken away and reclaimed. All of the bags used to collect the sods and earth are part of our ‘bag recycling project’ and have been reused for many years.
While this crew was working another crew was dead heading the roses on the Transition Bed and at the back entrance to Greenfields.
There were other crews one litter picking and another cleaning kerbs.
Finally there was a Team of residents out litter picking in Coolroe Meadows
We had a busy night getting through the work. This was the first night the darkness started to come in early a sign that the autumn is fast approaching.
Our main crew continued with the edging around Poulavone during Thursday’s Work Night.
Henry and Fearghal did a great job. We hope this work will pay off for the year ahead and sharpen the look of the surrounding areas to compliment Poulavone Roundabout. The whole area looked fantastic as Griffins Garden Centre had cut the grass on the Roundabout earlier that day.
Tuesday and Thursday Work Nights saw the completion of the work we had been doing at Poulavone.
With darkness now coming in quickly, we have to make the best use of our time for the hour or two that we are out. This Tuesday and Thursday Work Nights we tackled the last piece around Poulavone and reclaimed a lot of the footpath. In doing so we have made it safer for pedestrians.
We also had crews out watering and litter picking.
Tuesday’s Work Night was part of our pre-winter planning. We had a crew of nine working on the Link Road edging the footpaths close to the road,
This work makes a big difference and although people may not see it as they drive by, it is very noticeable when walking on the footpath.
Our Work Nights are coming close to finishing as the nights close in,
The nights are drawing in and so the Tuesday and Thursday Work Nights will be cut back shortly. We tackled the edging on both sides of Maglin Road. In some parts over a foot of the path was reclaimed.
The Inniscarra Road is a very busy road in constant use. Every year we have to cut back the overhanging bindweed as it causes an obstruction to the many people that use the footpath.
On our Work Night eleven Volunteers tackled the issue and in an hour the work was completed and tools all packed away.
Major job at Inniscarra Road