Laois County Council

Category: News

  • Make a switch for nature this National Biodiversity Week, with ten ideas from Heritage Officers

    Make a switch for nature this National Biodiversity Week, with ten ideas from Heritage Officers

    This is National Biodiversity Week.  Every day we depend on biodiversity.        

    Biodiversity or nature is all about us.  Everything we rely on is provided by nature. Biodiversity is the variety of life on the planet, how it interacts with the natural water cycles and climate to create ecosystems that provide habitats, and ecosystem goods and services.  Goods like timber, healthy soil, raw materials for clothing, food, medicines – everything.  Services like carbon sequestration, water filtration, pollination.

    Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer with Laois County Council said “Take a first step and connect with the wonder of the nature this Biodiversity week.  Find a quiet spot and listen to the sounds of nature about you.  This is the sound of nature supporting your life”.

    International Biodiversity Day is Saturday 22nd May and the theme this year is “We are part of the solution for Nature”. There are some simple switches that can be made that will set us on that pathway.  Always the best place to start is where we can have the most influence, and for most of us that is our own homes and gardens.

    Here are ten SWITCHES you can make for nature right now:

    1. Switch peat moss or compost with peat for PEAT-FREE COMPOST. Ask your garden centre. Or make your own compost. This will help protect our valuable bogs, which are vital for carbon capture and nature.
    2. Switch your weekly mow to LET YOUR GRASS GROW. Leave an extra margin around the edge of your lawn and cut it every 3-6 weeks, to provide shelter and food for pollinators. #NoMowMay
    3. Switch tap water in your watering can to WATER FROM A WATER BUTT. Rainwater collected from your roof is a good way to re-use water and be more economical with treated water.
    4. Switch some of your lawn for a POND OR RAIN GARDEN – all our wildlife needs water and it’s amazing how much wildlife even a tiny pond can attract..
    5. Switch pesticides for NATURAL PEST CONTROL AND COMPANION PLANTING. (Carrot fly is distracted by the smell of rosemary and thyme, plant marigolds or lady’s mantle close to tomatoes, nasturtium beside broad beans). Encourage ladybirds to your garden to eat greenfly.
    6. Switch chemical fertiliser for NETTLE OR COMFREY FERTILISER. This is made by soaking the plants in water for a few weeks and then diluting the resultant liquid with water. Areas of nettles and comfrey are super for pollinators – bees and butterflies, so a patch has additional biodiversity benefits.
    7. Switch cutting hedges at waist height to LETTING HAWTHORN HEDGES GROW TALL AND BLOSSOM. This is vital for pollinators and will bring a wonderful sight and smell to your garden.
    8. Switch tidying up to BUILDING A LOG PILE. These are great spots for hedgehogs, bugs and beetles. The garden is not a place for Marie Kondo’s house tidying approach! Check out the Gardening for Biodiversity video series for tips
    9. Switch planting the same plants everywhere to PLANTING VARIETY. This will protect your garden from being overrun with any one pest or disease and bring more wildlife to your place.
    10. Switch social distance for HUGGING A TREE !

     

    The popular GARDENING FOR BIODIVERSITY booklet and colouring book are still available – click below to download, along with a Pledge your Garden for Pollinators leaflet.  These wonderful publications are full of fantastic ideas for your garden. The Garden Birds poster produced in association with BirdWatch Ireland shows you the huge wealth of birds you might attract to your garden.

    Click the images to download the publications

    Gardening For Biodiversity Cover                   

     

     

    The Local Authority Heritage Officer Network is the collection of heritage officers located nationwide, in most counties and local authorities.  The Heritage Office programme is supported by the local authorities and the Heritage Council.  Heritage Officers advocate for the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, through the implementation of biodiversity and heritage plans, working with communities through local government.

     

  • Notification of Temporary Road Closure at the following location: Road: R430 Towlerton, Killeshin

    Notification of Temporary Road Closure

    Laois County Council wishes to advise of the intention & decision to close the following road at the following location:

    Road: R430 Towlerton, Killeshin

    ON and/or BETWEEN the following dates & times
    19/05/2021 08:00 and 21/05/2021 18:00

    For the purposes of Paving/Surfacing Works

    Please see maps (below)

    R430 Towlerton – Killeshin

    R430 Road Closure TMP1

    R430 Road Closure TMP2

    Any objections or observations shall be emailed to:

    pmcveigh@laoiscoco.ie

    Signed: Philip McVeigh
    On behalf of the Roads Authority

  • Laois Heritage Projects Awarded Funding under Community Heritage Grants

    Laois Heritage Projects Awarded Funding under Community Heritage Grants

    Five Laois heritage projects have been awarded funding totalling over €44,000 by the National Heritage Council under the Community Heritage Grants Scheme. Nationally, the scheme will see €1.2 million allocated to community groups and not-for-profit organisations. This follows on from an award of €374,599 made to community heritage projects in April 2021.

     

    The funding will boost local economies, grow tourism, and enhance community spirit by supporting local heritage projects.

     

    The projects are all undertaken by voluntary groups and the topics in Laois range from improved access  for people with disabilities at Donaghmore Workhouse, and community monitoring of Climate Change on local built heritage to conservation of historic newspapers reporting the historic first East West Transatlantic Flight by the Col James Fitzmaurice and digital recording of medieval monuments.

    Trevor Stanley (Secretary of Donaghmore Workhouse &Agricultural Museum) with Catherine Casey (Heritage Officer , Laois Co. Council ) at the opening of the Dining Hall at Donaghmore Workhouse in 2014. The Museum has been awarded funding to improve accessibility for all under the new Heritage Council Community Grants Fund. Photo: Michael Scully

    Welcoming the grant awards, Cathaoirleach Catherine Fitzgerald said “These Heritage Council grants amount of over €44,000 to be injected into the Laois economy and I’d like to congratulate each of the voluntary groups involved –  the Col James Fitzmaurice Commemoration Society, Donaghmore Famine Workhouse & Agricultural Museum, Mountmellick Development Association, Laois Heritage Society and Laois Federation of Tidy Towns for their hard work on behalf of the people and heritage of the county. Laois always punches above its weight when it comes to quality and quantity of community heritage projects and I’m delighted to see that trend continuing. I wish all of the groups the best with their projects and look forward to hearing about some of them during Heritage Week in August”.

    Killeshin c
    Killeshin Church with its carved Romanesque doorway will be digitally recorded by Laois Heritage Society under a new project funded by the Heritage Council and announced today (Photo: Laois Heritage Office).

    Sean Murray, Chairman of Laois Heritage Society said “We are delighted to have obtained funding for digital 3-D modelling recording of three sites in Co. Laois. The survey will include sites identified as of National importance with regards to the Early Church tradition in Ireland. The Hiberno-Romanesque doorways of Killeshin Church and Timahoe Round tower and Early Medieval Cross Slabs uncovered at Clonenagh in 1989, which were associated with St. Fintan’s Monastery there, will all feature as part of the project. The project will engage with the local communities in the areas and workshops are planned later in the year to train people who have an interest in the digital recording heritage monuments”.

     

    Commenting on the announcement, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, said: “I would like to acknowledge the fantastic work of the Heritage Council in supporting community heritage through this important scheme. As the scope and scale of these projects illustrate, communities play a vital role in caring for all aspects of our heritage. The new national heritage plan, Heritage Ireland 2030, which will be published later this summer, will recognise the role of communities in safeguarding our heritage and ensure that they continue to be supported.”

     

    Chairman of The Heritage Council, Michael Parsons, said: “These schemes continue to provide a central focus for the work of The Heritage Council. They are testament to the close collaboration between the Council, local authorities and community groups, all sharing a common purpose.”

    Teddy Fennelly of the Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Society and Michael Parsons, Chair of the Heritage Council, pictured in Fitzmaurice Place Portlaoise (Photo: Catherine Casey, Laois Heritage Office).

     

    Heritage Council Community Grants, full details at https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/funding/funding-schemes

     

    Details of Laois projects awarded funding below.

     

    Applicant Project Description Offered
    Col James Fitzmaurice Commemoration Society Conservation and Digitization of Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Society Archive – Phase 1 €7,550
    Donaghmore Famine Workhouse & Agricultural Museum Donaghmore Accessibility Enhancement Project to undertake elements of the Museum Accessibility Audit supported by the Heritage Council in 2020 to enrich visitor experiences. €10,800
    Mountmellick Development Association To greatly improve the visitor experience with storyboards, 2 digital productions for use inhouse/website/Facebook. €11,350
    Laois Heritage Society To digitally record and make accessible vulnerable carved stone features at three Laois sites – Killeshin Romanesque Doorway, Timahoe Romanesque Doorway & Early Christian Cross-Slabs at Clonenagh €3,400
    Laois Federation of Tidy Towns To establish baseline data of built and architectural heritage via a checklist and monitoring of the key heritage features identified by a Tidy Towns as a tangible indicators of Climate Change €11,326
    TOTAL FOR LAOIS   €44,426

     

  • Community Check in Cards

    Registered members of the Public Participation Network will be delivering ‘Check-In’ cards to older and vulnerable persons in our communities, living alone or more isolated during this pandemic.  This neighbourly non-contact check in invites people to stay connected and reach out if they need support.If your group wishes to participate contact the PPN on 057 8665661 or email ppn@laoiscoco.ie

  • In Your Nature Podcast Series

    Getting out into nature is proven to improve your physical and mental health. The In Your Nature Podcast will bring you conversations about birds, wildlife and wild places. The podcast is presented by Ricky Whelan and Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland with regular expert guests.

    Advert for In your Nature Podcast

  • Notification of Temporary Traffic Management Arrangements at the following location: Mountrath

    Notification of Temporary Traffic Management Arrangements

    Laois County Council wishes to advise of Road Narrows

    At the following location: Shannon Street, Mountrath

    Approx. 53.001054,-7.4738786

    ON and/or BETWEEN the following dates & times
    10/05/2021 08:00:00 – 18:00:00
    11/05/2021 08:00:00 – 18:00:00

    For the purposes of Road Crossing/Mini Pillar Works

    Please see attached map (below)

    Shannon Street Mountrath 3-Way TL

    Shannon Street Mountrath Road Narrows

    Any objections or observations shall be emailed to:
    fnasiem@laoiscoco.ie
    kmanning@laoiscoco.ie
    pmurphy@laoiscoco.ie

    Signed: Farhan Nasiem E. Engineer Road Design
    On behalf of the Roads Authority

  • Dog fouling is not a dog problem, it is a human problem.

    Dog fouling is not a dog problem, it is a human problem. Please clean up after your dog and dispose of the waste responsibly.

     

  • Cruinniú na nÓg 2021

    Cruinniú na nÓg 2021

     

    Cruinniú na nÓg is a national day of creativity for children and young people under the age of 18 which celebrates and encourages participation in culture and creativity through ‘doing’, ‘making’, and ‘creating’ from visual and performing arts to workshops and adventures in heritage, libraries, culture, science, technology or climate action.  Events are free, local and activity-based.

     

    Opportunity to deliver online workshops for Cruinniú na nÓg

    Laois County Council Arts Office and Creative Ireland Laois wish to programme a series of workshops for Cruinniú na nÓg on June 12 that will inspire children & young people to make work based on the theme of ‘ A Sense of Place’.  Artists are required to be skilled and equipped in working online and facilitating online workshops, as well as pre-recorded video skills.

    Download the brief here

    Submission of your Expression of Interest: Monday, May 10 to artsoff@laoiscoco.ie.

    For all information, please contact Laois Arts Office on 057 8664033/13 or artsoff@laoiscoco.ie.

    Consultation with Children and Young People in Co. Laois

    Cruinniú na nÓg   on Saturday June 12, 2021 is a national day of creativity for children and young people (0-18) which celebrates and encourages participation in culture and creativity through ‘doing’, ‘making’, and ‘creating’ from visual and performing arts to workshops and adventures in heritage, culture, science, technology or climate action. Events are free, local and activity-based.

    Tell us what you’d like to do, make and create!

    Tag @creativelaois for FB & Twitter and/or @creativeirelandlaois for Instagram, and ALWAYS use the hashtag: #CruinniúLaois2021
    OR
    Use the chatbot at http://creativeireland.gov.ie/en/cruinniu-feedback

    Deadline for submission of preferences: Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

     

     

    Cruinniú na nÓg 2021 Open Call Grant Scheme

    Laois County Council is inviting applications from individuals/organisations for innovative activities of all shapes and sizes for children and young people that fosters creativity and engages diverse participation from visual and performing arts to workshops and adventures in heritage, culture, science, technology or climate action.

    Events should be focused on children and young people with children and young people themselves consulted and included in creating the event. We particularly welcome applications that gives access to groups of children who haven’t had such opportunities before.

    Grants are available up to a maximum of €2000. Grants will typically be in the region of €500 to €2000. While there is no fixed number of awards, there will generally be a larger number of lesser value awards and a small number of higher value ones.

    For guidelines and application form, click here
    Closing date for proposals: Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
    The application form and all supporting material must be completed and submitted by email
    For all enquiries, contact Laois Arts Office on 057 8664033/13 or email artsoff@laoiscoco.ie.

    Covid-19 Restriction Levels

    In preparing your application, you should base it on the best public-health advice and guidance available at the time you are making your application. Given this, you should ensure that what you are proposing is feasible or adaptable should social distancing and/or other public-health measures impact on all or part of the application.

    In many instances, projects will be designed specifically to mitigate that isolation felt by young people missing the strong social connections with their peers, and communities that were already experiencing isolation because of a variety of physical, social, cultural, economic or geographic reasons, that have become more acute because of Covid-19.

  • Gardening for Biodiversity

    Gardening for Biodiversity

    The Local Authority Heritage Officer Network has launched a campaign to get people connected with nature, as part of the Government’s “Keep Well” Campaign.

    A free booklet “Gardening for Biodiversity” has been produced and is available from all Local Authority Heritage Officers

    Colouring books and colouring pages can be downloaded from https://laois.ie/departments/heritage/biodiversity/nature-is-good-for-you/

  • Laois County Council Would Like to Bring This Notice to Contractors Involved With Civil Engineering Works

    Further details can be found through the following link:-Dynamic Purchasing System for Civil Engineering – Information Notice

    Lot 1 – Road Making and Associated Ancillary Works with PSCS appointment for Contracts greater than €200K
    Lot 2 – Road Making and Associated Ancillary Works with PSCS appointment for Contracts less than €200K
    Lot 3 – Road Making and Associated Ancillary Works without PSCS appointment for Contracts less than €200K
    Lot 4 – Civil Works with PSCS Appointment

    The Local Government Operational Procurement Centre (LGOPC) published a Dynamic Purchasing System for Civil Engineering Works (“the DPS”) on the 19th April 2021 on www.etenders.gov.ie. The Dynamic Purchasing System details are as follows:

    [one-half-first]Title of the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)
    Reference on www.etenders.gov.ie (System ID)
    Date of Publication
    Initial Closing Date and Time for Receipt of Applications
    DPS Established & Assessment of New Applications Commences
    Application Method
    Dynamic Purchasing System Period of Validity (Duration).[/one-half-first]
    [one-half]Dynamic Purchasing System for Civil Engineering Works
    188347
    19th April 2021
    19th May 2021, 15:00 Hrs
    Q3, 2021

    Electronic submissions through www.etenders.gov.ie
    It is anticipated the DPS will be established for a period of five years[/one-half]

     

    Should you have any queries in respect of this DPS please feel free to contact the Supplygov Team at eproc@kerrycoco.ie or 076 1064020

     

  • Grow it Forward

    Grow it Forward

    GIY, in partnership with Healthy Ireland and public libraries will distribute 50,000 free food growing kits as part of a new ‘Grow it Forward’ initiative.

    Recipients are asked to use the kits to share the experience with ten people, enabling half a million people across Ireland to enjoy the wide range of benefits that come from growing food at home.

    As part of the Government’s Keep Well programme, this campaign is designed to help the nation eat well by inspiring and supporting people to grow some of their own food at home while connecting with friends and family to join them.

    Let’s get growing, email your contact details (including postal address) to mountmellicklibrary@laoiscoco.ie or call 057-8644572 for your free packs!

     

  • Check in Card

    Check in Card

    Registered members of the Public Participation Network will be delivering ‘Check-In’ cards to older and vulnerable persons in our communities, living alone or more isolated during this pandemic.  This neighbourly non-contact check in invites people to stay connected and reach out if they need support.